The Dispatch

U.S. Adjusts NATO Deployment While Putin Unveils New Nuclear-Capable Torpedo

The United States plans to reduce its troop presence along NATO’s eastern flank, including forces stationed in Romania, even as Russia said it successfully tested its nuclear-capable “Poseidon” super torpedo…

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Gunman who shot Slovakia’s Fico handed 21 years in prison

A Slovak court on Tuesday sentenced Juraj Cintula, a 72-year-old poet and activist, to 21 years in prison for terrorism after he shot Prime Minister Robert Fico. Cintula’s attorney told…

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Putin-Trump summit on hold after Russia rejects ceasefire

A planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was put on hold on Tuesday, as Moscow's rejection of an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine cast a…

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Poland warns Russia’s Putin against crossing its airspace for Trump summit

Poland warned Russia's President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday against travelling through its airspace for a summit in Hungary with U.S. President Donald Trump, saying it could be forced to execute…

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Prague bans rental e-scooters from 2026

Prague will ban electric scooter rentals from January 2026, with the Czech capital's deputy mayor criticising the tourist-friendly transport option for causing chaos on sidewalks. City councillors on Monday approved…

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Slovakia and Austria Block EU Sanctions Deal on Russia

Slovakia and Austria have emerged as the main obstacles preventing a new round of European Union sanctions against Russia, ahead of next week’s EU summit. Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico…

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Hungarian ‘Master of the apocalypse’ Krasznahorkai wins 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature

Hungarian writer Laszlo Krasznahorkai,won the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday "for his compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art".…

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Poland to unveil new citizenship rules by end of October

The Polish ministry's deputy head, Maciej Duszczyk, said the reforms will define a minimum length of stay in Poland - including for those of Polish descent - and introduce requirements…

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Babiš Strikes Pro-European Tone at Launch of Czech Government Talks

Leader of the ANO movement and former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš vowed loyalty to Europe as talks to form a coalition government began. "We were very reliable partner. And…

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Fighter Jets Scrambled as Poland Restricts Airspace Following Russian Offensive

Poland scrambled fighter jets and temporarily closed some Polish airspace on Sunday after a Russian attack on Ukraine that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said lasted for more than 12 hours.…

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Poland urges citizens to ‘immediately’ leave Belarus

Poland's Embassy in Minsk called on Polish citizens to "immediately leave" Belarus, amid rising tensions stemming from Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. "In the event of a drastic deterioration in…

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Missile debris found in Eastern Poland

Suspected fragments of a missile believed to have been used to shoot down a drone may have been found in the eastern Lublin region, Polish military police said, more than…

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Romania condemns ‘irresponsible’ Moscow after Russian drone breaches its airspace

Romania has condemned Moscow’s “irresponsible actions” after alleging that a Russian drone breached Romanian airspace during an attack on neighboring Ukraine, prompting Bucharest to scramble fighter jets. The Russian drone…

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Russian drones in Poland’s airspace stir worries for Europe’s civil aviation

The incursion of Russian drones in Poland has reignited safety concerns over the vulnerability of civil air transport in Europe, aviation and insurance experts said, the latest upheaval facing airlines…

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Poland vs. Russian Drones — How NATO Articles 4 and 5 Work

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Wednesday he had asked NATO to open consultations under Article 4. It comes after Polish forces shot down 19 drones over its airspace,…

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Western leaders condemn Russia over drones entering Polish airspace

Poland shot down drones that entered its airspace on Wednesday, the first time a member of NATO is known to have fired shots during Russia's war in Ukraine. Here are…

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Poland is at its closest to open conflict since World War Two, Tusk Requests NATO Consultations

Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Wednesday the country is closer to open conflict than at any point since World War Two after shooting down Russian drones over its territory.…

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UPDATED: Poland shoots down drones in its airspace

Poland said it scrambled its own and NATO air defences to shoot down drones on Wednesday after a Russian air attack on western Ukraine, the first time in the Ukraine…

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Poland says two drones enter airspace

