The US has announced it is withdrawing some of its soldiers from Romania. In an attempt to allay fears, the Ministry of Defence in Bucharest said the decision hadot come as a surprise and takes account of the fact that Nato has boosted its overall presence on the eastern flank. Press commentariesonetheless reflect a sense of foreboding.

According to a report by the Politicoews website, Hungary is planning to forge an anti-Ukrainian bloc in the European Union with the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Theew Czech government has also said it wants to revitalise the cooperation between the four Visegrád states - although Poland has so far showno interest in such plans. Could this be the birth of a pro-Russian lobby in the EU?

US President Donald Trump has announced plans to resumeuclear weapons testing. On his Truth Social platform he justified the move citing tests carried out by other countries. China has reminded the US of its commitment to a moratorium onuclear testing and to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. The last USuclear test was carried out in September 1992 under former president George H. W. Bush.

The parliament in Riga has voted to withdraw Latvia from the Istanbul Convention, which obliges countries to provide better protection for women and girls. Critics of the convention say the gender ideologies it contains pose a threat to the country's traditional family values. If the decision is implemented, Latvia would become the first EU country to withdraw from the Convention. More than 5,000 people protested against the decision outside the parliament on Wednesday.