Trump slashes Russian oil sanctions, Ukraine sends drone experts to Middle East, and Hungary takes Ukrainian bank convoy hostage
March 6-11, 2026 in Eastern Europe
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Sending this week’s news roundup a little later than usual since last week’s came out late in the week. Thanks for waiting!
What you need to know:
This roundup combines last week’s top news with important underreported stories
Last week at a glance:
Trump will ease sanctions against Russian oil to reduce blowback from the Iran War on markets, showing the US is willing to sacrifice its goals in Ukraine for its Iran war aims.
Ukraine sent drone teams to secure US bases in Jordan after Trump previously refused to buy its drone tech, underscoring Kyiv’s desire to present itself as a loyal American partner.
Hungary seized a Ukrainian bank convoy apparently to blackmail Kyiv over access to a key oil pipeline, setting up yet another showdown between Orbán, the EU, and Zelensky.
Poland’s main Right-wing opposition party chose a Catholic nationalist as its candidate for PM, setting the stage for a potential far-Right coalition government in 2027.
The EU ended visa-free travel for Georgian diplomats as the country’s ruling party mulled banning a swathe of opposition parties, pushing Georgian democracy to the brink.
In-depth coverage:
1. Trump promised to reduce oil sanctions against Russia to ease market pressure amid Iran War as Ukraine peace talks are put on hold
All it took was one phone call to Putin, and Trump’s entire pressure campaign against Russia seems to be falling apart.
After speaking with Putin for the first time since the start of the Iran War, Trump stated he would be easing certain sanctions on “some countries” related to Russian oil, having already given India a 30-day waiver to buy Moscow’s oil.
Trump and Putin reportedly discussed the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine, as well as Venezuela during the call.
Responding to new reports from US agencies that Russia was providing Iran with intelligence on the location of US troops in the Middle East, Trump’s Putin-friendly special envoy Steve Witkoff said the Russia had denied the claims in conversations with the US, and that he takes them “at their word.”
Last week, Trump also once again claimed that Putin is “ready to make a deal,” whereas Zelensky must “get on the ball.”
Zelensky also confirmed speculation that the Ukraine-Russia talks would be postponed due to the Iran War, stating that they are on hold at America’s request.
Why it matters: By easing sanctions on Russian oil, Trump is shooting US policy on Ukraine in the foot, but by extension showing where America’s true priorities lie.
Declaring “mission accomplished” in Iran is far more important for Trump than defending Ukraine from Russia, and he is willing to undercut the pressure campaign against Russian energy to achieve that goal.
What Trump fails to realize of course is that by easing pressure on Russia, he is making it easier for Moscow to supply Iran with both information on US troops and military hardware.
Zelensky claimed recently that his intelligence reports have shown that Iranian drones being used in the war in the Middle East have contained Russian-made components, and a new report claims Russia is also advising Iran on drone tactics
The fact that this move took place right after Trump’s call with Putin once again raises questions about Moscow’s influence within Trump’s inner circle.
Witkoff’s comments about Russian reliability at this stage suggest not just naiveté, but willfully turning a blind eye to Putin’s double-dealing with the US.
In the Trump administration’s calculus, Russia’s limited capability to support Iran is unlikely to be decisive in the war, and thus is tolerable in light of Trump’s broader goal of rubber-stamping a quick and dirty end to the War in Ukraine and opening up post-war trade with Putin in minerals, energy, and beyond.
2. Ukraine deployed drone operators to US bases in Jordan as reports showed that the US had rejected Ukrainian drone offers last year
As predicted, Ukraine has deployed drone interceptors and drone experts to secure American bases in Jordan from Iranian strikes.
However, this comes as Zelensky has warned that the focus on the Iran War may make it difficult for Ukraine to secure air defense munitions in the near future.
The war in the Middle East has already nearly depleted the interceptor munition stocks of one US Gulf ally, and questions remain about whether the US has enough of its own stocks to wage a war that could last for months.
At the same time however, an Axios report has claimed that Ukraine offered to sell the US drone technology and to build drone combat hubs near US military bases in the Middle East to counter evolving Iranian drone technology as far back as August, 2025, but the Trump administration apparently rebuffed the offer.
Officials quoted in the report called the refusal the administration’s greatest mistake in the lead-up to the Iran War.
Why it matters: Ukraine clearly hopes that, in light of America’s shift in focus from Eastern Europe to the Middle East and growing competition for access to air defense munitions, its eagerness to help the US in the Iran War may gain it favor with the Trump administration in months to come.
But as the revelations about its refusal of Ukraine’s drone offer last year show, the Trump administration is only willing to utilize Kyiv’s help when it suits own interests — and as states the world over have learned, loyalty is not a word that appears in Trump’s vocabulary.
Yet the depletion of Western munitions stocks concerns states across Eastern Europe, not just Ukraine, and adds further incentives for Europe to fast track its own ammunition production capabilities.
3. Hungary seized a Ukrainian bank convoy to use as blackmail against Kyiv and the EU over access to Russian oil
After promising to use “force” against Ukraine to reopen the Druzhba pipeline, Hungary’s Viktor Orbán made good on his threats and seized a bank convoy traveling from Ukraine to Austria via Hungary and detained seven of its employees.
