Euobserver.com

Last week, Tomas lived in Brussels with a white-collar office job. Today, Tomas is in the international brigades, comprised of foreign fighters from all over the world, patrolling Ukrainian streets against Russian incursions, on Europe's new frontline.

"We must ban the sale of EU passports and stop the flow of Russia's dirty money into the EU," said centre-right Slovak MEP Vladimir Bilčík.

Talk of an embargo without real action only helps to generate bumper revenues from skyrocketing energy prices to Moscow's benefit. But Germany's chancellor Scholz is skeptical.

In a policy reversal, Hungary will allow Nato troops to be deployed in western Hungary, and shipments of weapons to cross its territory to other Nato members, according to a decree signed by prime minister Viktor Orbán on Monday. But Hungary still won't be allowing the transfer of lethal weapons direct to Ukraine.

The four prime ministers of the central European Visegrad Group — a loose alliance of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia — will meet in London on Tuesday, ahead of a summit of European Union leaders on Thursday and Friday in Paris, said Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán. "We will try to stop the war and open talks that could lead to peace," Orbán wrote on Facebook.

The doublespeak by the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriach Kirill, on "the events taking place" is not just reprehensible – it could amount to an international crime.

Reports that the largest nuclear power plant in Europe is under Russian control were a source of "grave concern," Rafael Mariano Grossi, the chief of UN atomic watchdog, said Sunday. The plant, Zaporizhzhya, in eastern Ukraine, was hit by a Russian projectile last week. Ukrainian regulators say radiation levels are normal at Zaporizhzhya but they remain concerned by restrictions on communication with the plant since it fell under Russian control.

Denmark is to hold a referendum 1 June on whether to do away with its opt-out from EU defence policy, in a move backed by the prime minister Mette Frederiksen and key political parties. Copenhagen also plans to raise defence spending to 2 percent of GDP, the government said Sunday evening.

More than 100,000 refugees a day are arriving in Poland from Ukraine, as Western powers look to step up arms deliveries and impose a Russian oil ban.

Four far-right French MEPs have been barred from official election-monitoring missions after they took part in trips to Russia in the run-up to its invasion of Ukraine.

A new round of Russia sanctions affecting ports, oligarchs' families and trust funds is foreseen for early next week.

In the short term, limiting RT and Sputnik's ability to spread disinformation about the appalling human cost of the war in Ukraine may appear a timely and proportionate response. In the long run, questions remain over their wisdom and effectiveness.

The war on Ukraine will dominate the European Parliament's plenary meeting in Strasbourg too. Estonian prime minister Kaja Kallas will discuss Europe's new security reality with MEPs.

Two citizens' initiatives were presented to the parliament in Helsinki this week, one demanding Nato membership and one demanding a referendum on Nato membership. Both gathered the needed 50,000 signatures in a matter of days.

EU justice ministers decided to cut judicial cooperation with Belarus and Russia in areas dealing with crime and extradition, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. "Criminal cooperation, as you know, requires trust and, of course, the respect of international law," said French justice minister Eric Dupond-Moretti, speaking on behalf of the EU presidency. Requests for cooperation will instead be dealt with in a case by case basis, said Dupond-Moretti.

Right of Reply: Viktor Orban's office reponds to EUobserver

The goal of the meeting, said the UN atomic chief, would be to seek agreements among the combatants to ensure nuclear safety is not compromised again as a result of the military conflict.

Seven volunteers from Belgium were travelling to Ukraine as Russian forces began to encircle and bombard Ukrainian cities in the north, south and east of the country.

The European Union is expected to redouble efforts on a key home front — by coming forward with a raft of proposals next week aimed at further diversifying energy supplies.

Short-term residents in Ukraine, such as foreign students won't be given the same rights and protections in the EU as Ukrainian refugees.