Patrick Donahue

The Filmmaker Who Trains Her Lens on American Power Laura Poitras talks about the BAFTA-nominated documentary that took her decades to make, Snowden’s secrets, and life on a US terror watchlist.

“You don’t get a letter that you’re on a terrorist watch list.” Filmmaker Laura Poitras talks about her new Netflix documentary, Snowden’s secrets and life under surveillance
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Slovak Leader Makes Overtures to EU as Trump Sentiment Sours Slovak leader Robert Fico, whose allegiance with Donald Trump and running battles with European Union institutions have defined his premiership, is offering an olive branch to EU partners.

Slovakia's Fico is offering an olive branch to EU partners amid speculation that his Trump allegiance has taken a turn...
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Russia’s War Death Tally Spurs European Scrutiny on Recruitment The number of Russian soldiers killed in action in the war on Ukraine has jumped in recent weeks, a dynamic that — if sustained — could make it hard for the Kremlin to replace troops without some form...

The number of Russian soldiers killed in action in the war on Ukraine has jumped in recent weeks, a dynamic that — if sustained — could make it hard for the Kremlin to replace troops without some form of mobilization, according to European estimates.

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Defense Sector to Become ‘Pillar’ of Auto-Heavy Czech Economy The Czech Republic’s new government will seek to transform the defense industry into an engine of the nation’s export economy as the flagship auto sector faces stiffening competition, a senior cabinet...

Exclusive: new Czech government will seek to transform the defense industry into an engine of the nation’s export economy, deputy PM tells us
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How Orban Went From Invincible to Underdog in Hungary Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban spent the past 16 years perfecting what he called an “illiberal laboratory” in the European Union member state, holding it up as an election-proof model for natio...

An excellent rundown of Orban's position ahead of the big Hungarian election in April: The “illiberal” stronghold is under threat after a rival party shot ahead in polls ahead of the vote. Is the end of Orbanism nigh?
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Trump’s NATO Deal Would Mean US Mines and Missiles in Greenland The deal that persuaded President Donald Trump to defuse an escalating crisis over Greenland paves the way for NATO to beef up security in the Arctic region and fend off any threat from Russia or Chin...

Exclusive: The deal that persuaded Trump to defuse Greenland crisis paves the way for NATO to beef up security in the Arctic region and fend off any threat from Russia or China
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Europe Sees a Trojan Horse for Russia in Trump’s Ukraine Plan 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 war-battered nation’s eas...

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.

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Putin Ally Shuts Down Lithuanian Flights With Balloon Incursions 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.

Hybrid war: 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 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

President Orban? Hungary’s Leader Plots Post-Election Future Trailing in the polls, the EU’s longest-serving leader and nationalist firebrand is considering how to stick around.

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
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Zelenskiy Says No Accord So Far on Eastern Ukraine in US Talks Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said negotiators discussing a US-brokered peace initiative remain divided over territory as President Donald Trump expressed disappointment in Kyiv’s handling o...

Exclusive: Zelenskiy says negotiators discussing a US-brokered peace initiative remain divided over territory
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Witkoff Advised Russia on How to Pitch Ukraine Plan to Trump US presidential 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 Ukra...

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.

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Belarus Seeks New US Talks as It Signals Softening Stance on EU 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 We...

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
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Zelenskiy Says Ukraine’s Survival Rests on New Funds From Allies Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy implored European Union allies to overcome their divisions on the use of frozen Russian assets, saying fresh funding is critical for his war-battered economy to...

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.
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Czech Billionaire’s Comeback a Boon to Europe’s Populist Right 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...

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 EU www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Czech Billionaire Channels Trump in Bid to Retake Power Andrej Babis heads into this weekend’s election with promises to grow the economy more quickly and reverse some austerity.

Czechs going to vote: Andrej Babis heads into this weekend’s election with promises to grow the economy more quickly and reverse some austerity.
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Gray Zone Between War and Peace on Latvia’s Border With Russia In 2021, there were sometimes four flights a week from Baghdad to Minsk. In Daugavpils, in southeastern Latvia, authorities knew the schedule. “We know the time it takes to drive,” Lt. Col. Vadims Gri...