The convoy was carrying $40 million, 35 million euros, and 9 kg of gold, and while the employees were released from custody, Hungary has kept the cash.
Orbán’s party, Fidesz, subsequently introduced a bill to legalize the seizure as part of a national security investigation.
Ukraine has called the move an act of “state terrorism,” and has called on the EU to help it retrieve the funds.
The Druzhba pipeline, which runs through Ukraine, had been closed after being damaged in a drone strike, and Kyiv has refused to reopen it despite Orbán’s demands.
Hungary on Wednesday sent a fact-finding mission to Ukraine related to the pipeline, although Ukraine denied that it has any official legitimacy.
This comes as Hungary also passed a resolution opposing Ukraine’s EU membership bid, and as Putin gave his blessing to a Russian-directed plan to spread propaganda favoring Orbán in the upcoming Hungarian elections, which Orbán is likely to lose.
Why it matters: The seizure is only the latest in a long string of abuses Orbán has levied against Ukraine, but is his most direct action against Ukrainian assets so far.
Although it is unlikely that his blackmail tactic to force Ukraine to capitulate on the Druzhba pipeline will work, it could set up a very real showdown between Brussels and Budapest that may test the EU’s abilities to settle rule of law incidents between the bloc’s states and non-members.
As Orbán’s electoral prospects continue to falter, he and his party are growing increasingly desperate to not only whip up their base ahead of the vote, but also to set the stage for claims that the election was stolen from Fidesz if it loses.
Orbán is trying to paint himself as a fighter who is securing Hungary’s national security interests against a hostile Ukraine, all while of course relying on Russia to strengthen his campaign.
4. Poland’s populist opposition party selects a Right-wing candidate for prime minister, marking its shift toward the far-Right
Poland’s main populist conservative opposition party, the Law and Justice Party (PiS), has named Przemysław Czarnek to be its candidate for prime minister ahead of parliamentary elections in 2027.
Czarnek previously served as the education minister in the PiS government that lost power in 2023, gaining notoriety for advocating for hardline anti-LGBT policies and for strengthening Catholic teaching in schools.
The move comes as Poland’s premier far-Right provocateur, pro-Russian antisemite Grzegorz Braun, sparked new controversy by visiting Iran’s embassy in Warsaw to sign a book of condolences for deceased Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, after his party surged in recent polls.
Why it matters: Having been losing supporters since 2023, PiS’s selection of Czarnek over the comparatively more moderate former PM Mateusz Morawiecki signals that the party’s solution going into 2027 will be to move radically rightward, pulling the national political debate with them.
Braun’s party has recently even overtaken PiS’s other Right-wing rival, Confederation, in one poll, coming in at over 11% support, despite still lagging far behind PiS and the ruling centrist coalition.
Despite choosing to move closer to Braun and Confederation, PiS leaders have ruled out forming a coalition with Braun’s party if they don’t win a majority in 2027, which is likely — but looking at the math, they may have no choice.
What this all means is that, come 2027, it is quite likely that Poland will find itself with an even more Right-wing government than it had previously. And with the PiS-aligned Nawrocki in charge and the populist Right surging across Europe, this new coalition will have much more leverage to make an impact than PiS did before 2023.
5. Georgia’s authoritarian ruling party considers expanding its ban on opposition parties after the rise of a new political alliance
After nine opposition parties formed an alliance to oppose the pro-Russian, authoritarian Georgian Dream party, Georgian PM Irakli Kobakhidze suggested a wholesale ban on the parties in the new bloc, extending a previous one.
Georgian Dream, which has ruled Georgia as a de facto one-party state since its disputed win in the 2024 elections, had previously moved to ban the United National Movement (UNM), historically the largest opposition party in Georgia, but has long termed the majority of opposition parties as the “collective UNM.”
Georgian Dream has been cracking down on Georgia’s opposition, democratic institutions, and popular protests since 2024, leading to condemnations from the EU.
Georgian Dream officially halted Georgia’s EU membership bid in 2024.
The bloc last week ended visa-free travel for Georgian diplomats.
Why it matters: Banning the parties in this alliance, which includes the UNM, would effectively amount to eliminating nearly all of Georgia’s opposition parties from the political landscape, cementing Georgian Dream’s dominance in the country.
This move would truly be the final blow to Georgia’s democracy, and would dash any hopes of near-term democratic reform in Georgia.
Although the EU has done little to punish the Georgian Dream regime, banning the remaining political opposition would likely amount to a point of no return for the party, potentially forcing the EU’s hand to take more serious action.
Other news to watch:
Bulgaria Fears Iran Could Strike It With Ballistic Missiles, but Greece’s Patriots Won’t Be Enough to Cover Entire Country (Defense Express)
Poland to build EU’s first anti-drone shield (Financial Times)
Lithuania Charges Five Over Plot to Place Explosives on Planes (Bloomberg)
Hungary will set a price cap on gasoline and diesel, Orbán says (Associated Press)
Russia Turns to Spy Balloons to Monitor Estonia’s Energy Infrastructure Near NATO Border (United24)
Iran’s MEK plots a US-backed path to power from exile in Albania (Middle East Eye)
Serbia suspends energy exports to shield market as crude prices surge on Iran war (Reuters)
‘A stage for whitewashing war crimes’: Venice Biennale urged to exclude Russia (The Guardian)