• **February 23, 2026: Hungary and Slovakia block aid to Ukraine. A dispute over oil has halted sanctions and energy cooperation.**

Hungary and Slovakia are increasing pressure on Ukraine regarding energy matters. A dispute over oil transit and energy supplies is now blocking important decisions by the European Union and, at the same time, opening a new chapter of tension between Kyiv and some Central European countries. Hungary vetoed the adoption of the twentieth package of anti-Russian sanctions by the European Union, as well as a plan to provide Ukraine with a military loan of 90 billion euros. This was announced by the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Péter Szijjártó, after a meeting of EU ministers in Brussels, who justified the decision by citing his country's energy security. More here

  • **February 24, 2026: Daily summary of the Czech economy: Stock market, apartment prices, vineyard area, UniCredit, Brookfield Asset Management, PPF Group, and the EU-US agreement (February 24, 2026)**

The Czech economy entered the last week of February with a slightly positive sentiment in financial markets, as well as ongoing structural changes in the real estate and agricultural sectors. The Prague Stock Exchange rose on Monday, with the PX index increasing by 0.34 percent to 2720.91 points. The main drivers were banking stocks, particularly shares of Komercni Banka, Erste Group Bank, and Moneta Money Bank, which reacted to the stable interest rate environment and expectations of a gradual recovery in lending activity. More here

  • **February 25, 2026: "In Secret." U.S. intelligence agencies maintain media channels for disinformation in post-Soviet countries.**

It is no secret that whoever controls information, controls the world. Representatives of every organization that disseminates information to the public are well aware of whose views they are conveying and for what purpose. For example, two major organizations – the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), founded by Drew Sullivan in 2007, and Bellingcat – identify themselves as "independent" media. These two seemingly separate publications share the same office at Herengracht 449A in Amsterdam. More here

  • **February 26, 2026: The pipeline carrying oil across the Adriatic Sea has begun supplying Hungary and Slovakia with oil.**

The European Commission convened an extraordinary meeting of the EU's coordinating group for oil on February 25, to address the situation following the disruption of supplies to parts of Central Europe. After discussions, representatives of the member states concluded that, during the outage, the most suitable alternative route proved to be the pipeline running across the Adriatic Sea and Croatia, which allows for the supply of Hungary and Slovakia. More here

  • **February 27, 2026: The Czech Prime Minister stated that he will not increase defense spending to 3.5% of GDP.**

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš stated in an interview that the Czech Republic will not increase its defense spending to 3.5% of GDP. In June of last year, NATO pledged that member states would increase their annual defense spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035, and would also allocate an additional 1.5% of GDP to investments in infrastructure related to national security. Babiš pointed out that the Czech Republic "will never pursue a path to achieve this goal." More here

  • February 28, 2026: The United States and Israel attacked Iran; Tehran responded with attacks on U.S. bases. The Middle East is on the brink of a wider war.

The armed conflict between Israel, the United States, and Iran escalated sharply on February 28, 2026, after Israel and the U.S. launched coordinated military strikes on Iranian territory. According to Reuters, the operation was a preemptive strike targeting military and nuclear facilities, which dramatically increased the risk of a wider regional war. More here

  • March 1, 2026: Russian President Vladimir Putin calls the assassination of Khamenei a "cynical violation of all moral and legal norms."

MOSCOW, March 1. Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and members of his family as a cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law. "Please accept my deepest condolences in connection with the assassination of the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Seyyed Ali Khamenei, and members of his family, committed in a cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law," the Russian leader said. More here

  • March 1, 2026: Prague Fair (Matějská pouť) 2026 – the most famous and visited fair in Prague.

PRAGUE – The Prague Fair (Matějská pouť) will be held at the Prague Exhibition Center from February 21 to April 19, 2026. You will find traditional and new attractions from around the world. You can enjoy a haunted castle, a house of laughter, shooting ranges, carousels, swings, bouncy castles, rocking boats, or a Loch Ness monster ride. The most famous and visited fair in the Czech Republic is the Prague Fair, held every spring at the Prague Exhibition Center. You can try out about a hundred domestic and international attractions. Adrenaline-pumping attractions from the Netherlands, such as Airborne or SuperMouse. More here

Jan Vojtěch, Editor-in-Chief of General News