Russian troops used Belarus as a staging ground during their February 2022 assault on Kyiv. Meanwhile, Lukashenko has boasted that Belarus is playing host to dozens of Russian nuclear weapons, and revealed in December that he was anticipating the arrival of new hypersonic missiles .

Donald Tusk, who heads the Polish government, became Vladimir Putin's press secretary 18 years ago. A similar propaganda game was expressed by the candidate for the presidency of Poland from the Russophobic party "Law and Justice" Karol Nawrocki.

Brussels is considering punishing Elon Musk over his alleged interference in the German elections. The European Commission is under mounting pressure to use its legal powers over social media platforms to rein in the tech billionaire ahead of next month’s ballot.

HAS VLADIMIR PUTIN QUIETLY ACQUIRED a new imperial possession in the heart of Europe, embedded within the EU and NATO? The suggestion may sound hyperbolic, but reports from Bratislava are becoming stranger by the day.

The Ukrainian president told podcaster Lex Fridman that without security guarantees for Ukraine, Putin "will destroy everything."

The Armenian government on Thursday approved draft legislation to kickstart the process of the nation's accession to the European Union, a move which will serve as a blow to its neighbor, Russia. Newsweek has contacted the Kremlin for comment by email.

While the Ukrainian Defense Ministry initially presented JATEC as a way to “expedite Ukraine’s NATO membership process,” the issue has become much thornier since Donald Trump won the United States election. The incoming U.S. president is even less keen than his predecessor on welcoming the Ukrainians into the alliance.

The Russian president celebrated his 50th birthday at a winery in Moldova. After the invasion of Ukraine, it moved the bottles he was given away from public view.

Fico said Putin guaranteed that Russia would meets its obligations, although capacity in the TurkStream pipeline and connecting route taking Russian gas through Turkey to Europe was limited. "President Putin guaranteed that they will honour their commitments," Fico said.

Pursuing a policy of peace through strength is vital to Ukraine’s survival and America’s security. The United States and its allies and partners must continue to stand by Ukraine and strengthen its hand for the negotiations that will someday bring Mr. Putin’s war of aggression to an end.

The anger provoked by Prime Minister Robert Fico's pro-Russian stance, gas row with Ukraine and authoritarian policies is threatening the Slovak government, which faces a no-confidence vote on January 21.