The Dispatch

Skeletons missing hands and feet found in Hitler’s Wolf’s Lair

Five human skeletons - all missing their hands and feet - have been discovered at Nazi leader Adolf Hitler’s eastern front military headquarters in present-day Poland, buried inside the villa…

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Polish foreign minister advises against assuming that Trump will support Russia

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s stance on Ukraine is “not as black and white as some people” think, Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski insisted in an interview. Internationally, suspicions run…

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Poland’s Tusk to reduce public duties following a pneumonia diagnosis

Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk has been diagnosed with pneumonia and will limit his public duties in the next few days, his office announced on Thursday. "In the coming days,…

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Poland prepared to send back Ukrainian military-age men

Poland is ready to help Ukraine in getting military-age male citizens to return and help their home country in fighting in the war against Russia, Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said.…

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Poland ready to host nuclear weapons

Poland is ready to host nuclear arms if Nato decides to deploy the weapons in the face of Russia reinforcing its armaments in Belarus and Kaliningrad, the country’s president, Andrzej…

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Polish man arrested on alleged plot to kill Ukrainian President

A Polish man has been arrested in Poland on Wednesday on allegations of being ready to help Russia’s military intelligence in an alleged plot to assassinate Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy,…

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Slovakia will not implement new EU migration rules

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico refused to implement the European Union's new migration system in his country, a sign that tensions around the matter are set to remain high despite…

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Pellegrini wins Slovak presidential election in boost for pro-Russian PM Fico

By Radovan Stoklasa and Jan Lopatka Slovak nationalist-left government candidate Peter Pellegrini won the country's presidential election over the weekend, cementing the grip of pro-Russian Prime Minister Robert Fico over…

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Slovaks pick between Fico ally and pro-Western diplomat for president

By Eva Korinkova Slovaks go to the polls on Saturday to pick a new president, choosing between pro-Western opposition candidate Ivan Korcok and Peter Pellegrini running for the ruling nationalist…

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Romania says it finds drone fragments near border with Ukraine

BUCHAREST, March 29 (Reuters) - NATO member Romania said it had found fragments of what appeared to be a drone on a farm near the river Danube and the border…

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Poland scrambles fighter jets

Polish and allied aircraft were scrambled Friday morning after Russia launched missile strikes on Ukraine, the Operational Command of the Polish armed forces said. “Polish and allied aircraft are operating…

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Poland to send troops to Paris Olympics amid security challenge

Poland said it will join international efforts to help keep the Olympic Games in France safe by sending troops, including sniffer dog handlers, as organizers prepare for the major security…

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Romanian state agency turns to AI to help farmers tap EU funds

A Romanian state agency for rural investments is using artificial intelligence to help farmers apply for European Union funds, it said on Monday, a first in one of the EU's…

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Slovaks vote in presidential election that might bolster PM Fico

March 23 (Reuters) - Slovaks vote in a presidential election on Saturday that could strengthen Prime Minister Robert Fico's grip on power as he seeks more control over public media,…

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Austrian economy to nearly stagnate this year, institutes forecast

(Reuters) - Austria's economy is expected to nearly stagnate this year, pressured by a weaker European Union economy and higher interest rates, according to two leading economic institutes which cut…

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After 100 days, Poland’s Tusk faces questions over election promises

By Alan Charlish WARSAW, March 22 (Reuters) - Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk hit his first 100 days in office on Friday with solid public support but facing criticism for…

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Exasperated by cost of housing, Salzburg could elect a Communist mayor

By Francois Murphy VIENNA, March 22 (Reuters) - Salzburg, the home of Mozart and "The Sound of Music", is not a place known for radical change. The picturesque Austrian city,…

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Slovakia scraps graft prosecution unit despite EU criticism

By Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS, March 20 (Reuters) - Slovakia dismantled its dedicated state graft prosecution unit on Wednesday despite European Union concerns, but seemed unlikely to face anytime soon hefty…

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Czech Republic struggles to contain surge of whooping cough

Whooping cough is on the rise in the Czech Republic is no exception. In the first week of January, say the Czech authorities, there were 28 registered cases of whooping…

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Hungary’s Orban ready to ‘occupy’ Brussels to bring EU change