Two incursions of Polish airspace by drones occurred overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday, but they were not shot down as they posed no danger, the army said on Thursday. Poland…

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Hungary ready to host Ukraine-Russia peace talks, foreign minister says

Hungary has offered to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine twice, and the offer still stands, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said in a podcast broadcast on Facebook on…

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Millions in Forged Banknotes Confiscated in Global Operation

Europol has supported a joint law enforcement operation that disrupted the distribution of counterfeit currency through postal services. The action resulted in the interception of nearly one million items, including…

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White House weighs Budapest for possible Trump, Putin, Zelenskyy summit

The White House is considering Budapest as the site of a potential summit between President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to a Trump…

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Polish police bust smuggling networks and seize drugs worth $275 million

Polish police said on Tuesday they had dismantled a number of interlinked drug smuggling networks that operated across Europe, seizing narcotics worth 1 billion zlotys ($275 million). The core of…

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China cuts ties with Czech President Petr Pavel over meeting with Dalai Lama

China says it has suspended all ties with Czech President Petr Pavel over his recent meeting with the Dalai Lama, further straining relations between Beijing and Prague. During a private…

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Russia has won war in Ukraine, Hungary’s Orban says

Russia has won the war in Ukraine, right-wing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Tuesday ahead of a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir…

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Russian Facility in Królewiec Behind Baltic GPS Interference

Estonian news portal Delfi reports that a covert Russian military installation in the Królewiec region, just east of Poland’s border, is responsible for GPS interference affecting the Baltic states and…

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Polish PM Tusk says pause in Ukraine war could be close

A pause in the conflict in Ukraine could be close, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Friday after speaking to Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump…

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Nationalist Nawrocki sworn in as Polish president, in blow for Tusk

Karol Nawrocki, a conservative historian and supporter of Donald Trump's MAGA movement, was sworn in as Poland's president on Wednesday, setting the stage for conflict with the centrist government and…

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Former Romanian President Iliescu, who led free market transition, dies at 95

Romania's former President Ion Iliescu, who led its transition from communism and set it on the path to European Union and NATO membership, but faced charges of crimes against humanity…

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The ECB’s banknote design sparks controversy over Marie Curie

A new euro banknote design has reignited a long-running controversy between France and Poland over the legacy of the Nobel Prize-winning scientist Marie Curie (née Skłodowska). Born in Warsaw in…

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Europol-Backed Crackdown Halts Cross-Border ATM Scam

A highly organised criminal group involved in large-scale fraud in Western Europe has been dismantled in a coordinated operation led by authorities from Romania and the United Kingdom (UK), supported…

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Poland Sounds Alarm: New Guide To Tell Citizens How to Survive War, Disaster

Poland is preparing a manual on how to cope in case of war or natural disaster, an interior ministry official told Reuters, aiming to strengthen national resilience amid heightened regional…

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Slovenia passes assisted dying law

Slovenia approved a law to allow assisted dying on Friday, joining an increasing number of countries giving terminally-ill adults the right to end their lives if they face unbearable suffering…

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158 human traffickers arrested and 1,194 victims safeguarded in global operation

A major operation against human trafficking has resulted in the safeguarding of 1 ,194 potential victims and the arrest of 158 suspects. As part of ongoing investigations, an additional 205…

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Poland scrambles aircraft as Russia launches strikes on Ukraine

Polish and allied aircraft were activated early on Wednesday to ensure the safety of Polish airspace after Russia launched air strikes targeting western Ukraine, near the border with the Poland,…

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Poland imposes checks on German and Lithuanian borders amid migration fears

Poland introduced temporary controls on its borders with Germany and Lithuania on Monday, in what the government said was a step to check migrants more thoroughly amid public concerns over…

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Austria set to deport man to Syria, marking first for EU since Assad’s fall

Austria is preparing to deport a Syrian man whose asylum status was revoked due to a criminal conviction, in what an EU official and rights groups say will be Europe's…

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Poland to trial four-day week from July

Poland will begin its first-ever trial of a shortened working week this July, as the government explores ways to improve work-life balance and workplace efficiency. The pilot reflects growing public…

