Amid the ongoing deadlock in peace negotiations between Russia, Ukraine, and the United States, Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump held a telephone conversation on April 29, initiated by the Russian side. According to Russian presidential adviser Yuri Ushakov, Vladimir Putin presented proposals regarding the Iranian nuclear dossier and expressed his willingness to establish a temporary ceasefire on the Ukrainian front around May 9, coinciding with Victory Day celebrations in Moscow. The same source indicated that both leaders shared the assessment that Ukraine, with the support of its European partners, is deliberately seeking to prolong hostilities.
During April, Ukraine significantly intensified its drone strike campaign against Russian territory, primarily targeting port and oil infrastructure. These actions generated substantial economic losses and constrained Moscow’s ability to fully capitalize on rising global oil prices driven by tensions in the Middle East. Nevertheless, Russia managed to partially offset these pressures by strengthening its strategic partnership with China, with crude oil exports to the country increasing by approximately 31% in the first quarter of the year.
European partners reaffirmed their support for Ukraine in April, when the European Union approved a new €90 billion loan mechanism for Ukraine and adopted its 20th package of sanctions against Russia. The new measures directly target Russia’s defense, energy, and financial sectors, in an effort to intensify economic pressure on the Russian Federation.
Relations between the Republic of Moldova and the Russian Federation have been marked by heightened tensions in the security domain. Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu intensified rhetoric regarding Transnistria, warning of a possible Russian intervention to protect Russian citizens in the event of perceived threats. These statements followed the failure of the “1+1” negotiation round in Tiraspol and Chisinau’s decision to declare the leadership of the Operational Group of Russian Forces (OGRF) persona non grata.
In the Western Balkans, April was characterized by increased political volatility. Institutional deadlock in Kosovo triggered early elections, while Serbia continued its military modernization efforts. At the same time, Hungary experienced a significant electoral shift following parliamentary elections, resulting in a pro-European-oriented legislature. Against this backdrop, Bulgaria saw a relative consolidation of political stability, in contrast to Romania, where executive fragility and the fragmentation of the domestic political landscape culminated in the initiation of a no-confidence motion against the government formed the previous year, highlighting a period of profound governmental uncertainty.