Eastern Europe / Features
Shocked but defiant, Ukrainians react to dramatic shift in US policy
"I am shocked. I didn’t expect Trump to behave in such a vile way. There are no words. I just can’t understand how someone in Trump’s position can behave so shamelessly.”
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White House press conference debacle: what does it mean and what happens next?
Things are moving incredibly fast. The world order appears to have been turned on its head by US President Donald Trump. Where does that leave Ukraine after his clash with Zelenskiy? And what will happen to the trans-Atlantic alliance?
EBRD lowers 2025 forecasts citing subdued global growth and trade fragmentation
Weaker external demand and potential impact of Trump tariffs weigh on Emerging Europe, Central Asia and Semed regions, with growth now projected at 3.2%.
Ukraine’s public debt surges 60% since Russian invasion, debt could become a problem post-war
Ukraine had no debt following the fall of the Soviet Union and a healthy 35% of GDP before the war with Russia began three years ago, but as most international aid is in the form of loans, the debt-to-GDP ratio is now 64% and still rising.
Russia and China remain rivals in the Arctic, and now the US is knocking at the door
Russia and China’s “no limits” partnership has strengthened considerably over the past three years. They have been driven together by the geopolitical clash between East and West. But there is one place they remain rivals: the Arctic.
Ukraine doesn't have any rare earth metals, and the strategic minerals it does have are not worth trillions of dollars
US President Donald Trump wants a $500bn deal to gain control over Ukraine’s rare earth metals wealth. The problem is, Ukraine doesn’t have any. It does have "strategically important metals", but they are not worth trillions of dollars.
Trump puts Japan between a rock and a hard place on Ukraine
Ukraine's ambassador to Japan comes across as desperate to keep the war with Russia relevant to a nation losing interest.
Sending EU peacekeepers to Ukraine is not going to work
The EU’s main plan for providing Ukraine with security from another Russian attack in a post-war set up is not going to work.
LONG READ: Can Ukraine go it alone (with a little help from the EU) if the US abandons it?
Now that Ukraine’s Nato membership hopes have been dashed and its Western allies are unlikely to offer binding bilateral security guarantees, can Ukraine continue to fight Russia on its own, given the EU continues to support it?
Trump could use Putin to talk to Iran
Russia's Putin is being floated as a possible "Iran whisperer" as part of the Trump administration's latest push to tackle the long-standing Iran problem.
Putin taking Trump talks seriously, appoints a heavy-weight team to lead the talks
Russian President Vladimir Putin is taking the upcoming ceasefire talks with US President Donald Trump very seriously and has put together a heavyweight team of his top officials to conduct the negotiations.
Ukraine's position in ceasefire talks takes turn for the worst as the Munich Security Conference gets underway
Some analysts are claiming that Putin “won the war” after Trump held a phone conversation with Putin on February 12 going over the heads of Europe and without consulting Ukraine. The two leaders plan to meet in Riyadh for one-on-one talks.
Who is Russian sovereign wealth fund boss Kirill Dmitriev, whose Middle East connections helped broker the release of US prisoner Marc Fogel?
RDIF boss Kirill Dmitriev emerges as key broker in Fogel release deal.
Turkey, Germany strike arms deal to ramp up production of 155mm artillery shells
Move comes as US downgrades its role in Nato defence of Europe and concern grows over how Russia is racing ahead in weapons manufacturing.
What is on the table in Munich to bring the war in Ukraine to an end?
The world’s leaders meet in Munich this St Valentine’s day and ending the war in Ukraine will be top of the agenda. But what exactly is on the table for discussion to bring about an end to the conflict in Ukraine?
Russian holiday-makers return to Europe as demand for trips abroad surges
Russian tourists are increasingly booking trips to Europe, with a sharp rise in hotel reservations for Spain, France and Italy, according to leading online travel aggregators.
Russian FDI down to 15-year low as Russia faces "the wrong kind of growth"
Foreign direct investment in Russia has fallen to its lowest level in 15 years, with the total volume decreasing to $235bn by October 2024, according to data from the Central Bank of Russia, Ukrainska Pravda reported on February 8.
Bank deposits are back as Russians' favourite investment in 2024
Depositing money in high-yielding bank deposits is back as Russians' favourite store of wealth to protect their life savings against the ravages of high inflation rates. Total deposits were up by 70% in in 2024.
INTERVIEW: Ukraine's leading logistics company has big plans for its international expansion
Nova Poshta is Ukraine's leading private postal and courier company, and since it was established in 2001 by entrepreneurs Vyacheslav Klymov and Volodymyr Popereshnyuk it has grown by leaps and bounds.
“Unchained” Trump is main risk to broadly positive Emerging Europe growth prospects
Steep US tariffs on the EU or a sudden cut in support for Ukraine are the major downside risks for the region, says new wiiw report.