It has become almost axiomatic: behind every major corruption scandal in Europe, one inevitably finds a Russian trail. Moscow skillfully identifies unscrupulous players, offers them the chance to enrich themselves, and gradually ensnares them in a web of tainted money—erasing whatever moral compass they once had. In the process, funds...
China and Russia are holding Serbia back on the way to the EU
The Republic of Serbia has held the status of an EU candidate country since 2012 and has been in membership negotiations since 2014, but the process remains far from completion. Meanwhile, authoritarian powers such as China and Russia are by no means “sitting idly by.” Both autocracies, each in their...
The Magnitsky case: echoes in Dubai
The city of Dubai (UAE) is not only located at the crossroads of trade routes and serves as a global financial center. For quite some time now, Dubai has also become a specific place of concentration for individuals from around the world accused of crime and corruption. Dubai enjoys a...
Swedden reacts sluggishly to damage to its infrastructure
On July 19, 2023, the Defense Committee of the Parliament of the Kingdom of Sweden presented a new national security policy report entitled “Serious Times.”The report provided an overview of threats, critical situations, and conclusions regarding Sweden’s course toward strengthening the country’s defense capabilities. Among other things, the authors of...
European yellow card: Brussels warns Fico’s Government
In July 2025, the European Commission published another report on the state of the rule of law, which this time brought Slovakia to the center of European discussions. The document turned out to be sharp and unambiguous: Brussels recorded a setback that touches the very essence of democracy - the...
Democratic regression: a new wave of protests in the Balkans
Unrest Across Central and Southeastern Europe Signals a Deepening Crisis of Democracy. Protests that erupted across Serbia, Slovakia, Greece, North Macedonia and Hungary in late 2024—and in some cases continue to this day—have become a stark indicator of long-simmering and unresolved social and economic tensions. More than isolated outbursts, these...
Independent media in Eastern Europe without USAID funding
The freeze in U.S. foreign assistance — including key support for independent journalism via USAID — has dealt Eastern Europe not only a financial but also a political shock. Within weeks, newsrooms that for years investigated corruption, government procurement, and abuse of power found themselves on the brink of project...
Europe’s industrial pivot: an arms boom fueled by the war in Ukraine
An analysis of human history leads to a sobering conclusion: the story of our civilization is not one of peaceful creation, but of military conflict. But, strange as it may seem, it is war that has often driven technological development. A prime example is World War II, which spurred a...
“Access to Alaska”: Putin’s bet on Trump and the risks for Europe
The current meeting in Anchorage is more than a symbolic “halfway point” between the United States and Russia. For the Kremlin, it’s an attempt to breach the sanctions wall via localized economic engagement with Alaska — from the fishing industry and technical flight arrangements to critical minerals and oil-and-gas ventures....
The “White Ingredient” for grey gunpowder: how uzbek cotton cellulose fuels russian ammunition production
After 24 February 2022, Russia sharply increased the production of artillery ammunition. A critical link in this chain is cotton cellulose — the raw material for nitrocellulose, which is used to produce smokeless powders. The lion’s share of this raw material is supplied by Uzbekistan, and its deliveries have only...