Dear followers! today is the launch of my weekly newsletter "Wider Europe" in which I brief you about the EU's & NATO's relationship with the Western Balkans & its eastern neighbourhood. Please subscribe!
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Rikard Jozwiak
@RikardJozwiak
Joined June 2012
Rikard Jozwiak’s posts
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I've covered 🇪🇺-🇺🇦 relations for nearly 2 decades & I never thought I'd see the day when #Ukraine became an official EU candidate country.There has been so much (false) talk in Brussels about offering Kyiv "light at the end of the tunnel". well, tonight this light was finally lit
the Czech President Milos Zeman said in a televised that he wants harder EU sanctions on Russia, especially SWIFT and said that its important to isolate the insane, meaning Putin. this quite something from someone who often is seen as very close to Russia. #Ukraine
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Eu foreign ministers will meet tomorrow via videoconference to seek political agreement on SWIFT sanctions. #Ukraine #Russia
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Finally someone at the OSCE parliamentary assembly in Vienna speaks up on the presence of delegates from #Russia. Kudos to the delegate from #Latvia, Rihards Kols. #Ukraine
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At the OSCE ministerial council today at 4pm in Vienna, #Russia has tabled the following discussion point: “On a special military operation to protect people from genocide perpetrated by the Kiev regime”. #Ukraine
NATO official:“We can confirm that we have withdrawn the accreditation of 8 members of the Russian Mission to NATO, who were undeclared Russian intelligence officers"... 1/3
the European Parliament has now officially approved (598 for, 55 against, 41 abstentions) the 1.2 billion euro macro-financial assistance package for #Ukraine. the hope is that the first disbursement can happen in early March.
today is the first anniversary of the death of my 🇺🇦 RFE/RL colleague Vira Hyrych. she died after a 🇷🇺 missile hit her flat in Kyiv. a year later and missiles are still raining down over #Ukraine.
Human chain with people carrying photos of political prisoners in #Belarus being formed in Prague now during the 🇨🇿 celebration of freedom and democracy day, 17 Nov
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#Russia was supposed to answer by 14.00 CET today. 3 hours down the line and still no answer. #Ukraine twitter.com/RikardJozwiak/…
The message tonight among 🇬🇪protestors…
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Demonstration outside the Parliament in #Georgia against the resumption of flights to #Russia
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In the draft #euco conclusions but still in brackets: “The European Council welcomes the swift agreement in the Council to facilitate the immediate provision of ammunition for #Ukraine, including through joint procurement and the mobilisation of appropriate funding” #Russia
EU foreign agree to give green lights for sanctions against #Belarus. working groups will draw up lists
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EU official says that 3/4 of EU member states now have closed their airspace for #Russia. #Ukraine
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von der leyen says that the EU will come forward with new sanctions on #Belarus for the support of #Russia's war in #Ukraine
another image I'd never thought I would see from Brussels: several flags of #Ukraine side by side with the EU ones outside the European Parliament building. normally these flagpoles are reserved for the flags of the 27 EU member states.
Just when you thought that Borrell's trip to #Russia could not get any worse: Moscow have just decided to kick out three European diplomats from #Sweden #Poland & #Germany for attending the #navalnyprotests
This was supposed to be an EU-27 statement but 🇭🇺 blocked it. #Armenia #Azerbaidjan #Nagorno_Karabakh
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"The EU condemns the military operation by Azerbaijan against the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh and deplores the casualties and loss of life caused by this escalation."
Statement by HR/VP @JosepBorrellF on developments in Nagorno-Karabakh: europa.eu/!7QtbRD
NATO Sec gen condemns the cyber attacks on #Ukraine and adds that “NATO & Ukraine will sign an agreement on enhanced cyber cooperation, incl Ukrainian access to NATO’s malware information sharing platform. NATO’s strong political and practical support for Ukraine will continue.”
On my way to Vilnius. The last time I visited the 🇱🇹capital was 10 years ago for a big European summit in which the 🇺🇦 president walked away from an agreement with the EU and Euromaidqn kicked off. This time it’s NATO and another 🇺🇦 President playing the key role.
as expected: "the brave 🇺🇦 people represented by their president, elected leaders, and civil society" has won this year's #SakharovPrize. #Ukraine #Russia
NATO's position on the issues at the Polish- #Belarus border: the Sec Gen "remains in close touch with allied governments" & "NATO stands ready to further assist our allies, and maintain safety and security in the region.” triggering of art. 4 not excluded by any of 🇱🇻🇱🇹🇵🇱
EU ambassadors just gave green light to impose asset freezes and visa bans on #Lukashenko + 14 other Belarusians. Will be published in the EU official journal on Fri. #Belarus
Eu leaders finally agreed on this text tonight : ”we will further strengthen our bonds and deepen our partnership to support #Ukraine in pursuing its European path. Ukraine belongs to our European family.”
the president of #Lithuania just mentioned the possibility of refusing flights from #Belarus to land in the EU and to recognize Belarusian airspace as unsafe.
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#Hungary threatens to block the renewal of the EU sanctioned individuals and entities (1214 ppl / 108 entities) from #Russia if three oligarchs - Alisher Usmanov, Petr Aven, Viktor Rashnikov - aren't de-listed. EU ambs to discuss tomorrow. #Ukraine
rferl.org/a/eu-hungary-r
big victory for #Poland, #Ukraine, #Lithuania, #Latvia and #Estonia against #Germany & the European Commission today with the European Court of Justice ruling that the #Opal pipeline must comply with the EU's energy rules & that no exemption can be granted #Nordstream1
I have been waiting to send out this tweet for a very long time: citizens of #Georgia can as of today travel visa free to most EU countries!
the PM of #Ukraine in Brussels today. dinner with Von der Leyen later in the evening. Should be a promise that 4-5 billion euro of the promised 9bn should be on the way to Kyiv soon
Back in Vilnius! And as always looking at the famous Vilnius TV tower for orientation! here seen from the #NATOsummit venue. 14 🇱🇹 civilians were killed by Soviet forces there back in January 1991. #Ukraine
Von der Leyen: "i want the people of the #WesternBalkans, of #Ukraine, #Moldova and #Georgia to know: your are part of our family, your future is in our Union & our Union is not complete without you." #SOTEU