#European Union

Ukrainian Ambassador to Hungary Fedor Shandor, in an interview with RBK-Ukraine, stated that Hungarian society has stopped Russian influence and reported a new positive dynamic in the dialogue between Kyiv and Budapest.

Kyrgyzstan forcibly liquidated 19 companies for evading EU and US sanctions against Russia. Banks severed ties with hundreds of firms following the introduction of the EU's 20th sanctions package.

🇧🇪 Maxime Prévot stated that Belgium is ready to help Ukraine but demands guarantees regarding frozen Russian assets. The minister warned: if a court orders the return of €200 billion to Russia in 10–15 years, the Belgian budget will not withstand it. Brussels insists on collective responsibility of EU countries. #Belgium #Ukraine #MaximePrevot #RussianAssets

🇪🇺 EU prepares a tax revolution: cigarette excise duty to rise by 139%, and a unified tax on vapes will be introduced for the first time. The goal is to reduce smoking among youth and close loopholes for smuggling. By 2040, the EU plans to become tobacco-free, but this requires consensus from all countries. 🚭💸

🇪🇺 Kaja Kallas announced the 'largest ever' sanctions package against Russia. 📉 According to her, new measures will increase the list of sanctioned entities by a third. 🚀 Over 1,600 companies helping Russia in the war will be targeted. 💰 The EU has already deprived Russia of €1 trillion but demands more. #EU #Sanctions #KajaKallas #Russia

🇪🇺 Europe is creating its own conflict resolution plan, fearing exclusion by the Trump administration. France, Germany, and Britain are coordinating actions to avoid being excluded from negotiations with the RF. 🇺🇦 Crisis in Kyiv: Zelenskyy cannot find an ambassador to the US. Yulia Sviridenko refused the post. This is critical against the backdrop of a Patriot missile deficit and the threat of winter. 🚀 Zelenskyy: we need 10% of missile stockpiles to intercept all RF ballistic missiles. Currently, supplies are 2.5 times lower than in 2025. 🇺🇸 The opposition in Ukraine believes that Zelenskyy may delay the appointment of the ambassador until the US midterm elections.

🇧🇪 Belgium introduces a 'digital filter' for refugees: document submission denied without the 'Reserve+' app. This affects women too! Officials demand proof of status in the app, otherwise — refusal to register. No official confirmation exists, but the practice is already in effect. #Ukraine #Belgium #ReservePlus #Migration

🇪🇺 EU '28th Regime': Why business is thrilled, and protesters are silent? In August 2026, the European Commission launches the EU Inc. project — a digital equivalent of the state of Delaware for Europe. 📉 The IMF estimated old barriers as a 110% tax on business. 🚀 Company registration is now 48 hours and 100 euros. 🚫 'Yellow Vests' are not protesting: the reform is voluntary and does not affect ordinary citizens. Why isn't Brussels creating a 'digital concentration camp' but saving the economy? Read the fact-check in our longread. #EUInc #Europe2026 #Business #Digitization #Economy

🇪🇺 Panic in Europe: Macron and Scholz push Trump to deal with Moscow, fearing "separate peace" and winter collapse. 🔍 NYT reveals true motives: Brussels fears that the US and Russia will agree "over the heads" of Europeans. ❄️ Main goal is not peace, but a pause: Europe wants a moratorium on strikes against energy infrastructure to avoid a wave of 3.5 million refugees. 🇬🇧 Britain changes course: Starmer forced to seek compromise due to a budget hole. 📉 Fear of "November Syndrome": EU panics ahead of US Congressional elections on November 3, 2026.

