Greece, Bulgaria bullied by Russian embassies

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Before you start reading today’s edition of the Capitals, feel free to have a look at the LEAK: Russia’s war on Ukraine rewrites EU’s upcoming military strategy.

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In today’s news from the Capitals:

SOFIA | ATHENS

Russia’s embassies across Europe have been active on social media defending Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. But in some cases, such as in Greece and Bulgaria, the Russian embassies went too far, even bullying local politicians and journalists.

Meanwhile, in other European countries, the Russian embassies either remained silent, regurgitated state propaganda, or complained about the way the war was being portrayed. Read more.

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BERLIN

German secret service warns of Russian cyberattacks. Germany could face an increased threat of cyberattacks on its critical infrastructure, political and military institutions, and businesses, the national intelligence agency has warned in a safety note on the war in Ukraine. Read more.

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PARIS

Putin tells Macron he will not attack Ukrainian nuclear facilities. Russian President Vladimir Putin said he will respect the standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and will not carry out offensives against civilian nuclear facilities, the Elysée has said. Read more.

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VIENNA

Austria to significantly up military spending. Austria will significantly increase its military spending, Chancellor Karl Nehammer has said, following calls across the political aisle to get the Austrian army back in shape. Read more.

UK AND IRELAND

LONDON

UK lags in granting visas to Ukranian refugees. The UK Home Office is struggling to grant visas to Ukrainian refugees quickly and confirmed on Sunday that it had granted just 50 visas to Ukrainians under a scheme that allows them to settle with their family members who are already based in the UK. Read more.

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DUBLIN

Ireland takes steps to boost self-sufficiency over wartime food security concerns. Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue will meet with farming associations this week to discuss potential food security concerns caused by the war in Ukraine and related sanctions on Russia. Read more.

NORDICS AND BALTICS

STOCKHOLM

Swedish PM hesitant about NATO referendum. A referendum might not be the right method to decide on NATO membership, said Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson after discussing the situation with her Finnish counterpart Sanna Marin on Saturday. Read more.

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COPENHAGEN

Denmark thinks about abandoning opt-out from European defence. Denmark will let its citizens vote to overturn its opt-out from EU defence policy in a referendum to be held on 1 June, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Read more.

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HELSINKI

Finland goes missile shopping, moors itself to Western security structures. After a hectic weekend of diplomacy and the president’s visit to the White House, military and political ties have been deepened with the US and Sweden. Finland is also strengthening its defence capabilities with new purchases. Read more.

EUROPE’S SOUTH

ROME

Qatar to help Italy amid major energy resources crisis. Qatari authorities will provide Italy with more support, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio has announced from Doha as a major energy resources crisis looms. Read more.

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MADRID

Spain releases 2 million barrels of oil to support Ukrainian army. The Spanish government on Friday approved the release of two million barrels of oil from its “strategic reserves” in a coordinated action with the International Energy Agency (IEA) to support the Ukrainian army. Read more.

VISEGRAD

PRAGUE

Czech MEPs call for Green Deal revision due to war on Ukraine. The EU should assess the impact of the war on the Green Deal and the European energy sector, three Czech MEPs from Renew Europe have said. Read more.

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WARSAW

Polish government launches special website for Ukrainian refugees. As hundreds of thousands of refugees from war-engulfed Ukraine come to Poland, the government has decided to use the Internet to manage their entry to the country and address their needs. Read more.

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BUDAPEST

Old Budapest airport terminal reopened to serve refugees. After ten years, Terminal 1 of Liszt Ferenc Airport has been reopened due to the Russian-Ukrainian war, Telex reported via RTL. Read more.

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BRATISLAVA

War in Ukraine shifting opinions of Slovaks towards NATO. More than 77% of Slovaks consider Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to be an act of aggression. Recent surveys show that half of the population would agree to station NATO troops in the country, and 61% of people think NATO membership is a good thing for Slovakia. This is a substantial shift of opinions towards NATO compared to surveys predating the Russian aggression in Ukraine. Read more.

NEWS FROM THE BALKANS

PODGORICA

Montenegro expels Russian diplomat. Montenegro’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declared an unnamed diplomat in the Russian embassy in Podgorica as persona non grata and ordered his expulsion from the country. Read more.

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BUCHAREST

Canadian company to invest €400 million in a lithium factory in Romania. RockTech Lithium will sign a memorandum of understanding in Romania to construct a €400 million factory to produce materials for lithium batteries used in electric cars. Read more.

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ZAGREB

Women appear in only 36% of TV features in Croatia. RTL accounts for the largest share of TV features in which women appear (39%), followed by Croatian Television (37%) and Nova TV (33%), and the three stations’ combined average is 36%, according to an analysis whose findings were presented on Saturday at a conference on women in the media sphere. Read more.

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BELGRADE

Vucic to be presidential candidate, again. The ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) has nominated incumbent president Aleksandar Vučić for the presidential elections. Read more.

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SARAJEVO | PARIS

France to conduct fast-jet training flight over BiH. In light of the deteriorating security situation internationally and as a precautionary measure, the commander of the European Union military operation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Althea) has accepted a voluntary national contribution from France to conduct fast-jet training flights over BiH over the coming weeks. Read more.

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SKOPJE

Budget and denar stable, state reserves at highest level. The budget is stable and liquid and in full condition to finance all obligations to support citizens and the economy, Prime Minister Dimitar Kovčcevski said in an interview with Morning Briefing on Slobodna. Read more.

North Macedonia supports Kosovo’s NATO membership bid. North Macedonia supports Kosovo’s bid for NATO membership said Macedonian Speaker of Parliament Talat Xhaferi during a visit to Prishtina on Friday, 4 March. Read more.

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TIRANA

Tirana renames street home to Russian embassy, ‘Free Ukraine Street’. The Albanian government has announced that a road serving the Russian embassy in Tirana will be renamed “Free Ukraine Street” as of Monday after several cities, including Riga and Vilnius, made similar gestures in the last few days. Read more.

AGENDA:

EU: European Parliament plenary session with Commission VP Timmermans participating in a debate on the effects of the war in Ukraine on climate policies and on the European Green Deal / European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen meets Italian PM Mario Draghi
France: Informal meeting of development ministers in Montpellier / European Climate Conference, under auspices of French presidency of the EU / EU culture ministers meet in Angers.
Belgium: Covid health pass and mask mandate in enclosed public spaces dropped.
Netherlands: ICJ holds hearing over Ukraine’s genocide accusations against Russia.
Latvia: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visits Riga, NATO battlegroup.
Poland: Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides visits the border crossing in Medyka.
Romania: Canada’s foreign affairs minister Mélanie Joly visits Romania.