“We need Ukraine in the EU,” says Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys in an exclusive interview with RFE/RL's Rikard Jozwiak. He explains that without Ukraine, all other enlargement processes lose their meaning.

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Is Russian President Vladimir Putin genuinely ready for a cease-fire in Ukraine? In an exclusive interview with RFE/RL, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys says no — accusing Putin of using brutal force, terror, and pressure instead of pursuing real peace talks.

Speaking from RFE/RL’s Prague headquarters, Budrys shared his doubts about Putin’s intentions, just as U.S. President Donald Trump held a two-hour call with the Russian leader to discuss cease-fire negotiations. Despite the diplomatic exchange, Putin’s own statements suggest a drawn-out process, raising more questions than answers.

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Meet Romania’s new leader: Nicușor Dan — a former math genius, pro-EU, and firmly backing Ukraine. Elected after months of political chaos, he’s shaking up Romanian politics.

Watch how a numbers whiz became president.

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Video at Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twgLf3_8bs4

Is Europe ready to defend itself without the U.S.?

In this exclusive interview, former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen warns that Europe’s security model is at a breaking point. He says preparations for a European force in Ukraine are moving “too slowly,” and calls for doubling defense spending to match Russia’s military buildup.

We also discuss Trump's threats to seize Greenland, Europe's growing defense independence, and why relying on the U.S. for security is no longer sustainable.

👉 Subscribe for more insights on global security, Ukraine war analysis, NATO, and EU defense policy.

#EuropeDefense #NATO #UkraineWar #Trump #Greenland #AndersFoghRasmussen #MilitaryStrategy #SecurityPolicy

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Clifford May is the founder and president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a national security-focused think tank. In a wide-ranging interview with RFE/RL, May argued that US President Donald Trump's "America First" foreign policy has succeeded in forcing European NATO members to step up their defense budgets and contribute more meaningfully to their collective security.

"It can't be an entitlement that America protects you," May told RFE/RL correspondent Todd Prince.

But he cautioned that turning away from the world could run counter to the president's own goal of preserving US global primacy.

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Video at Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZElOvydcP3M

From Poland and Germany to Belgium, Turkey, and inside Russia-occupied Crimea, RFE/RL’s @RadioSvobodaUkraine highlights the persecution faced by Crimean Tatars and the reasons why so many have been forced to leave their homeland after the peninsula was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.

The 11-year-long occupation echoes events 70 years ago when Soviet authorities forcibly deported Crimean Tatars in freight cars.

#crimea #documentary #ukraine #crimeantatars #russia

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Until recently, Ukrainian troops were at risk while getting critical supplies to the front lines. Now they're using fiber-optic ground drones, which are not vulnerable to electronic jamming from Russia, to do the job. The remotely controlled vehicles can deliver hundreds of kilograms of ammo, food, and water to troops, say operators.

russiaukrainewar #ukrainewar #ukraine #fiberoptic #drones

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On the front line in the Sumy Region, Ukrainian forces are repelling Russian assaults and pushing into Russia’s Kursk and Belgorod regions.

Speaking with Current Time correspondent Andriy Kuzakov, a Ukrainian artillery unit reports intense fighting and claims North Korean fighters among Russian ranks are suffering heavy losses.

As talk of a cease-fire continues, Ukrainian troops on the ground remain skeptical, vowing to fight on amid intense cross-border operations.

#frontline #ukrainewar #ukrainenews #russiaukrainewar

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When the Kolisnichenko family discovered their apartment in Crimea had a resident they knew nothing about, they soon realized Russia had seized their property in their absence.

It was one of hundreds of cases in which Ukrainians with homes or land in Crimea have been forced to either sell their assets for next to nothing or accept Russian citizenship to retain their rights.

#ukraine #crimea #russia

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