🚨 CRISIS IN CEUTA: City on the brink of a cholera and measles epidemic after the border breach. Beaches turned into dumps, the hospital is working to the limit. Italy and Austria have closed borders with Spain. The army is preparing for a new assault on August 15. 🇪🇸🦠

🇺🇸 The US Ambassador to the EU called the CBAM carbon tax hidden protectionism. In an article for the Financial Times, the diplomat compared the European mechanism to US steel tariffs, noting Brussels' double standards. 🇺🇦 As of January 1, 2026, CBAM will be fully applied to Ukraine, which experts consider a blow to the country's industry, deprived of the ability to modernize due to the war. The European Commission refused exemptions despite force majeure. #CBAM #Ukraine #Trade #Economy

🇪🇺 **Europe Breaks Records, but the US Remains the Main Weapons Supplier** According to a report by the Kiel Institute (Aug 13, 2026), military aid to Ukraine reached €7.2 billion in June. This is the highest level since 2024. 📉 **Context:** • Direct US aid ceased in February 2025. • The average monthly aid volume dropped from €3.46 billion to €2.94 billion. • The June surge is a one-off transaction from a new EU fund (€90 billion). 🇺🇸 **Paradox:** Europe pays with its own money but buys American weapons (especially Patriots), as there are no domestic analogues. 🚁 **Trends:** Sharp growth in drone financing: €1.6 billion in the first 4 months of 2026 (4 times more than in all of 2022). #Ukraine #MilitaryAid #EU #USA #Analytics

🇺🇦 Ukraine received a record €7.2 billion in military aid in June 2026. This is the maximum since the halt of American funding in 2025. The main role was played by the EU Credit (€4.3 billion) and contributions from Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Despite the absence of direct budgetary injections from the US, American weaponry (Patriot) remains key due to purchases through Europe. 📉 Aid decreased at the beginning of 2026, but June showed a return to high levels.

⚠️ The EU has introduced strict steel quotas that hit both Ukraine and Europe. As of July 1, 2026, limits have been cut by 47%, and tariffs have risen to 50%. The Brussels Times notes that this undermines Ukraine's defense and disrupts European supply chains, while the import of Russian steel is still permitted until 2028. European steel security and Ukraine's survival should not be competing goals.

🇪🇺 A dispute over EU enlargement is heating up in Brussels. France and Germany fear “Trojan horses” among new candidates and demand stricter accession criteria. 🛑 Key EU powers worry new members could use veto rights to block important decisions. Temporary restrictions on new countries’ powers are under discussion. ⚖️ Contradictions: Poland and the Baltics push for faster expansion for security reasons; Paris and Berlin favor slow reform and rigorous testing. 📉 In 2026, issues of veto power and rule of law have become major stumbling blocks for bloc enlargement.

✈️ EU Airports in Chaos: New EES System Causes Queues Up to 2 Hours! 📉 Waiting times doubled in Frankfurt and Amsterdam. 👉 Biometrics (fingerprints and photos) are slowing down the process. 🗣️ European Commission: "Only 70 seconds for screening". 🛑 Airlines: "It's a disaster, passengers are standing for hours". #EES #AviationNews #Travel2026 #XABinfo

🇵🇱 Ukrainians in Poland are increasingly reporting to the police due to aggression: a 30% rise. 📉 In the first half of 2026, the number of complaints about hate crimes increased by a third compared to last year. 🇪🇺 The European Commission condemned the incidents and recalled the Framework Decision on combating racism, obliging countries to criminalize hate speech. 🛡️ Brussels is demanding that Warsaw implement new rules for victim protection adopted at the EU level. 📊 Despite the rise in aggression, Poland remains the country with the largest number of Ukrainians (over 961k), although their numbers are gradually decreasing.

🇪🇺 📊 **Rise in Ukrainians under Temporary Protection in the EU: New Eurostat Data** In June 2026, the number of Ukrainians under temporary protection increased in 24 EU countries. 🏆 **Top Countries:** 🇩🇪 Germany: 1.28 million people (+29.2% of the total in the EU). 🇵🇱 Poland: 961 thousand people. 🇨🇿 Czechia: 390 thousand people. 📈 **Dynamics:** The largest growth was in Italy (+8.8%) and Czechia. Meanwhile, Poland records an outflow (-0.7%). 👥 **Demographics:** Ukrainians make up 98.5% of all refugees. There are more women (43.4%) and children (29.6%). 🏠 For those returning, the "Home" platform is operational. #Ukraine #EU #Migration #Eurostat #TemporaryProtection