Russia

The pro-Russian Revival and Socialist Party are pitching themselves as bulwarks against the encroaching values - and currency - of the EU, ahead of yet another general election in Bulgaria.

President Vladimir Putin on Thursday vowed a decisive response to any country threatening Russia and lashed out against Germany for promising tanks for Kiev.

His threats came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned that the Kremlin was consolidating its forces for a fresh offensive.

He claims that Russia has prepared thousands of soldiers and could "try" to mark the anniversary of the launch of the war, the BBC reports.
The new offensive on that day would also mark the Russian holiday of defenders of the fatherland, February 23, which is dedicated to the Russian army. Reznikov said Moscow had mobilized about 500,000 troops for a potential offensive.

Turkey will hold a natural gas summit on February 14-15 to bring together gas supplier countries and Europe's consumer countries in Istanbul, Turkish Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said on Monday.

"We will bring together supplier countries from the Middle East, Mediterranean, Caspian and Middle Asia with consumer countries from Europe," Donmez said.

"Ukrainian forces shot down three Russian Ka-52 helicopters last night in the east of the country," Ukrainian Ministry of Defense announced.
The 335th day of the conflict in Ukraine is underway, and the Russians have sent reinforcements to the front and are introducing a new reform.

The war in Ukraine is a storm raging in Europe's east. But its consequences will be felt in the south. The Eastern Mediterranean is likely to be affected in a variety of ways, with particular implications for Greece and its neighbors. Russia's presence and actions are one element in this equation. The effects of the war on the global order and the aspirations of regional powers are another.

The United States on Jan. 20 designated Russia's Wagner group as a "transnational criminal organization," piling pressure on the private Russian army fighting in Ukraine.

The new year offers an opportunity to take stock of the many changes in Europe over the last year - a year marked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. ELIAMEP's George Pagoulatos joins Thanos Davelis with the view from Athens on the evolving shifts in Europe over the last year and the challenges they pose for the West. 

Kyiv urged Western allies on Thursday to hurry up and supply tanks and air defense systems, saying Ukraine was paying in lives for the slow pace of discussions in foreign capitals.

"We have no time, the world does not have this time," said Andriy Yermak, head of the Ukrainian presidential administration, wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Russians who fled to Bulgaria donated jeeps to a Ukrainian non-governmental organization.

The three vehicles will be used in the war against Russia, said Flora Akhmetova from the organization.

"This is the contribution of Russian citizens to Ukraine's victory over Putin's criminal regime, which seized state power in Russia," Akhmetova pointed out.