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Europe

Zelenskyy to meet with NATO, European leaders in push to bolster defenses

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is set to meet Wednesday with NATO chief Mark Rutte and European leaders in Brussels as Ukraine seeks to bolster its defenses against Russian forces. Zelenskyy on Tuesday cited an urgent need to boost military aid…

VOA interview: US urges Europe to end energy dependency on Russia

The outgoing administration of U.S. President Joe Biden plans in its final weeks to “continue tightening the noose” around Russia’s key energy exports with new sanctions to deprive Moscow of revenue for its war on Ukraine, according to Assistant Secretary…

On NATO’s eastern flank, 2025 brings concerns about alliance’s future

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to end the war in Ukraine quickly is triggering concerns among Russia’s neighbors. In Estonia, some fear a deal to end the war may strengthen Moscow. Elizabeth Cherneff narrates this report from Ricardo Marquina on…

EU investigates TikTok over Romanian presidential election

LONDON —  European Union regulators said Tuesday they’re investigating whether TikTok breached the bloc’s digital rulebook by failing to deal with risks to Romania’s presidential election, which has been thrown into turmoil over allegations of electoral violations and Russian meddling….

Keith Kellogg as Trump’s Ukraine-Russia envoy: Right man for the mission?

President-elect Donald Trump has chosen retired Lieutenant General Keith Kellogg to be his special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, where Trump has promised to bring a quick end to the war. VOA’s Tatiana Vorozhko looks into Kellogg’s career, his vision…

Ukraine claims credit for killing senior Russian general in Moscow

Ukraine claimed credit Tuesday for the assassination of a senior Russian general on a Moscow street with the remote detonation of a bomb hidden in a scooter outside his apartment building. Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, the chief of the military’s…

Labor organization: International migrants play crucial role in global economy

GENEVA —  Migrants play a crucial role in the global economy by filling essential jobs in foreign countries and sending much-needed remittances to their home countries, according to a report released Monday by the International Labour Organization. The report’s release…

EU sanctions Chinese firms, North Korean minister over Ukraine war

BRUSSELS —  The EU on Monday for the first time imposed fully fledged sanctions, including asset freezes and visa bans, on Chinese firms for supplying Russia’s military for the war on Ukraine. It has also added North Korea’s defense minister…

North Korea involvement in Ukraine marks ‘dangerous expansion’ of conflict, US and allies say

Washington —  Ten countries and the EU called North Korea’s growing involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine a “dangerous expansion” on Monday, in a joint statement released by the United States. Pyongyang has sent thousands of troops to reinforce Russia’s…

Ukraine: Humanitarian crisis worsens amid winter freeze, daily attacks

Lisa Doughten, Director of Financing and Partnerships at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) highlighted the unrelenting toll on civilians. “Daily attacks continue, inflicting death, injury and untold suffering on ordinary Ukrainians, and destruction and damage…