Russia’s use of cryptocurrencies to circumvent sanctions

After the outbreak of a full-scale war in Ukraine in 2022, Russia faced unprecedented sanctions pressure. Restrictions have affected key areas of the Russian economy such as the international financial sector, oil and gas exports, and access to global capital markets. Under these conditions, Moscow began to look for new...

Silent war of the Russian secret services in Europe

The last four years have been marked by a significant increase in the activities of Russian intelligence services throughout Europe. The entire spectrum of hybrid operations is recorded, ranging from agent recruitment to critical infrastructure sabotage and cyber attack. These processes became especially noticeable after 2022, when the full-scale invasion...

Cyprus faces €67 million EU back as LNG terminal

The dispute traces back to contract awarded in 2019 to a Chinese-led consortium reportedly plagued by corruption. Brussels has sent a stark warning to Nicosia, demanding the repayment of €67 million in EU funding linked to the unfinished liquefied natural gas (LNG) regasification terminal at Vasilikos. The debit note, delivered...

Migration as a weapon. Russian influence on crises in Europe

In today’s world, the migration crisis has become an acute challenge due to the dramatic increase in refugees and illegal migrants, demanding comprehensive solutions from the international community. Migration can be triggered by economic factors, wars, natural disasters, and increasingly by environmental change. Traditionally, migration was seen as a humanitarian...

Shadow of the drones over Europe. How war in Ukraine and Russian drones rewrite the EU priorities

Three years into Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, Europe faces an entirely new security reality. The war itself, Russia’s increasingly regular strikes on border regions of Eastern European countries, and the repeated incursions of drones into EU airspace have made defense and security the number-one priority. What used to be...