Latest news with #Russian-friendly
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hungary accuses Ukraine of 'information operations,' signals continued obstruction of EU accession
Hungary's European Affairs Minister Janos Boka said on May 27 that it is difficult to lead constructive negotiations with Ukraine on its EU accession, as Kyiv is allegedly conducting "information and intelligence" operations on Hungary's territory. The statement comes after the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) announced on May 9 that it had dismantled a Hungarian military intelligence network operating in Ukraine's Zakarpattia Oblast, detaining two agents accused of espionage against the Ukrainian state. The Hungarian government denied the accusation as a smear campaign and instead declared it had exposed two Ukrainian spies operating in Hungary. The controversy has put a further strain on an already fragile bilateral relationship. Talking to journalists ahead of the EU General Affairs Council in Brussels on May 2, Boka said that constructive negotiations on Ukraine's entry to the EU would be difficult in this context. Hungary, whose government is widely regarded as the most Russian-friendly in the EU, has been blocking the opening of accession negotiation clusters with Kyiv. After the scandal broke out, Budapest announced it is suspending talks with Ukraine on national minority rights, long presented by Hungary as the main roadblock in accession negotiations. Budapest has repeatedly accused Kyiv of discriminating against the Hungarian ethnic minority concentrated in southwestern Zakarpattia Oblast, an accusation that the Ukrainian leadership denies. Much of these disputes center around Ukraine's language laws that require at least 70% of education above the fifth grade to be conducted in Ukrainian. In turn, Kyiv has long accused Budapest of undermining Ukraine's sovereignty through political interference and dual citizenship schemes. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has also consistently obstructed sanctions against Russia and military aid for Ukraine within the EU. Amid the escalating controversy, Orban has also accused Ukraine of meddling in Hungary's internal affairs and colluding with the Hungarian political opposition. The agenda of the May 27 meeting in Brussels includes the possibility of stripping Hungary of its voting rights as the EU is looking for ways to override Budapest if it vetoes Ukraine's accession. This will be the eighth hearing regarding Hungary since the European Parliament triggered Article 7 procedures against the country in 2018. Article 7 of the EU Treaty allows for the suspension of Council voting rights if a member state consistently breaches EU founding principles. Read also: Decision on lifting range restrictions on arms for Ukraine made months ago, Germany's Merz clarifies We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Romania heads to historic presidential runoff as populist and pro-EU candidate are neck-and-neck
Days before the Romanian presidential election runoff, the two presidential hopefuls are neck-and-neck. According to the latest poll by AtlasIntel, far-right George Simion and liberal pro-EU Bucharest Mayor Nicusor Dan are tied at 48.2%. Yet, another poll by CURS gives Simion 52% and Dan 48%. Both are running on an anti-establishment platform in a country seeking change. Yet, with two drastically different views on the country's future, whoever takes the presidency will have the chance to change Romania for years to come. After Russian-friendly nationalist Simion, leader of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), took the first round by storm with 41% of the votes on May 5, the government coalition formed by the mainstream National Liberal Party, the Social Democrat Party and the Hungarian minority UDMR — whose common candidate Crin Antonescu came third with 20% of the vote — dismantled. The national currency, the leu, fell to a historic low when compared to the euro and dollar, despite the Romanian Central Bank's billion-euro effort to stabilize the national currency. Scoring a mere 21% of the votes, Dan's chances to win the presidency seemed dim without an incredibly high mass mobilization of the electorate. The first opinion poll made by Verified and published by Dan after the first round showed Simion winning with almost 55% of the votes in the runoff. The poll excluded Romania's diaspora, which is backing Simion. There has also been a tendency for Simion voters to refuse to participate in polls. Running as an independent and relying on private donations, Dan has gained the support of the liberal Save Romania Union (USR), the party he founded in 2016 but left next year over the question of LGBTQ+ rights. Dan was opposed to giving same-sex partnerships the same rights as those of heterosexual couples. For the runoff, Dan has also garnered the support of the National Liberal Party and the Hungarian minority party UDMR. The Social Democratic Party, Romania's biggest political party, officially abstained from endorsing a candidate. Antonescu, who came third, dismissed both candidates. "There is no precedent for this runoff," political scientist Claudiu Craciun told the Kyiv Independent. "In 2004, 2009, and 2014, we had candidates who took 40% of the votes in the first round of presidential elections, and then they lost in the runoff. But they were center-left candidates defeated by center-right candidates, from the two major parties representing those ideological positions. Now, historical parties are in decline, for the second time in a row, they cannot bring candidates into the runoff, which means that this is a systemic issue," Craciun added. "We have a new situation, with the candidates of two smaller parties, USR, on the relatively progressive neoliberal center, and