Europe is building a new security architecture without the U.S.
Two major developments signal Europe’s shift toward strategic autonomy: a landmark Franco-British nuclear cooperation deal and the creation of a multinational headquarters for a 32-country coalition backing Ukraine. Both steps show Europe moving away from dependence on U.S. leadership and building its own defense structures. The first breakthrough came when…
China deploys former dissidents as spies to infiltrate overseas activist groups, as authorities struggle to maintain control
Alleged Chinese Spy in Germany Raised Suspicions Among Tibetan and Pro-Democracy Activists In 2017, Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, speaker of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile, met with pro-democracy activists in Dharamshala, India, to discuss China’s repressive policies against Tibetans. Among those present was a German citizen of Chinese origin, Guo, then 36, who…
The Energy Weapon
Moscow has used its control over Europe’s energy supplies as a tool of political leverage. The familiar image is crude but effective: if a government dares to defy Russian foreign policy, the gas is turned off in the dead of winter, as happened in Ukraine. Yet this picture is misleading….
Risk of growing corruption within the EU
A report from researchers at the University of Gothenburg, among other places, identifies six high-risk areas where corruption threatens to have far-reaching and system-threatening consequences within the EU. One of these areas is the public procurement sector, which accounts for 14 percent of the EU’s GDP. According to the European…
Russia’s energy leverage in Europe: interdependence, control, and Influence
Russia’s Energy Leverage in Europe: Interdependence, Control, and Influence Russia and Europe remain deeply intertwined in the energy sphere. In 2016, Russia supplied over 70 percent of natural gas and one-third of crude oil consumed by OECD countries, accounting for roughly 75 percent of Russia’s gas exports and 60 percent…