Chris Powers

As Ukraine and Moldova move closer to the European Union on June 15, Russian opera star Anna Netrebko will take the stage at the Philharmonie Luxembourg next door. The contrast reflects a growing, worrying trend across Europe where some of the Russian cultural figures once boycotted after 2022 for their views are steadily being normalized again. Ukraine's embassy to Belgium and Luxembourg published a press release on June 10, expressing concern over Netrebko's planned performance. "For many y

The latest draft of the European Union's seven-year budget, released on June 11, envisions 89 billion euros of financial support for Ukraine from 2028 to 2034, down from the 100 billion euros ($115 billion) originally proposed by the European Commission.

The European Commission announced on June 9 that a visa ban targeting current and former Russian soldiers should be part of the EU's next sanctions package, sparking a debate on social media about why the measure targets only military personnel. The Kyiv Independent explains why the proposal is limited to Russian combatants and whether more sweeping restrictions could follow. Nordic and Baltic countries proposed already in February and March that the EU should ban entry for ex-Russian soldiers

During the meeting, the Russian side presented "an objective assessment of the destructive policies" of Western countries, namely the ongoing support of Ukraine via the Coalition of the Willing, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

EU imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Yamal project increased by nearly 18% in the first five months of 2026, according to a report by environmental and sanctions-monitoring NGO Urgewald shared with the Kyiv Independent. The figures show the challenges facing EU's effort to end its dependency on Russian energy, despite the bloc's phased ban on Russian gas imports. While Brussels has introduced restrictions on Russian LNG imports, loopholes in the current scheme have allowe

As Russian drones and missiles continue to pound Ukraine's war-damaged energy infrastructure, Kyiv is struggling to find funding for a 5.4 billion euro ($6.2 billion) "energy resilience plan" first announced in spring. The next few months are a race against time to prepare for what energy experts warn will be another difficult winter under constant Russian bombardment. Ukraine not only needs to repair equipment after Russia wiped out nine gigawatts of power generation last winter, but also deve

"No country in Europe is off Russia's target list since its invasion of Ukraine," Kallas said.

The package will also include a freeze on the current pricing mechanism for Russia energy imports until the end of 2026, meaning Moscow won't be able to profit from rising prices resulting from the U.S. war on Iran.

An investigation by the Irish Times, which revealed that the Aughinish Alumina plant is supporting the Russian war effort against Ukraine, has brought turmoil to domestic politics in Ireland.

"For the time being, I think this issue has been solved at the working level," the EU's Enlargement Chief Marta Kos said in a meeting with journalists in Kyiv on June 8, referring to Poland's objection.

"We are here both to organize support within the framework of the coalition of the willing and to put that support in place," Macron said.

President Volodymyr Zelensky's letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin was never meant only for the man whose name was written at the top. According to a senior Ukrainian official familiar with the planning, the message was aimed at a much wider audience, including Putin's inner circle, Russian elites increasingly weary of the war, and even ordinary Russian citizens. The letter, sent on June 4, marked the first direct outreach from Zelensky to Putin since 2022. In it, the Ukrainian presiden

More than four years after the EU began sanctioning Russian steel, Belgium remains a loyal importer — thanks to a sanctions exemption that allows a Russia-based steel giant to continue supplying its Belgian factories with low-cost slabs. Despite sweeping EU sanctions against the Kremlin for its war in Ukraine, Belgium has opposed attempts to sanction the company, NLMK, and its Kremlin-connected billionaire owner, Vladimir Lisin. Belgian officials fear that taking action could hurt employment in

All signatories to the letter sit outside of the European Parliament's political mainstream, with euroskeptic and pro-Russian politicians strongly represented.

Western media and analysts' work often "amplifies all sorts of Kremlin talking points, which does real damage," said Edward Lucas, founder of BISC, the first pan-Baltic think tank.