This year, the Gwara Media editorial team received the Free Media Award 2025. This is an A-level European award, and receiving it is real international recognition. We were nominated and informed of our victory after the jury made their decision in …

The man who enabled Russia’s invasion of Ukraine from Belarusian territory is now looking for a “deal” with the West.

Aleksandr Lukashenko — the self-proclaimed “president” who stole an election, crushed peaceful protests, and turned Belarus into …

A parking lot near one of Kharkiv malls buzzes with activity. This Ukrainian city sits just 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the Russian border. More than a dozen cars decorated with pride symbols line up for AutoPride 2025, part of this year's …

Russian President Vladimir Putin met President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff in Moscow on Aug. 6. During this meeting, Putin reportedly offered Ukraine to “cede” the Ukraine-controlled territories in Donetsk and Luhansk oblast with no security …

UKRAINE, KHARKIV, Sep. 13 — In Kharkiv, on the evening of Sep. 7, the first protest began near the University subway station in the center of the city. Police estimated that about 70 people joined the demonstration. 

Marko, one of the protest’s …

After Ukraine’s Parliament adopted bill #12414 limiting the independence of anti-graft bodies, NABU and SAPO, people across Ukraine went out to protests. On the same day, Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the bill, despite many asking to veto it. These …

Nova Ukraine applauds the recent restoration of the independence of Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies, supported by strengthened safeguards to prevent Russian influence.

The street protests across the country that led to this outcome were …

Protestors once again gathered across Ukraine on the eve of a parliamentary vote to reinstate the independence of anti-corruption agencies, which lawmakers curtailed just a week earlier.

The new bill was proposed by President Volodymyr Zelensky after …

The decision of the Ukrainian parliament - and then President Volodymyr Zelenskyy - to de-facto destroy the independence of anti-corruption infrastructure in Ukraine drew outrage from people and deeply concerned the EU. Zelenskyy and MPs have …

Amid the heavy strain of Russian attacks and anti-corruption protests, a festival organized by Georgians and Ukrainians brought much-needed respite and solidarity to Kyiv.

Over the weekend of July 25-27, thousands of people danced their way through …

Protests were held near the hotel housing the Russian fencers and outside the Sports Palace, the venue for the competition.

Protests sweep Ukraine in response to the new controversial law, which carries grim implications for integration into the European Union as peace talks between Russian and Ukrainian delegations resume.

UKRAINE, KHARKIV — Russian missiles reach Kharkiv in less than two minutes. 

When asked about their reason to protest in the middle of the city in these circumstances — under martial law — Marko says, “what’s happening is absolutely unacceptable”. …

On July 22 and 23, Ukrainians took to the streets in the country’s first mass anti-government protests since the outbreak of Russia's full-scale invasion three and a half years earlier.

Thousands of citizens rallied in cities across the country on the …

Before her harrowing footage of life in Mariupol under siege from Russian invaders was viewed around the world in 2022, Yuliia Paievksa — call sign “Taira” — was already well known to Ukrainians for leading a volunteer medical unit in …

Police aggressively dispersed protestors at an anti-government rally in Belgrade, whereover 100,000 demonstrators gathered on June 28 to demand snap elections.

The rally marks the latest mass action in a protest movement that started last fall, with …

Key developments on June 27:

• Ukraine war latest: Ukrainian drones reportedly strike 4 fighter jets in Russia
• North Korea deployed 20% of Kim’s elite ‘personal reserve’ to fight against Ukraine in Russia, Umerov says
• Pro-Palestinian …

Around 150 pro-Palestinian activists have broken into a storage facility and damaged military equipment intended for Ukraine, the Belgian news outlet 7sur7 reported on June 26.

The facility belongs to OIP Land Systems, a company that produces military …

More than three years into Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, many Western cultural institutions that had distanced themselves from Russian artists as a gesture of solidarity with Ukraine are now reversing course.

The U.K.’s Royal Ballet and …

Fourth year into Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, the decisive support Kyiv found among its neighbors to the west is beginning to show cracks.

Once resolute Poland is seeing rising skepticism toward Ukraine, underscored by …

U.S. Special Envoy for Ukraine Keith Kellogg will meet Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in the coming days, Reuters reported on June 17, citing four sources familiar with the matter.

Kellogg will meet Lukashenko in a visit to Belarus as peace …

Kyiv Pride held a parade with over 1,500 participants in the Ukrainian capital on June 14, which was met with counterprotests.

“Other Ukrainian Prides also participated — including Kharkiv Pride and Ukraine Pride. Kyiv’s student community was …

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, film director Kateryna Gornostai found herself questioning whether she would continue working.

