Europe

Ukraine can now strike military targets in Russia using some Western weapons

6:49am May 31, 2024

The Biden administration has given Ukraine permission to use certain U.S. weapons to strike inside of Russia near Kharkiv for “counter-fire purposes,” according to two U.S. officials.

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Russia-linked hackers' phishing campaign against Ukraine is disrupted

7:44pm May 30, 2024

by Jenna McLaughlin

Hackers with ties to Russia planned to launch a massive phishing campaign against Ukraine, taking advantage of the recently lifted moratorium on evictions in the country.

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Examining the success of sanctions on Russia after it invaded Ukraine

1:55pm May 29, 2024

by Steve Inskeep

NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with David Wessel about the effectiveness of U.S. sanctions against Russia. Wessel is director of the Hutchins Center at the Brookings Institution.

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Elderly Russians struggle with Latvia's residency laws

10:10pm May 28, 2024

by Philip Reeves

Russia's war on Ukraine is deepening divisions among people across Europe. Over a third of Latvia's population are Russian-speakers. Some now face pressure to prove they're loyal -- or leave.

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Russia moves to consolidate its influence globally

2:45pm May 27, 2024

by Leila Fadel

NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, about Russia's attempts to consolidate its influence around the world.

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World News

Questions of Loyalty in Latvia

3:00am May 27, 2024

Russia's war in Ukraine is deepening divisions across Europe. One example is the Baltic nation of Latvia, formerly part of the Soviet Union. One third of those living in Latvia are Russian speaking and now some elderly residents, who may have lived there for decades, are being forced to prove their loyalty or leave.

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A group of Okalolies head toward a house belonging to one of their own in Edinburgh of the Seven Seas on Tristan da Cunha, in the South Atlantic Ocean, on Dec. 31, 2023. New Year's Eve, or Old Year's Night as it's known on the island, is a chance for the whole community to come together.

The Okalolies of Old Year's Night: Celebrating tradition on the world's most remote inhabited island

10:59am May 26, 2024

"Okalolies" ring in the new year on the world's most remote inhabited island by visiting the population of not quite 250 in masks and making mischief, an annual chance for the community to come together.

France fights back as Russia sows disinformation to weaken support for Ukraine

9:30pm May 25, 2024

French authorities say the Kremlin wants to divide society in France in order to weaken support for Ukraine as it resists the Russian invasion.

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British PM Sunak calls national election for July — a risk as his party lags in polls

6:36pm May 22, 2024

by Willem Marx

The U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced the country's next general election will be held in early July, as his Conservative party currently trails far behind their Labour opponents in polls.

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A man waves to a taxi as he leaves the Russian Central Bank headquarters in downtown Moscow last summer. The EU approved a plan this week to use interest from hundreds of billions of dollars' worth of seized Russian assets to help fund Ukraine's military.

World News

Billions from Russia's frozen assets will go to help Ukraine's military, the EU says

1:35pm May 22, 2024

by Bill Chappell

Under the plan, the European Union will send as much as $3.25 billion in profits from frozen Russian assets to Ukraine to help finance its military and reconstruction efforts.