Georgia: Commissioner O’Flaherty calls for law enforcement accountability, repeal of restrictive ‘foreign influence’ laws and sustained support for the human rights of internally displaced persons - C... Strasbourg 21 April 2026

NEW!! Georgia’s ‘chilling’ crackdown on dissent must end, says Council of Europe rights chief

Commissioner Michael O’Flaherty calls for repeal of ‘foreign influence’ laws and demands accountability for police violence against protesters

👇

www.coe.int/en/web/commi...

NEW!!! Key U.S. senators urge tech giants to tackle Russian playbook in Armenia elections

Bipartisan letter to Meta and Alphabet warns of coordinated disinformation campaign ahead of 2026 vote and crucial peace talks

👇

US Lawmakers Move To Target Chinese, Russian Influence In Georgia US Congressman Joe Wilson says Georgia has become a front line in the global struggle between democracy and authoritarianism, jointly introducing new legislation to assess Russian and Chinese influenc...

For Rep Joe Wilson, the path forward for Georgia is a return to the democratic fold.

“Everything is leading to a movement worldwide for fair and free elections... and now we need them in the Republic of Georgia”

👇

www.rferl.org/a/us-lawmake...

US Quietly Renews Russian Oil Waiver Amid Market Turmoil, Policy Confusion The United States has again temporarily eased sanctions on Russian oil, issuing a new waiver that allows certain shipments already at sea to be delivered and sold, even as Washington publicly insists ...

NEW!! U.S. Quietly Renews Russian Oil Waiver Amid Market Turmoil, Policy Confusion

www.rferl.org/a/russia-oil...

American chips still powering Russian drones despite export controls, Ukraine warns

Fresh Shahed UAV strikes last month contained components made as recently as 2025, with parts linked to AMD, Texas Instruments, etc

READ my interview with 🇺🇦 sanctions czar Vlasiuk 👉 www.rferl.org/a/waivers-ru...

NEW!! Putin’s phantom peace masks global sabotage campaign, warns Estonian intelligence

Kremlin fakes peace while waging global influence ops, rearming fast and building a “parallel world” to pose as peacemaker

READ 👇
raport.valisluureamet.ee/2026/assets/...

BREAKING!! Magyar says Orbán called to congratulate him on election victory

No Breakthrough: US, Iran Still Far Apart Following Marathon Sessions in Pakistan As the US-Israeli war with Iran continues to impact and shape the region, journalists from RFE/RL deliver ongoing updates and analysis.

No Breakthrough: US, Iran Still Far Apart Following Marathon Sessions in Pakistan.

Vance: "We leave here with a very simple proposal, a method of understanding that is our final and best offer. We'll see if the Iranians accept it"

www.rferl.org/a/iran-prote...

NEW!!! Bipartisan House bill adds weight to US push for sanctions on Hungary

Representative Marcy Kaptur and Congressman Don Bacon introduce BLOCK PUTIN Act as companion to Senate version, citing ‘shocking’ coordination between Budapest and Moscow

👇

NEW!!! Between Reassurance And Rhetoric: The High Stakes Of Rutte’s U.S. Diplomacy

“This alliance is not ‘whistling past the graveyard,’” NATO Chief declared in DC, a pointed rebuttal to the oft-heard narrative of institutional decline.

👇
www.rferl.org/a/nato-rutte...

NEW!! Bipartisan group of U.S. senators reaffirms commitment to NATO

Statement led by @SenatorShaheen and @SenThomTillis warns that any signal of U.S. withdrawal from alliance would ‘embolden’ Russia and China

👇

The "End Russian Oil Windfalls Act" is here to:

🚫 Terminate & ban all Treasury licenses for Russian oil.

⚖️ Sanction Russian energy companies.

📊 Track oil profits & investigate their role in the abduction of Ukrainian children.

NEW!!! U.S. lawmakers move to choke off Putin’s ‘oil windfall’ with new sanctions bill

Gregory Meeks and U.S. Representative Bill Keating introduce legislation to terminate trade licenses and starve Moscow of energy revenues used to fund Ukraine war

NEW!! As Trump’s meeting with Rutte continues behind closed doors -- now passed 90 minutes -- read the joint statement issued by House and Senate committee chairs warning of an “axis of adversaries”, making the case that "strong NATO remains firmly in the U.S. interest."

👇

NEW!! French jets intercept Russian spy plane over Baltic Sea

French fighter jets shadowed a Russian IL-20 reconnaissance plane over the Baltic Sea on Tuesday, marking the first "Alpha Scramble" for the detachment since assuming air policing duties earlier this month.

👇

Joey Hood: What Did The US, Iran Learn From Five Weeks Of War? Veteran ambassador Joey Hood, a career diplomat who has served with a focus on the Middle East under multiple US administrations, says the US and Iran have each drawn stark lessons from the violent ne...

NEW!!! What Did The US, Iran Learn From Five Weeks Of War?