“I had this feeling that life — at least professionally — had come to an end,” she …

A charity event for Kyiv Pride took place on June 7 outside the Foreign Ministry and was met with nearby counterprotests.

The event collected donations, with proceeds going toward FPV drones for Ukraine’s Armed Forces provided by the Serhiy …

The European Union is set to reinstate tariffs on Ukrainian agricultural exports on June 6.

This is the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion that the EU will not renew an agreement suspending trade barriers between Ukraine and Europe. …

Slovakia’s parliament passed a resolution on June 5 urging the government to oppose any new international sanctions or trade restrictions against Russia, citing alleged negative economic impacts, Slovak news outlet Noviny reported.

The non-binding …

Leader of the Georgian opposition party “Coalition for Change,” Nika Melia, was detained by authorities on May 29, NewsGeorgia reported, citing Melia’s associates.

Melia is being investigated for refusing to testify before a …

Dmytro Bodyu, a U.S. citizen and the pastor of the “Word of Life” Pentecostal Church in Russian-occupied Melitopol, was detained by Russians in March 2022. During his detention, he was accused of working for the CIA and received death …

BANJA LUKA, Bosnia and Herzegovina — When a court convicted Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik of defying an international peace envoy in February, it was supposed to end his career in politics.

He faced not only jail time, but a ban on holding public …

The European Union has agreed to reintroduce import quotas on several Ukrainian agricultural products starting June 6, Bloomberg reported on May 23.  

The move marks a significant shift in EU trade policy toward Kyiv, as bloc members seek to balance …

Polish fighter jets intercepted a Russian Su-24 bomber in international airspace over the Baltic Sea on May 22, Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said during a press conference on May 23, according to the Polish news outlet RMF24.

The …

The Council of the European Union will hold a hearing regarding the potential loss of Hungary’s voting rights at a meeting on May 27, according to the agenda on the Council’s web portal.

This will be the eighth hearing regarding Hungary …

Editor’s note: The article was updated with a confirmation from an EU official.

EU countries have agreed in principle to launch a common defense fund of 150 billion euros ($170 billion), an EU official told the Kyiv Independent on May 19.

The …

Around 10,000 people rallied in Hungary’s capital on May 18 to protest a controversial bill that critics say would limit free expression and mimic Russia’s restrictive “foreign agent” law, the Associated Press reported.

The demonstration …

This year’s Eurovision Song Contest is taking place in neutral Switzerland, but politics are center stage. While debate continues over Israel’s participation amid the war in Gaza, Russia — banned from the contest since its full-scale invasion of …

The EU plans to significantly increase tariffs on Ukrainian goods after the current duty-free deal lapses on June 6, the Financial Times reported on May 14, citing undisclosed diplomatic sources.

The move follows Poland’s call for the European …

Polish truckers lifted the blockade at the Yahodyn-Dorohusk checkpoint on the Ukrainian border, Ukraine’s State Border Guard said on May 13.

The protesters ended the blockade after the Lublin Court of Appeal upheld Dorohusk Mayor Wojciech …

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on May 9 slammed European leaders attending Russian President Vladimir Putin’s Victory Day celebrations as Russia wages its war against Ukraine.

“I have no doubt that being present at the victory parade in …

Demonstrators have been holding street performances since May 4 in protest of Russia’s “immortal regiment” and its Victory Day celebrations, a source in Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) told the Kyiv Independent on May …

More than 1,500 foreign mercenaries from 48 countries recruited to fight for Russia against Ukraine have been identified in an investigation by the independent Russian media outlet Important Stories published on April 23.

Despite Russian President …

Poland reports two attacks on border guards, one allegedly involving a Belarusian serviceman.

Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko invites up to 150,000 workers from Pakistan to Belarus amid deepening labor shortage.

Director of Russia’s Foreign …

Serbia’s parliament approved the composition of a new government led by Prime Minister Djuro Macut on April 16, Serbian state broadcaster RTS reported.

While President Aleksandar Vucic had previously promised sweeping personnel changes, most …

European Union officials have warned on April 15 that Serbia could be blocked from joining the EU if its president travels to Moscow for Russian President Vladimir Putin’s May 9 Victory Parade.

Serbia applied to join the European Union in 2009 …

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico will attend Russia’s military celebrations in Moscow on May 9, despite EU High Representative Kaja Kallas' warnings to European leaders.

“I am going to Moscow on May 9,” Fico wrote in a Facebook …

President Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree imposing sanctions on four politicians and prominent business figures on April 12.

The decree put into effect a decision made earlier by Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council.