AUR, on the ultra-conservative side. We can anticipate that towns and cities, wealthier, more educated people will vote for Dan, but it's not clear how religious groups will vote, or how social democrats will be split," he added. In the first televised debate between Simion and Dan, which lasted over four hours on May 8, national security and Russia's war against Ukraine were major topics. The relationship with Moldova, the cost of living crisis, the public health sector and foreign investment were also widely discussed. "In the debate, Nicusor Dan showed a different facet, which took Simion by surprise: he was much more combative and managed to project the image of a leader more powerfully," journalist Ioana Dogioiu told the Kyiv Independent. "He was resilient and spontaneous — things that people said he'd lacked before. He managed to stick the financial crisis to Simion, to say that the chaos he created scared investors, and to show Simion's duplicity by confronting him on his contradictory claims, which generate uncertainty and mistrust. But I'm not sure this is enough to create (additional) 3.5 million votes, which is how much Dan needs in order to win," Dogioiu added. Simion, who is the executive vice president of the European Conservatives and Reformists Party, tried to appear more moderate and calm, repeatedly invoking the example of Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, while also tying himself to the Trump administration. Read also: Narrowly overcoming pro-Russian comeback, Moldovan President Sandu is facing tough term ahead In the debate, while Dan pleaded for further support of Ukraine, Simion, who is persona non grata in both Ukraine and Moldova, emulated banned Russian-linked Calin Georgescu, saying that Romania has to stay "neutral" and only spend money on itself rather than give military aid to its neighbor. Dogioiu says Simion's position on the war may garner some support, fueling old tensions between Romania and Ukraine, concerning Romanian minority rights. It can also give a voice to the frustrations with the market disruption caused by cheap Ukrainian grains passing through Romania since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. But according to political scientist Cristian Preda, post-communist Romania has never had candidates openly supported by Russia until Georgescu and Simion. On election day, Kremlin ideologist Alexandr Dugin said that Simion's success "is Georgescu's win" and "a chance" for Russia. "If Simion wins, we may get the old, radical, extremist, anti-media Simion, or the new, runoff Simion, who is more pro-European, more moderate." "Romanians have mobilized before for smaller bets," Preda told the Kyiv Independent. "It wouldn't be bad for Ukraine and Moldova to provide more details about why Simion was made persona non grata now. This would clarify the situation even better. How do you elect a president who can't enter two such important neighboring countries?" Further on, Preda argues that Simion is perceived as a candidate who will "prolong the electoral dispute" after Romanians have been exhausted from voting in five different elections — parliamentary, local, European, and two sets of presidential ones. "Simion says he would organize a referendum to sack the members of the Constitutional Court who canceled the Nov. 24 presidential elections (citing malicious foreign influence), and organize snap elections," Preda said. "We've never had snap elections. This gives a sense of instability." "If Simion wins, we may get the old, radical, extremist, anti-media Simion, or the new, runoff Simion, who is more pro-European, more moderate. Let's say he goes through a 'Melonization' process," Dogioiu said. "It will take time to convince international markets that he is not a radical; will his party, AUR, also go through a 'Melonization' process? Even in the best-case scenario, it will take time to gain the trust of the markets," she added. "He is trying to appeal to both radicalized Georgescu voters and to the more moderate electorate, which creates uncertainty but not panic." In addition to the financial crisis and the potential loss of EU funds, a Simion victory would isolate Romania, Craciun said. "He will play in the Fico-Orban field, building a pressure group within the EU. It's enough for him to delay initiatives, such as military aid to Ukraine, to become a malign actor." Read also: Despite Russian-backed Georgescu barred from presidential race, Romania's far-right still aim to win We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Putin, Xi to discuss delayed 'Power of Siberia 2' pipeline during Victory Day celebrations, Bloomberg reports
Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping will discuss a long-delayed gas pipeline linking Russia and China when they meet in Moscow this week for Russia's Victory Day celebrations, Bloomberg reported on May 7. Construction of the pipeline, referred to as Power of Siberia 2, was scheduled to begin in 2024, but has been plagued with construction issues and diplomatic tussles. The proposed pipeline would strengthen Russia's ability to export gas to China, which is increasingly important for Russia as Europe declares its goal to fully sever the European Union's energy dependence on Moscow by 2027. The Power of Siberia 2 pipeline would give Moscow the ability to export 50 billion cubic meters a year, and give China the advantage of cheaper LNG imports. If completed, the 3,550-kilometer pipeline would connect Russia's Yamal Peninsula through Mongolia to China. But in January 2024, Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrain Oyun-Erdene said Russia and China had not agreed on key details and that construction would be delayed. In June it was reported that talks between Russia and China had reached a dead end as Beijing sought to exhort tough conditions on price and supply levels. According to Bloomberg, the economic strains being felt currently by both countries may be forcing them to settle their differences and move the project forward. Xi is one of 29 world leaders set to attend the Victory Day parade on May 7, according to the Kremlin, which added he would be there to "sign a number of bilateral inter-governmental and inter-departmental documents" to strengthen Chinese-Russian relations. Read also: Ukraine ramps up drone strikes on Moscow as Russian-friendly leaders set to attend Victory Day parade We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