Lesson learned: 👇
🇺🇸 can eliminate leaders
🇮🇷 can shut down the Strait of Hormuz -- cheaply.

The balance of power just got more unpredictable, says veteran Ambassador Joey Hood

READ 👇

www.rferl.org/a/joey-hood-...

Estonia dismisses Moscow’s threats over Ukrainian drone strikes as ‘typical disinformation’

‘No basis for such claims’ -- foreign minister Tsahkna hits back at russian threats over Baltic Sea strikes

👇

NEW!! Global intelligence agencies warn of Russian 'Fancy Bear' cyber-assault on internet routers

FBI and German intelligence issue joint alert over GRU-backed infiltration of thousands of devices aimed at harvesting military and infrastructure secrets

👇
www.verfassungsschutz.de/SharedDocs/k...

Ukraine Must Remain A Priority Amid Iran War, Estonian FM Tells RFE/RL The West “must keep Ukraine as a priority” and increase pressure on Russia amid the US-Israeli war with Iran, which is drawing attention away from Europe’s deadliest conflict since 1945, Estonian Fore...

NEW!!! Ukraine Must Remain A Priority Amid Iran War, Estonia's Top Diplomat @tsahkna.bsky.social Tells @rferl.org.web.brid.gy

READ 👇

www.rferl.org/a/iran-ukrai...

Missing US F-15E Crew Member Rescued In Iran, US Officials Say The second US crew member of a downed F-15E jet fighter has been recovered in Iran early on April 5 local time in a dramatic rescue operation, US officials told RFE/RL, in an apparent successful endin...

Missing US F-15E Crew Member Rescued In Iran, US Officials Say

www.rferl.org/a/crew-membe...

Even Top US Jets Face Risks: F-15 Incident Highlights Complex Airspace Over Iran WASHINGTON -- A reported incident involving a US F-15 over Iran is drawing renewed scrutiny to the risks American aircraft face when operating in heavily defended airspace, underscoring a broader real...

Even Top US Jets Face Risks: F-15 Incident Highlights Complex Airspace Over Iran

www.rferl.org/a/f15-warpla...

NEW Key U.S. Senators warn Rubio and Bessent over visit by sanctioned Russian delegation

Bipartisan letter by Senator Wicker and Senator Shaheen raises alarm over risks and questions why Kremlin-linked officials were allowed into US for meetings with Congress and admin figures

👇

Iran Conflict Disrupts Private US Humanitarian Aid For Ukraine The flow of volunteer humanitarian aid from the United States to Ukraine -- a critical lifeline for frontline communities -- is coming under mounting strain, as disruptions linked to the Iran conflict...

NEW!!! Iran Conflict Disrupts Private US Humanitarian Aid For Ukraine

👇

www.rferl.org/a/iran-confl...

NEW!! ‘Most successful alliance in history’: Senators Mitch McConnell and Chris Coons issue rare joint defense of NATO

Senior Republican and Democrat senators push back against isolationism, insisting U.S. will remain in the 75-year-old pact that ‘underpins American security’

US Lifts Sanctions On Three Russian Vessels; Treasury Says No Broader Policy Shift The United States has removed sanctions on three Russian-flagged commercial vessels, sparking debate over whether the move signals a shift in US- Russia policy.

NEW!! US Lifts Sanctions On Three Russian Vessels; Treasury Says No Broader Policy Shift

www.rferl.org/a/us-sanctio...

Moscow’s deepening military partnership with Tehran -- including the sharing of battlefield tactics and targeting data -- threatens to prolong Middle East instability and complicate Western diplomatic efforts.

General Votel on Russia-Iran 👇

Deploying Forces To Middle East 'Sends Message' To Iran, Says Ex-US General Iran is using tactical delay as a strategy in talks to end US and Israeli strikes that have decimated Tehran's military capabilities amid a continued buildup of US forces in the Middle East, retired U...

NEW!! US Buildup Signals Leverage -- But Iran May Be ‘Stringing Us Along,’ Says Former CENTCOM Chief

READ my interview with General (ret) Joseph Votel
👇

www.rferl.org/a/33721515.h...

NEW!! Bipartisan push to tighten net on Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ as more senators join sanctions bid

Senators Thom Tillis and Michael Bennet join cross-party coalition backing S. 2904 -- the SHADOW Fleet Sanctions Act -- to crack down on Moscow’s illicit oil transport

Ranking Member Shaheen, Senator Tillis Introduce Bipartisan BLOCK PUTIN Act to Hold Hungarian Government Enablers of Russia Accountable | United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Thom Tillis (R-NC) introduced...

Shaheen, Tillis introduced bipartisan legislation which would require POTUS to impose sanctions and visa bans on officials who block or delay assistance to Ukraine through US, European or NATO channels while continuing Hungary’s reliance on Russian oil and gas

www.foreign.senate.gov/press/dem/re...

JUST NOW!!! New bipartisan BLOCK PUTIN Act introduced in U.S. Senate

It targets Hungary over Russia ties and Ukraine aid obstruction

1/3