Georgian Company is Helping Russia Sell Donetsk Commodities Abroad
A Georgia-based company has inked a deal with Russian-installed authorities in occupied eastern Ukraine to export coal, chemicals, and metals, opening what Le Monde described as a new channel for Moscow to skirt international sanctions.
Three Greek Cabinet Ministers Resign amid EPPO Fraud Probe
Three Greek cabinet ministers resigned on Friday as a European Union investigation into alleged farm subsidy fraud widened, in a case that has intensified political pressure on the government and added to unrest in the country’s farming sector.
Malta Isn’t Ready to Let the EU Take the Reins on Crypto Supervision
Malta is mounting an unusually public fight against a European Union push to centralize crypto supervision, arguing the move would strip the island-nation of oversight over major digital-asset firms it helped attract and regulate.
Hungary Secretly Worked with Russia to Water Down EU Sanctions
Hungary’s foreign minister privately shared sensitive European Union discussions with Russia and worked with Moscow to try to remove sanctioned Russian individuals, banks, and companies from EU blacklists.
Hungary Continues to Fall Short on Investigating Fraud, EU Data Shows
Hungary has recovered and returned less than a fifth of EU funds flagged for potential fraud over the past decade, according to data from the bloc’s anti-fraud watchdog reported by the Financial Times.
Ukraine Bankers Say They Were Beaten, Injected via IV While Detained in Hungary
New details have emerged about the seizure of two armored bank vehicles by Hungarian officials earlier this month, including allegations that the then-detained Ukrainian bank workers were beaten and injected with an unknown substance.
Even with U.S. Waiver, Iran’s Oil Heads for China
China remains the destination for about 90 percent of Iranian crude exports despite a recent U.S. sanctions waiver intended to release previously restricted oil onto global markets.
Italian MEP Denies Huawei Bribe Allegations
An Italian member of the European Parliament denied taking bribes from Huawei as lawmakers weigh whether to strip him of parliamentary immunity in a Belgian corruption investigation.
Iran War Gives Russia Trade Leverage with Critical Fertilizer Market
Russia is reaping a financial windfall from the U.S.-Israel war against Iran, as supply disruptions in the Middle East drive up global fertilizer prices and sharpen debate in Europe over whether to ease curbs on Russian exports.
How an Irish Alumina Refinery Strengthens Russia’s Arsenal
An Irish alumina refinery owned by Russian metals group Rusal is part of a supply chain that appears to end with Russian arms manufacturers involved in the war in Ukraine, according to new reporting by The Guardian that cites leaked records and public trade data.