Re-upping our QuickTake: A closer look at what is behind Russia's decision to invade Ukraine https://t.co/nCqnYyhF80 via @bpolitics @bbgoriginals @patrickjdo @DarynaKrasno

Exclusive: European officials are growing concerned that an emerging US-brokered peace deal in Ukraine could be exploited by Russia, paving the way for a re-invasion of territory in the eastern Donbas region. ⁦@alexwickham⁩ ⁦@AlbertoNardelli⁩

Vilnius is the only European capital that allows hot-air balloons to float over the city center, making them a signature of the skyline in the summer months. But a recent surge in incursions is far more sinister https://t.co/hao8ofA8Uj @mseputyte

Exclusive: Viktor Orban is toying with the idea of assuming the presidency and rewriting laws to make it into the most powerful office in the country https://t.co/KxQEjIcwIO @ZoltanSimon10

Exclusive: Zelenskiy says negotiators discussing a US-brokered peace initiative remain divided over territory

Exclusive: US envoy Steve Witkoff, fresh from the triumph of the Gaza peace deal, held a phone call last month with a senior Kremlin official to suggest they work together on a similar plan for Ukraine — and that Putin should raise it with Trump.

Belarus’s leader released additional political prisoners and said he’ll seek a fresh round of talks with US officials in the latest signal that his Russian-aligned regime is making overtures to the West

Exclusive: Zelenskiy implored EU allies to overcome their divisions on using frozen Russian assets, saying fresh funding is critical for Ukraine’s war-battered economy. “I hope, God bless, we will get this decision,” Zelenskiy told Bloomberg in Kyiv. Otherwise, “We will have to

Live from Prague: Billionaire Andrej Babis set about forging a new Czech government hours after scoring his best-ever election victory, with his return to power poised to bolster the ascendant ranks of populist leaders in the European Union https://t.co/oEe5UWv9gW @AndreaDudik

Czechs going to vote: Andrej Babis heads into this weekend’s election with promises to grow the economy more quickly and reverse some austerity. https://t.co/GxPm5DsB57 @AndreaDudik

Excellent read: Latvia's border with Russia is becoming increasingly militarized and feels dangerously close to being on a war footing https://t.co/3NUN8bt6Wj @aaroneglitis

Exclusive: “Russia is testing the EU and NATO” Vladimir Putin is broadening his effort to destabilize the West, forcing European leaders to reassess the scale of the threat and rush in new defenses ⁦@KirsiHeikel⁩ ⁦@patrickjdo⁩

Exclusive: European diplomats warned the Kremlin this week that NATO is ready to respond to further violations of its airspace with full force, including by shooting down Russian planes ⁦@patrickjdo⁩ ⁦@AfPalasciano⁩ ⁦@alexwickham⁩

Exclusive: Russia's planned disruption tactics include recruitment of Moldovan voters abroad, organizing of protests and a disinformation campaign, according to documents seen by Bloomberg https://t.co/JSGtE0Ue6f @AlbertoNardelli

Russian forces struggling to gain ground in Ukraine are sending troops and supplies through idle gas pipelines in order to evade deadly drone strikes

Russian military drills are compounding anxiety among NATO members after attack drones breached Polish territory this week https://t.co/HeEDsDTR24 @mseputyte @aaroneg @mmartewicz

Exclusive: Slovenia’s top diplomat warned the EU risked projecting a double standard if it failed to take Israel to task for the bloodshed in Gaza even as it moves ahead with additional sanctions against Russia. ⁦@JanHanDun⁩ ⁦@patrickjdo⁩

A good read: Taps running dry and water rationing are part of life in Bulgaria — and a cautionary tale for the rest of Europe https://t.co/5pzFMfvWqt @irinavilcu @GoodOldSlav

Exclusive: the Czech Republic must drop its penchant for “fiscal self-flagellation” in favor of investing in economic growth, according to a senior official from an opposition party poised to sweep to victory in October elections https://t.co/OWigdtdRj4

Exclusive: US and European officials will begin work immediately on a plan to provide Ukraine with robust security guarantees, sources say https://t.co/kNmDkNEEoK @AlbertoNardelli @alexwickham @ellenamilligan

Exclusive: Washington and Moscow are aiming to reach a deal to halt the war in Ukraine that would lock in Russia’s occupation of territory seized during its military invasion, according to people familiar with the matter.