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Polish, Ukrainian security services thwarted 2024 assassination attempt on Zelensky

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was the target of an assassination plot to be carried out by a Polish pensioner who had first been recruited by the Soviet Union decades ago,…

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Austria plans to tighten gun control rules after school shooting

Austria plans to tighten its gun control laws following its deadliest school shooting in Graz, where a 21‑year‑old former student killed ten people before taking his own life. Under current…

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Poland adds minefields to protective barrier with Russia and Belarus

Poland has added minefields to its “East Shield” border defence project along Russia and Belarus, as construction continues year-round since starting in November. The fortified barrier, spanning over 20km near…

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Poland may introduce partial controls on German border in summer

Poland is likely to introduce partial controls on its border with Germany in the summer if the number of migrant crossings continues to grow, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told…

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Fatal school shooting in Graz, Austria

Multiple people have been killed in an attack on a school in the southern Austrian city of Graz, according to authorities. Police said that there had been "several deaths" after…

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Poland scrambles aircraft as Russia launches strikes on Ukraine

Polish and allied aircraft were activated early on Monday to ensure the safety of Polish airspace after Russia launched air strikes targeting western Ukraine, near the border with Poland, the…

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UPDATED: Polish eurosceptic Nawrocki wins presidential vote

Polish nationalist opposition candidate Karol Nawrocki won the second round of the country's presidential election with 50.89% of the votes, the electoral commission said early on Monday on its website.…

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Poland’s pro-European course is at stake in presidential election run-off

Poland holds a presidential election run-off on Sunday, with the ruling party's candidate, liberal Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, facing nationalist Karol Nawrocki, in a vote crucial for the country's pro-European…

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Prague accuses China of hacking Czech foreign ministry

The Czech government on Wednesday condemned China for carrying out a cyberattack against its foreign ministry exposing thousands of unclassified emails. Czechia said that the Chinese state-sponsored group Advanced Persistent…

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Tens of thousands gather in Warsaw for rival presidential marches ahead of decisive runoff

Tens of thousands of people flooded the streets of Warsaw on Sunday for dueling political rallies led by the two contenders in Poland’s high-stakes presidential runoff on 1 June —…

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Poland intercepts Russian military aircraft

Poland said it had intercepted a Russian SU-24 aircraft performing dangerous manoeuvres over the Polish airspace on Thursday night. Defence minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said the order to intercept the aircraft…

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Centrist Warsaw mayor narrowly wins Polish presidential vote

Liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski narrowly won the first round of Poland’s presidential election on Sunday against his right-wing rival Karol Nawrocki, setting the two up for a nail-biting campaign…

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Centrist Dan wins Romanian presidency

Romania's centrist Bucharest mayor, Nicusor Dan, won the country's presidential election on Sunday in a shock upset over a hard-right, nationalist rival who had pledged to put Romania on a…

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Poland election: what you need to know

Poland will hold the first round of a presidential election on May 18, setting the scene for a vote that will be crucial for the pro-European government's hopes of implementing…

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Romania braces for heated presidential vote

Romania is heading towards its most polarised presidential election in the country’s democratic history, with voters braced for the battle between a right-wing populist and a centrist technocrat on Sunday.…

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Romania in chaos as prime minister resigns

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said he would resign, throwing the country into further turmoil after a hard-right candidate easily won the first round of the country’s presidential election. An…

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Romanian hard-right leader clear winner in first-round presidential vote

Hard-right eurosceptic George Simion won the first round of Romania's presidential election re-run on Sunday, near final results showed, after a ballot seen as a test of the rise of…

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Impact of Far-Right Politics on Romania’s Future

Romanians are voting in a presidential election runoff that could bring to power George Simion, an ultranationalist who opposes military aid to Ukraine, criticises the EU's leadership, and aligns with…

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Hungary withdrawing from ICC as Israeli leader visits

Hungary's government has decided to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, it said on Thursday, shortly after Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, sought under an ICC arrest warrant, arrived in the…

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