By Denis Cenusa in Berlin After six months under a Russian-aligned Hungarian presidency of the EU Council, the leadership has now passed to Poland, a strong critic of Russia’s disruptive influence in Europe.

Russia's Foreign Ministry blamed the U.S. for the decision, saying it will impact "the standard of living of European citizens."

Moscow has sharply reacted after several Russian state media channels were reportedly blocked for EU users on Telegram.

DW looks at how EU, US and NATO relations with Putin's Russia have evolved.In August 1999, Vladimir Putin was appointed the prime minister of the Russian Federation. When he took office, Putin declared that Russia was,

“In battles yesterday and today near just one village, Makhnovka, the Russian army lost up to a battalion of North Korean infantry soldiers and Russian paratroops,” Mr Zelensky said in his nightly address yesterday, calling the losses “significant.”

Investigators have discovered anchor drag marks along the seabed allegedly caused by the Russian ship’s antics.

Twenty percent or 448.5 Bcf of natural gas imported into the EU in the third quarter came from Russia, up two percentage points from the previous quarter and five percentage points against the third quarter of 2023.

Ukraine hailed the end of the gas transit deal amid Russia's invasion. But Russia said European living standards will suffer.

Finnish officials say Russia's "shadow fleet" is sabotaging vital undersa internet cables.

Even while at war, Ukraine piped Russian gas to Europe. Moscow earned an estimated $5 billion in 2024, while Ukraine raked in up to $1 billion in fees.

The declaration comes after President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed during a press conference on Dec. 19 that Ukraine would not extend the transit agreement for Russian gas through its territory, which is set to expire on Dec.

Poland launched its presidency of the Council of the European Union on Friday mired in a diplomatic row with Hungary that underscored a deepening sense of political disunity across Europe just as it confronts a raft of major global challenges.