Samia woos Russia as Europe blocks funding

The European Parliament voted to block €150 million ($174 million) in funding to Tanzania over concerns about the controversial October 29, 2025 election and its bloody aftermath. The decision comes as President Samia Suluhu Hassan embarked on a three-day state visit to Moscow to strengthen bilateral ties. EU lawmakers cited democratic backsliding, imprisonment of opposition leaders such as Tundu Lissu, and Tanzania's refusal to allow an EU fact-finding mission into the country.