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Russia said today that the European Union's decision to open membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova was a politicised decision that could destabilise the bloc. 'Negotiations to join the EU can last for years or decades. The EU has always had strict criteria for accession and it is obvious that at the moment neither Ukraine nor Moldova meets these criteria,' Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. 'It is clear that this is an absolutely politicised decision, the EU's desire to demonstrate support for these countries. But such new members could destabilise the EU.'

Russian President Vladimir Putin has vowed "problems" for Finland after he says the Nordic country was "dragged into NATO" amid the war in Ukraine. "Look, Finland was taken and dragged into NATO," Putin said in a new on-camera interview. "What did we have, some kind of dispute with Finland? All disputes, including those of a territorial nature in the middle of the 20th century, were all resolved a long time ago. We had the best, most heartfelt relations. Economically, everything was developing. Yes, in the timber industry, there were some problems linked to the necessity to develop timber processing within...

Lavrov said on Thursday that Moldova, an Eastern European country and former Soviet republic, is putting itself in harm's way in its desire to join the European Union. In June 2022, the EU and its member states offered unwavering support for Moldova and granted it candidate status. The support was reaffirmed in March of this year, with the EU and its members promising to continue to provide security and economic support to Moldova as it awaits its path to accession... On Thursday, the Moldova Foreign Ministry issued a rebuke to Lavrov's comments, calling Russia's invasion of Ukraine "brutal" and saying...

Germany is facing its second winter without gas deliveries from Russia. But analysts say that for gas shortages to really bite, a lot of things would have to go wrong. Germans themselves are optimistic. In the first year of it's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Moscow tried to capitalize on concerns that energy would become scarce in Europe during the cold winter months. The Russians even made a short video to feed these fears, featuring tales of how Germans would freeze without supplies from Russia's Gazprom. The Russian state-owned company halted all gas deliveries to Germany in late August 2022. But...

Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov suggested Moscow could attack the Netherlands, a member of the NATO military alliance, with dual-purpose improved conventional munitions (DPICM), or cluster bombs. Solovyov, one of the most well-known figures in Kremlin-backed media and an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, issued the warning alongside Andrey Gurulyov, a Russian parliament (State Duma) member and former military commander, during a segment on state television channel Russia-1. Cluster bombs open in the air and release many smaller bomblets, or submunitions, over a wide area. The U.S. agreed to supply Ukraine with the weapons in July after months of debate....

A key Russian general who Russian president Vladimir Putin promoted this week said that Moscow's invasion of Ukraine is a mere "stepping stone" to further conflict with Europe. Vladimir Putin promoted lieutenant general Andrey Mordvichev to the rank of colonel-general after he had already been serving in the role of commanding the central military district and Russian central grouping of forces in Ukraine. In an interview with Moscow's state-run Russia-1, Andrey Mordvichev said that he believes Vladimir Putin's war will last quite a long time and expand in the future. "I think there's still plenty of time to spend. It...

Tensions are mounting in Moldova, a small country on Ukraine’s southwestern border, where Russia has been accused of laying the groundwork for a coup that could drag the nation into the Kremlin’s war. Moldova’s President, Maia Sandu, has accused Russia of using “saboteurs” disguised as civilians to stoke unrest amid a period of political instability, echoing similar warnings from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Russian President Vladimir Putin has meanwhile baselessly accused Kyiv of planning its own assault on a pro-Russian territory in Moldova where Moscow has a military foothold, heightening fears that he is creating a pretext for a Crimea-style...

A Russian official on Friday issued a warning to Finland and Sweden should both nations intend to join NATO, saying such moves would have "serious military-political repercussions." During a news briefing, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova made the remarks as Russian forces continue to battle the Ukrainian military following an unprovoked invasion into the neighboring country.

Russia has warned neighboring Finland on Friday of "serious military and political" repercussions if the Scandinavian nation opts to join NATO following the invasion of Ukraine. Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said during a weekly briefing that a Finnish addition to NATO could have "detrimental consequences." Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin said on Thursday that the debate within Finland on NATO membership "will change" following the start of a war in Ukraine. Both Marin and Finland's president Sauli Niinisto strongly condemned Russia's attack on Ukraine. "Despite prior warnings, this morning has come as a shock for all of us...