Included on …

The Docville Film Festival in Leuven canceled the screening of the controversial “Russians at War” documentary after an intervention of the Ukrainian Embassy, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry announced on March 31.

Canadian-Russian …

Anzhalika Melnikava, the speaker of the Belarusian Coordination Council, disappeared on March 25, and there has been no contact with her since, the council reported on March 28.

Polish authorities have been notified of Melnikava’s disappearance …

A Dutch university is to screen the controversial documentary “Russians at War” and a panel discussion with its director, despite Ukrainian calls for it be be canceled because it “whitewashes… murder, rape, and torture." …

Evghenia Gutul, the head of Moldova’s Gagauzia region, was detained at Chisinau airport on the evening of March 25 while attempting to leave the country, the Moldovan service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported.

Gutul is implicated in …

Sergey Beseda, former head of the 5th Service of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), was an unconventional choice to represent his country in the talks with the U.S. in Saudi Arabia on March 24.

Seventy-year-old General Beseda, however, has been …

Istanbul police assaulted Russia Today (RT) correspondent Yasin Eken and his cameraman while they were covering protests in the city, the Russian state-run outlet claimed on March 24.

“They were hit with batons, also had their RT signs ripped …

On a Sunday afternoon in mid-February, a small but politically charged event took place in the heart of Amsterdam.

A group of eight people gathered for a photo-op protest on the city’s Dam Square holding placards that called for an end to Western arms …

The European Commission is contemplating significant cuts to Ukrainian sugar imports after complaints from EU producers about plummeting sugar prices, Reuters reported on March 20, citing information from three sources.

The EU initially opened its …

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on March 16 drew comparisons between the ongoing anti-government protests in Serbia and Ukraine’s 2014 EuroMaidan Revolution, vowing to “protect and defend” the country from such an event.

His …

A court in Georgia has sentenced former President Mikheil Saakashvili to an additional four and a half years in prison on illegal border crossing charges, Georgian TV channel Mtavari reported on March 17.

The latest ruling follows a nine-year sentence …

Russia proposed building a drone factory in Belarus with an annual capacity of 100,000 units.

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko appoints new government ahead of his seventh “inauguration.”

Belarus cracks down on the unemployed amid workforce …

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled on March 13 that the Ukrainian government failed to prevent and adequately investigate deadly clashes between the EuroMaidan supporters and opponents in Odesa in May 2014.

The ruling concerns seven …

On March 7, tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Slovakia for the third time this year to protest the pro-Russian policies of Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government. They voiced concerns that Slovakia is drifting away …

Former Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili has been sentenced to an additional nine years in prison for an alleged large-scale embezzlement of state funds, the Tbilisi City Court ruled, as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Georgian service …

Protests erupted in downtown Bucharest following the Central Electoral Bureau’s decision to ban Russian-backed far-right politician Calin Georgescu from running in the upcoming re-run presidential elections.

Georgescu, who is openly supported by …

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko has appointed Alexander Turchin as the country’s new prime minister, state-owned news agency Belta reported on March 10.

Turchin, who previously served as head of the Minsk regional executive committee, held …

Thousands of protestors gathered on March 7 in more than 40 cities across Slovakia targeting the government of Prime Minister Robert Fico, Slovak media Aktuality reported.

In Bratislava’s Freedom Square, protesters chanted “shame” and called Fico a …

For decades, if not more, English speakers the world over referred to Ukraine’s capital as Kiev, pronouncing it kee-yev.

Few people knew they were using the Russian name for the city. The city is pronounced keeiv in Ukrainian and is transliterated …

U.S. Deputy Assistant State Secretary Christopher W. Smith visited Belarus alongside two other U.S. officials in an unannounced meeting on Feb. 12, the New York Times reported, potentially ending Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko’s …

Slovakia, a landlocked country on Ukraine’s western border, is undergoing a dramatic political shift under Prime Minister Robert Fico. Once a staunch supporter of NATO and the EU, Slovakia has now moved toward a pro-Russian stance, halting military …

UKRAINE, KHARKIV, Feb 10 — On Feb 8, Kharkiv locals gathered to protest against the construction of a café near the historic building called “Giant” (“Gigant” in Ukrainian), a dorm of the Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute, which was built in 1931 year. …

Editor’s note: The transcript of this interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Poland holds a special position among Kyiv’s partners — with a shared history of Russian oppression and conquest, its leaders have left no room for doubt …

A homeless Ukrainian citizen was beaten to death in Bratislava, Slovakia, the Slovak media outlet Aktuality reported on Feb. 3.