BUDAPEST, March 15 (Reuters) - Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday he was ready to march to Brussels and "occupy" the European Union's centre in order to "defend…

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Poland’s capital Warsaw earmarks $30 million for bomb shelters and other security

Poland's capital Warsaw will spend 117 million zlotys ($30 million) in the next two to three years on bomb shelters and other security measures, with war in neighbouring Ukraine in…

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Austrian court orders rapist Fritzl must stay put in prison

VIENNA, March 11 (Reuters) - An Austrian court said on Monday it had overturned a lower court decision that 88-year-old incestuous rapist Josef Fritzl be transferred to a regular prison…

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Trump won’t give money to Ukraine if elected, says Hungary’s Orban

BUDAPEST, March 11 (Reuters) - Former U.S. leader Donald Trump will not give money to help Ukraine fight Russia if he wins the presidency again and that will hasten an…

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Hungary’s PM Orban supports Trump after Florida meeting

BUDAPEST, March 9 (Reuters) - Hungary's right-wing nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban lent his support to his long-time ally Donald Trump's bid to return to White House after meeting the…

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Hungary opposes Mark Rutte’s bid to run NATO

Hungary is against Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte's taking the helm of NATO when the post is vacated later this year, the country's Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said Tuesday. The…

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Poland urges EU sanctions on Russian, Belarusian farm products

VILNIUS, March 4 (Reuters) - Poland, seeking to meet the needs of protesting farmers, plans to ask the European Union to put sanctions on Russian and Belarusian agricultural products, Prime…

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UPDATED: Hungarian PM Orban to meet Trump on March 8 in Florida

By Krisztina Than BUDAPEST, March 4 (Reuters) - Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban will meet former U.S. President Donald Trump this coming Friday in Florida, shortly after he openly…

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Slovak PM says some Western states consider bilateral deals to send troops to Ukraine

Several NATO and European Union members are considering sending soldiers to Ukraine on a bilateral basis, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Monday. Fico, who has long opposed military…

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UPDATED: Hungary will approve Sweden’s NATO bid on Monday, PM Orban says

Sweden to join NATO after Hungary ratification due Monday NATO membership will end long military non-alignment NATO accession spurred by Russia's invasion of Ukraine Finland already joined NATO last year…

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Hungary buys Swedish fighter jets, prepares to approve NATO bid

By Krisztina Than and Johan Ahlander BUDAPEST/STOCKHOLM, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Hungary said on Friday it had signed a deal to buy four Saab JAS Gripen fighter jets from Sweden,…

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Romania president seeks to challenge Rutte for top NATO job

Romania notified allies that President Klaus Iohannis was considering challenging frontrunner Mark Rutte for the NATO top job. Iohannis' last-minute move comes as the biggest powers in the 31-strong alliance…

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Hungary nominates new president

Hungary’s ruling party nominated little-known judge Tamás Sulyok as the country’s new president, seeking to quiet a political crisis that saw the resignation of the previous head of state. Hungarian…

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UPDATED: Vienna court finds Austrian ex-Chancellor Kurz guilty of perjury

By Francois Murphy VIENNA, Feb 23 (Reuters) - A Vienna court on Friday found Austria's conservative former Chancellor Sebastian Kurz guilty of perjury and handed him an eight-month suspended prison…

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Romanian ruling parties back joint lists for EU election to fend off far-right

BUCHAREST, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Romania's ruling coalition of centre-right Liberals and leftist Social Democrats will run on joint lists in the European Parliament election on June 9, their leaders…

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Hungary to vote on Sweden’s NATO accession on Feb 26

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will travel to Budapest on Friday to meet his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban before Hungary's parliament takes a long-delayed vote on Sweden's bid for NATO…

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EU welcomes new Polish government’s plan to ‘restore rule of law’

The European Union on Tuesday welcomed Poland's plan to "restore the rule of law" and dismantle policies by the former nationalist government which led to the freezing of billions of…

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In unusual move, China offers to back Hungary in security matters

By Liz Lee and Ryan Woo BEIJING, Feb 19 (Reuters) - China offered to support long-time strategic partner Hungary on public security issues, going beyond trade and investment relations, during…

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All for one, one for all, Poland’s Tusk says in message to U.S

There is no alternative to the partnership between Europe, NATO and the United States for facing mounting security risks, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Monday, as fears grow…

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Orban says Serbia should join EU before Ukraine

The EU “will lose” Serbia to China unless it lets the country join the bloc soon, and should do so before admitting Ukraine, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in…

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UPDATED: All for one, one for all, Poland’s Tusk says in message to U.S.