Excellent read: Latvia's border with Russia is becoming increasingly militarized and feels dangerously close to being on a war footing
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Putin Is Ramping Up His Hybrid Campaign Against Europe Russian President 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.

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

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Europeans Privately Tell Russia They’re Ready to Shoot Down Jets 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, according to officials f...

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

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Russia Sends Troops Through Idle Gas Pipes to Evade Drone Threat Russian forces struggling to gain ground in Ukraine are sending troops and supplies through empty gas pipelines in order to evade deadly drone strikes.

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

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Russian Wargames Feed NATO Anxiety After Poland Drone Incursion Russia led a mobilization of some 200,000 troops four years ago as part of wargames with its ally Belarus. Months later, President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to invade Ukraine.

Russian military drills are compounding anxiety among NATO members after attack drones breached Polish territory this week
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Slovenia Urges EU to Address Uneven Response to Israel, Russia Slovenia’s top diplomat warned the European Union risked projecting a double standard if it failed to take Israel to task for the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip even as it moves ahead with additional san...

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.

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A Water Crisis in Bulgaria Is a Warning for Europe Taps running dry are part of life in Bulgaria — and a cautionary tale for the rest of Europe grappling with climate change.

A good read: Taps running dry and water rationing are part of life in Bulgaria — and a cautionary tale for the rest of Europe...
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Czech Opposition Party Pledges to End Austerity If Wins Election 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...

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
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US and Europe to Work Immediately on Ukraine Security Guarantees US and European officials started work on bolstering Ukraine’s military, part of a package of security guarantees that will open a path to a landmark meeting between presidents Vladimir Putin and Volo...

Exclusive: US and European officials will begin work immediately on a plan to provide Ukraine with robust security guarantees, sources say

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US and Russia Plan Truce Deal to Cement Putin’s Gains in Ukraine 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 t...

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.

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Croatia’s Fascist Past Resurfaces With Far-Right Rock Star The revival of Nazi-era symbolism is dominating the summer tourist season, and some politicians are embracing it.

In Croatia: a surge in the popularity of a far-right singer once banned in some places has seen the revival of Nazi-era slogans and symbols. Rather than condemn it, some senior politicians are embracing it.

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Ukraine’s Anti-Graft Forces Still Feel Pressure From Zelenskiy Ukraine’s anti-corruption officials fear that pressure will remain from President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s administration even after he backed down over a measure to strip anti-graft agencies of their in...

Exclusive: Ukraine’s anti-corruption officials fear that pressure will remain from President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s administration even after he backed down over a measure to strip anti-graft agencies of their independence.

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Zelenskiy Is Risking Ukraine’s EU Bid With Move on Graft Office President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s abrupt decision to hobble anti-corruption authorities in Kyiv blindsided Ukraine’s allies and may have inflicted lasting damage to its ambition to join the European Uni...

Ukraine: Zelenskiy’s abrupt decision to hobble anti-corruption authorities in Kyiv blindsided the country’s allies and may have inflicted lasting damage to its ambition to join the EU

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Ukraine Lawmakers Back Bill Weakening Anti-Corruption Agencies Ukrainian lawmakers approved legislation that would strip the nation’s anti-corruption agencies of their independence and potentially cripple efforts to tackle high-level graft.

“Anti-corruption infrastructure has been destroyed”: Ukrainian lawmakers approved legislation that would strip the nation’s anti-graft agencies of their independence and potentially cripple efforts to tackle high-level corruption

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Stalin Makes a Comeback in Putin’s Wartime Crackdown on Dissent At Moscow’s central Taganskaya metro station, commuters stream past a newly-restored monument to a former ruler whose reputation is undergoing a dramatic revision in Russia: Joseph Stalin.

Joseph Stalin's cult of personality was dismantled by Soviet leaders in the 1960s — but thanks to Putin, his reputation is undergoing a dramatic revision

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