Russian forces launched an attack across the Ukrainian border north of Kharkiv, potentially aiming to open a new front in the war that has long been waged in the country’s east and south. Ukraine sent reinforcements as fighting occurred along the Russian border of the region, the defense ministry said, adding that Russia had pounded the frontier town of Vovchansk with guided aerial bombs and artillery. “At approximately 5 a.m., there was an attempt by the enemy to break through our defense line using armored vehicles,” the Ukrainian defense ministry shared in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on ..read more

VENICE, Italy — The yearly package of €3 billion raised from profits on frozen Russian assets is “almost nothing” in the context of Ukraine’s war needs, Justice Minister Denys Maliuska told POLITICO. The EU on Wednesday approved a plan to use the profits generated by investing frozen Russian assets in Europe — worth between €2.5 billion and €3 billion per year — to buy weapons for Ukraine. However, as Ukraine grapples with shortages of ammunition, the country’s justice minister was critical of how far those funds could go. “If we are talking about the needs of Ukraine and the needs of the ..read more

The United States will announce a new $400 million military aid package for Ukraine on Friday, just as it appears Russia has launched a major offensive in Kharkiv, according to two U.S. officials and a notification sent to Congress obtained by POLITICO ..read more

Jamie Dettmer is opinion editor at POLITICO Europe. “We will fight with our fingernails if we have to,” a defiant Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his war Cabinet after a tense phone call with U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday. During the call, Biden had warned that the U.S. would withhold weapons shipments if Israel launched a long-delayed ground offensive on Rafah — the last major Hamas stronghold in Gaza. And two days later, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed that the U.S. had already blocked the transfer of 2,000- and 500-pound bombs over worries that the Israeli ..read more

Test your knowledge of the latest news on the EU election here ..read more

Das Briefing dazu, wie sich Entscheidungen in Brüssel auf Sie auswirken. Mit dem Wissen des größten Newsrooms der europäischen Hauptstadt. Im Browser anzeigen oder hier anhören von JÜRGEN KLÖCKNER Mit LAURA HÜLSEMANN und JULIUS BRINKMANN DIE TOP-THEMEN — Ukraine fordert mehr Hilfen: Justizminister Maljuska kritisiert im POLITICO-Interview die Entscheidung der EU, nur die Zinseinnahmen auf eingefrorenes russisches Vermögen zu verwenden. Das genüge nicht, um den Krieg zu gewinnen, sagte er. — Xis Abschiedsgeschenk: Während Serbien und Ungarn die Partnerschaft mit China forcieren ..read more

After being sworn in for a fifth time as president of Russia earlier this week, Vladimir Putin has chosen to reappoint a loyal technocrat as his head of government, signaling a commitment to stability over reform. Putin’s reappointment of Mikhail Mishustin, 58, as prime minister is part of a planned government reshuffle in the wake of the autocrat’s inauguration earlier this week for a third consecutive term.  Putin’s choice was announced on Friday morning  by Vyacheslav Volodin, speaker of the Duma or lower house of the Russian parliament, on Telegram. The Duma approved the appointm ..read more

After watching Israel flatten much of Gaza, President Joe Biden decided to draw the line at the city of Rafah. Now, he has to decide what to do if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu crosses it. The president quietly directed his team last week to halt shipments of massive bombs to Israel to “deliver a message” to Netanyahu that no operation should move forward without a civilian protection plan in place, a U.S. official said. Then, after Netanyahu moved forward with a push into Rafah, Biden gave a primetime interview Wednesday in which he vowed not to send Israel more of the large bom ..read more

LONDON — A major U.K. trade mission to Saudi Arabia has been plunged into controversy amid reports Riyadh authorized the use of deadly force to clear land for a futuristic desert mega-city. Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden and Investment Minister Dominic Johnson are still due to fly to Riyadh next week together with a 300-strong U.K. delegation to host a major business, tourism and cultural expo in partnership with the Saudi government. Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch will also be flying to the Gulf State to resume trade negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) — of which Saudi Ar ..read more

In an open letter to Hungary that in places reads more like a love note than an official government missive, Chinese President Xi Jinping reflected on a friendship “as mellow and rich as Tokaji wine.” As sweet as Hungary’s wine is, its partnership with China is far more profitable, both politically and economically — and it’s setting up Hungary to be a dominant player in the continent’s shift to electric vehicles. Despite governing a country that has been a member of the European Union for 20 years, Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán identifies more closely with Xi than with his peers in the bloc, ofte ..read more