Three EU members seek greater defence unity Ukraine war, Trump election bid create uncertain climate Poland's change in government resets European ties By Alan Charlish and John Irish PARIS, Feb…

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US envoy piles pressure on Orban to ratify Sweden’s NATO entry

The U.S. envoy to Budapest along with ambassadors from some other NATO allies including Denmark and Poland attended the Hungarian parliament on Monday in a surprise show of pressure on…

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Poland extends border controls with Slovakia to stem illegal migration

Poland has extended border controls with Slovakia until March 2 to try to stop illegal migrants entering from Slovak territory, the interior ministry said. "Due to the continuing threat of…

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Hungary under pressure to ratify Sweden’s NATO bid after EU deal

Hungary agreed on Thursday to EU aid package for Ukraine PM Orban said he "went to the wall" for Hungary Hungary is only NATO state yet to ratify Swedish accession…

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EU options for granting aid to Ukraine, and what Hungary wants

European Union leaders will meet in Brussels on Feb. 1 to try again to agree on granting Ukraine new financial aid as Kyiv fights against Russia's invasion. Last month, Hungary…

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Slovak PM reaffirms support for Ukraine’s EU membership bid

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico reaffirmed support for Kyiv's bid to join the European Union at talks in Ukraine on Wednesday, but said policy differences remained on issues including NATO…

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Czech Senate fails to ratify European treaty on violence against women

PRAGUE, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Lawmakers in the Czech Republic's upper house Senate narrowly voted against ratifying a decade-old international treaty aimed at preventing and combating violence against women. The…

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Hungary parliament speaker sees ‘no urgency’ in voting on Sweden’s NATO accession

BUDAPEST, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Hungary's parliamentary speaker said on Thursday there was no urgency in approving Sweden's NATO membership bid after ratification by Turkey left only Budapest holding up…

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Austrian incest-rapist Fritzl to transfer to regular prison

VIENNA, Jan 25 (Reuters) - An Austrian court on Thursday ordered the conditional transfer of 88-year-old incestuous rapist Josef Fritzl to a regular prison from a prison psychiatric unit, his…

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Hungary supports Sweden’s NATO membership, PM Orban tells Stoltenberg

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg in a phone call that the Hungarian government supports Sweden's membership of the military alliance, Orban said on social…

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Poland and Ukraine pledge quick end to political friction

The leaders of Poland and Ukraine pledged on Monday to tackle a thorny political dispute that had hampered their critical wartime alliance and boost defence cooperation as Russia's invasion grinds…

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Polish president criticizes EU’s executive for blocking funds

WARSAW, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Polish President Andrzej Duda on Sunday criticized the European Commission for blocking EU funds in what he said was "an attempt to force Poland to…

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EU’s Reynders visits Poland to discuss restoring rule of law

WARSAW, Jan 19 (Reuters) - EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders visits Warsaw on Friday to discuss judicial reforms which could allow Poland access to billion of euros of EU funds…

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Hungary to limit visas for temporary workers from outside the EU

BUDAPEST, (Reuters) - Hungary will limit the number of visas issued to temporary workers from outside the European Union and also ban them from certain professions in a bid to…

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Ukraine aid: Hungary says it is far from agreement with EU

BUDAPEST, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Hungary is far from reaching an agreement with the European Union on aid for Ukraine, the Hungarian prime minister's chief of staff said on Thursday.…

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Austrian incest father, Josef Fritzl, could soon be eligible to apply for release

An Austrian man who held his daughter captive for 24 years and fathered seven children with her could be transferred from a unit for the criminally insane to prison where…

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Poland to change process for judges’ nominations with eye on EU funds

Polish Justice Minister Adam Bodnar outlined a bill that aims to correct the way judges are appointed as a first step in rolling back the previous nationalist government's judicial reforms…

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UPDATED: Former Polish minister starts hunger strike in prison

WARSAW, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Former Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski, who was detained and sent to prison on Tuesday following a conviction for abuse of power in a previous…

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