All Europe
- Putin tests ‘Nixon to China’ playbook to reassert Soviet-era clout
Putin has moved to strengthen political and military ties with China in a bid to force Washington to deal simultaneously with two geopolitical foes.
- First LookRussia attacks Ukraine. Putin warns against military response.
Russian troops rolled into Ukraine from Crimea and Belarus early Thursday. President Vladimir Putin deflected global condemnation and sanctions over a full-scale attack on Ukraine Thursday and chillingly referred to his country’s nuclear arsenal.
- First LookUkraine under fire: Russia launches multipronged attack
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine early Thursday morning Moscow time. Loud explosions could be heard around major Ukrainian cities after Mr. Putin’s speech.
- FocusAs Ukraine-Russia conflict looms, Donbass residents watch and wait
Portraits of resilience: The fight over parts of Ukraine has left families divided, literally living and working on either side of the front lines.
- ‘We want to keep Ukraine free.’ Why women rise in Ukraine army.
Some stereotypes persist, but gender roles have been evolving fast in Ukraine’s military, amid a conflict with Russia that has simmered since 2014.
- First LookHas Russia ‘invaded’ Ukraine? Depends on who you ask.
Russian President Vladimir Putin officially recognized two breakaway areas of Ukraine as independent states before announcing the deployment of Russian “peacekeepers” to the rebel-held territories. There’s some debate about whether that’s an invasion.
- First LookAmid utility hikes, Florence has a creative solution for retirees
Energy costs across Europe are soaring. As more people on fixed income scramble to pay for significant hikes in bills, leaders in Florence, Italy, have a solution: an “Adopt-a-Bill” fundraising campaign that helps retirees keep the lights on.
- Diplomacy over? Russian troops enter Ukraine’s rebel regions.
Russia President Vladimir Putin shut the door on several diplomatic outcomes in the Ukraine crisis Monday. War may be his intended next step.
- First LookWorld leaders decide how to punish Russia for Ukraine invasion
As Russian President Vladimir Putin orders troops to separatist regions of eastern Ukraine, Western leaders are taking steps to fulfill promises of economic sanctions. Will they matter?
- First LookRussia recognizes Ukraine separatists, US and EU respond with sanctions
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday recognized the independence of separatist regions in eastern Ukraine and called on Russian lawmakers to approve steps for open military support.
- First LookFrance, seeking to avert war in Ukraine, brokers a Putin-Biden summit
Presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin have tentatively agreed to meet in person. Even as hotspots erupt, French President Emmanuel Macron is scrambling to prevent a war in Ukraine.
- First LookZelenskyy calls for meeting with Putin amid eastern Ukraine violence
Violence in eastern Ukraine has spiked in recent days as Ukraine and the two regions held by the rebels each accused the other of escalation.
- For Ukrainians on the front line, Russian threat is just part of life
Much of the West is afraid of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. But at the front lines of Ukraine’s internal conflict, it feels like part of the routine.
- To fight pandemic’s uncertainty, Germans embrace a testing culture
The test-heavy pandemic approach of Germany has morphed societal psychology to the point that testing has now become part of everyday life.
- First LookPassport politics: Why some Ukrainians accept Russian citizenship
As tensions between Russia and Ukraine continue to escalate, Russia is expanding its influence through a new tactic: passports. In rebel-held areas of eastern Ukraine, more than 720,000 residents have been granted Russian citizenship.
- First LookFinancial freeze: EU can cut funds to Poland, Hungary, court says
The European Union’s highest court ruled on Wednesday that Brussels can withhold billions in funding to Poland and Hungary due to violations of the bloc’s laws. The ruling may give the EU the upper hand in its ongoing row with the increasingly illiberal nations.
- Russia has borne Western sanctions before. Is this time different?
The West has promised harsh sanctions against Russia should it invade Ukraine. But Russians seem ready for them, both mentally and economically.
- Ukraine battles another Russian threat: Misinformation
Ukraine isn’t dealing just with Russian troops on its borders. It also faces a misinformation campaign for the hearts and minds of Ukrainians.
- First LookAs Ukraine crisis looms, Europe prepares for another refugee wave
Even as shuttle diplomacy continues at a frantic pace between Kyiv and Moscow, governments in Eastern Europe are planning how they would manage hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
- As Paris walked by, a photographer died. Can it bring compassion to streets?
If well-known photographer René Robert can die ignored on the streets of Paris, what does that say about how France treats its homeless population?