EU doesn't rule out decoupling Ukraine, Moldova's accession process over Hungary's stance
The EU does not rule out "decoupling" Moldova's accession process from that of Ukraine due to Hungary's opposition to Kyiv's entry, European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said in an interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty on April 28. Ukraine and Moldova jointly launched EU accession talks in June 2024, but Kyiv's efforts have run into resistance from Hungary, which has blocked the opening of the first negotiation chapters. "We are already discussing with the member states what to do, because no member state opposes the opening of the first group of negotiation chapters with Moldova," Kos said in the interview. Kyiv and Chisinau were granted membership candidate status in 2022, months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Their accession talks have progressed largely hand-in-hand. Brussels has been a crucial supporter of Ukraine over the past three years, providing security and financial aid to help counter Russian aggression and enact pro-EU reforms. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, broadly seen as the most Russian-friendly leader in the EU, has consistently blocked support for Ukraine and now opposes the country's membership efforts, claiming its entry would "destroy" Hungary. Budapest has cited Ukraine's alleged discrimination against its Hungarian minority as a key obstacle — an accusation Kyiv rejects. Hungary has also raised concerns over agriculture and security, referencing the ongoing war with Russia. "Brussels is thinking in terms of a very fast process," Gergely Gulyas, Hungary's minister for the prime minister's office, said earlier in April while rejecting a fast-tracked membership path. Hungary plans to hold a so-called national consultation – a non-binding opinion survey often criticized for biased wording and low turnout – on Ukraine's accession later this year. Despite the government's resistance, recent polls show public support for Ukraine's accession. According to the opposition Tisza party's "Voice of the Nation" initiative, which received over 1.1 million responses, 58.18% of participants backed Ukraine's EU bid. A separate April 7 poll by the Republikon Institute also found a narrow majority of Hungarians in favor of Ukraine joining the bloc. Read also: Why Zelensky won't — and can't — sell out Ukraine for Trump's peace We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Zelensky posts 2018 US Crimea Declaration amid Trump's policy shifts
President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 23 that Ukraine will always act in accordance with its Constitution, sharing a 2018 U.S. declaration denouncing Russian occupation of Crimea and reaffirming Ukraine's territorial integrity. Though Zelensky did not mention it explicitly, the statement seems to refer to the U.S. reportedly proposing its de jure recognition of Russian control over the southern Ukrainian peninsula, which Russia has occupied since 2014, as part of a potential peace deal. "Russia, through its 2014 invasion of Ukraine and its attempted annexation of Crimea, sought to undermine a bedrock international principle shared by democratic states: that no country can change the borders of another by force," Mike Pompeo, the U.S. secretary of state during the first Trump administration, said in the Crimea Declaration in July 2018. "In concert with allies, partners, and the international community, the United States rejects Russia's attempted annexation of Crimea and pledges to maintain this policy until Ukraine's territorial integrity is restored." U.S. President Donald Trump's second term saw him adopt a more Russian-friendly policy as he seeks to restore bilateral ties and broker a peace in Ukraine. Washington's latest peace proposal reportedly included not only de jure recognition of Crimea's annexation but also de facto acceptance of Russian occupation of parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts. Zelensky has previously ruled out formally ceding any territory to Russia, after which U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio skipped London peace talks with Ukrainian and European officials on April 23. The White House also lashed out against Zelensky's statements on Crimea, saying that "nobody is asking Zelensky to recognize Crimea as Russian territory." The London meeting still took place on a technical level, with Ukrainian delegates – Presidential Office head Andriy Yermak, Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, and Defense Minister Rustem Umerov – stressing the need for a ceasefire as the first necessary step toward a peace deal. "Emotions have run high today. But it is good that five countries met to bring peace closer. Ukraine, the U.S., the U.K., France, and Germany," Zelensky said. "We are grateful to partners. Ukraine will always act in accordance with its Constitution and we are absolutely sure that our partners, in particular the U.S., will act in line with its strong decisions." Read also: Ukraine has no great options if Trump recognizes Crimea as Russian We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