The Ukrainian man was found on Jan. 30 in front of the Nivy shopping center in Bratislava with serious injuries to his head …

Georgian police arrested two opposition leaders, including the former mayor of Tbilisi, during a street protest against the ruling Georgian Dream party, Echo of the Caucasus reported on Feb. 2.

Along with former Tbilisi Mayor Gigi Ugulava, the leader …

Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) dismissed claims by Slovak officials that HUR had orchestrated an attempted coup in Bratislava using members of the volunteer-based Georgian Legion.

“The Defense Intelligence of Ukraine …

Slovakia has banned Georgian Legion commander Mamuka Mamulashvili from entering the country after the government linked his unit to an alleged coup plot, Denník N reported on Jan. 31.

The volunteers-based Georgian Legion, which has been fighting in …

Aleksandr Lukashenko has awarded himself a seventh term as president of Belarus, with the West calling the so-called vote a sham and introducing additional sanctions.

Belarusian political observer Artsiom Shraibman told the Kyiv Independent that …

The police in Slovakia detained a Ukrainian citizen on Jan. 30 suspected of preparing a coup in the country, Slovak media Aktuality reported.

The Ukrainian is being held in the border police office ahead of his deportation to Ukraine, according to …

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry summoned Slovak Ambassador Pavel Vizdal on Jan. 30 to express its rejection of Bratislava’s claims that Kyiv is interfering in Slovakia’s internal affairs.

This comes amid tensions between Slovak Prime …

EU officials are discussing the option of resuming purchases of Russian pipeline gas as part of a potential settlement of the Russia-Ukraine war, the Financial Times reported on Jan. 30, citing undisclosed sources.

The proposal’s advocates, …

Georgia withdrew its delegation from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on Jan. 29 after the Assembly passed a resolution calling for Tbilisi to hold new parliamentary elections.

The country’s fall 2024 parliamentary …

The Slovak Foreign Ministry summoned Ukrainian Ambassador to Bratislava Myroslav Kastran on Jan. 29 after Kyiv criticized the country’s Prime Minister Robert Fico for wanting to continue Russian gas supplies to Slovakia, it said on social …

The European Union does not plan to extend the preferential trade agreement framework in its current form past its June 5 expiration date and is considering a new set of rules instead, the Polish news portal RMF24 reported on Jan. 28.

While the …

Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry condemned the recent presidential election in Belarus, calling the vote “a farce” in a statement issued Jan. 27.

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko “won” a seventh consecutive term as …

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko declared himself the winner in the country’s so-called presidential elections, in which zero members of the country’s opposition were allowed to take part.

According to the country’s …

The European Union suspended parts of its visa facilitation agreement with Georgia on Jan. 27, citing concerns over the country’s democratic backsliding.

“Fundamental rights and democratic values are core principles of EU integration. …

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko declared himself president for his seventh consecutive term in an election on Jan. 26 internationally deemed as neither free nor fair.

The Belarusian Election Commission claimed that Lukashenko …

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Jan. 26 that Belarus had “unilaterally” released an American woman from detention, as Alexander Lukashenko is set to win a seventh term in office.

Rubio identified the U.S. citizen as …

Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko appeared set to win a seventh term in office on Jan. 26 in an election widely dismissed by the West and opposition groups as a sham.

Lukashenko has reportedly secured 86.82% of the vote, according to …

“Bratislava is not Moscow, Slovakia is Europe,” President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X on Jan. 25, voicing support for protests against Slovakia’s government.

The demonstrations, held under the slogan “Slovakia is …

Early voting began on Jan. 21 in the Belarusian presidential election scheduled for Jan. 26, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported.

The previous election, held in August 2020, was accompanied by large-scale voting fraud and the largest protests in …

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico accused opposition leader Michal Simecka of “kissing Zelensky’s ring” during his recent visit to Kyiv and said the MP wanted to stage a coup d’etat in Bratislava.

Simecka, the pro-Western …

Maria Zaitseva, a 24-year-old Belarusian volunteer soldier fighting for Ukraine, was killed in action near the town of Bakhmut in Donetsk Oblast on Jan. 17, Nasha Niva reported.

Zaitseva joined the Ukrainian army after the start of Russia’s …

Slovakia’s pro-Western opposition parties announced plans to initiate a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government, citing concerns over his governance and foreign policy direction, TASR news agency reported on Jan. …

Croatia’s populist incumbent president, Zoran Milanovic, was re-elected to the post by a wide margin on Jan. 12, election results show.

Milanovic defeated Dragan Primorac, the candidate of Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic’s HDZ party, by a margin …