Euobserver.com

There are still close to 50 percent of Serbian citizens who believe that Serbia should evolve democratically, with rule of law, full respect for human and minority rights and free media, within the European family.

Russia "poses an open menace to security in Europe," said the Council of Europe after a vote to expel the country from the human rights organisation.

In a thinly veiled warning to Russia, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell pledged to "continue deterring those who would feel emboldened to undertake destabilisation actions" during a trip to Sarajevo.

US president Joe Biden will be in Brussels on Thursday next week to participate in a Nato summit focused on the war in Ukraine. Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg announced that leaders of 30 countries that make up the military alliance would meet for an extraordinary meeting. A two-day EU summit starts the same day.

There was no breakthrough on further debt mutualisation at a finance ministers' meeting, but they did loosen anti-subsidy rules.

The EU slapped a fourth round of sanctions on Russia, but Europeans still can buy Russian oil, gas and nuclear fuel.

Entrepreneurs in Vicenza concerned about rising prices now must contend with the EU ban on luxury goods exports to Russia.

A call for "sanctions from hell" and to put pressure on Putin on every front, by the former Ukrainian ambassador to the EU, Kostiantyn Yelisieiev, now back in the capital, Kyiv.

Funds for other emergencies are drying up because Ukraine seems to "suck all the oxygen that is in the room," says UN humanitarian coordinator for Somalia.

The Polish government has been happy to take credit for the display of civic responsibility to refugees. But beware a wolf in sheep's clothing.

"Not even Putin can concoct some imperial Russian myth that Sweden is within Russia's holy borders," said prominent leftwing intellectual and editor of the Dala-Demokraten newspaper, Göran Greider.

Pushing climate change to the bottom of the agenda amid the crisis in Ukraine should not be an option because the world faces "the most critical decade in climate policy," the scientist and co-chair of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Hans Poertner, told MEPs on Monday. Poertner said countries should focus on delivering ambitious emission reductions and on accelerating the rollout of renewables.

Ukrainian refugees fleeing by train to Poland face 10-hour journey in overcrowded conditions.

Sweden and Poland rejected a proposal on boardroom equality for women, while Estonia, Slovakia and Hungary abstained.

Russian cruise missiles killed 35 people near the Polish border on Sunday. Concerns grow about trapped refugees if Lviv is cut off.

EU leaders ended their summit in Versailles with a pledge to double military aid to Ukraine with a proposal for an extra €500m.

Less than one-third of Belarusians support Lukashenko. Isn't it time for Europe finally to rally to our side, too?

Russia, Bosnia, farming, equality, carbon and cryptocurrencies are on the EU agenda March 14-20.

The EU Commission on Friday sent €300m in emergency macro-financial assistance to Ukraine, with a second tranche of €300m set to be disbursed next week. The commission said the remaining €600m in funds from a €1.2bn aid package, which was assembled in the wake of the outbreak of war, would be wired to Kyiv later in the year.

People in Lviv, Ukraine, are wrapping statues and boarding up stained glass windows amid fears 'Muscovite soldiers' will target their art treasures in a culture war.