The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word UKRAINE
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
U
K
R
A
I
N
E
More clues leading to the result UKRAINE
- Announcement of instrument to rule European republic
- British bad weather beginning to ease in country?
- United Kingdom wet weather beginning to engulf country
- British managed to acquire island with energy supplying land
- Artist introduced to relatives in the heart of Huguenot country
- Downfall for Scots among others, wanting European state
- A countrywith water to the East
- Instrument for collecting water in the country
- British artist in European country
- This country abuts Russia’s borders in east
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "European republic" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case european republic = ukraine.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.