After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, on 2 March 2022 the European Union imposed a complete ban on the export of Belarusian timber, while the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) fully suspended all trade certificates for materials of Belarusian and Russian origin. This deprived Belarusian companies of the right to legally...
Freedom of speech as a loophole for Kremlin propaganda in the EU
After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the European Union’s subsequent ban on state-controlled Russian media outlets such as RT and Sputnik, the Kremlin retained alternative channels for spreading its ideological and propagandistic narratives. One of the most effective has been niche book publishing across EU countries. Works...
From sanctions to Europe’s shadow fuel market
The energy “restructuring” of the European Union that began in 2022 was intended to deprive Moscow of revenue from raw material exports and to secure the European market. However, the rejection of direct supplies and the hasty redesign of logistics routes produced an unexpected side effect: while regulators and customs...
The Republika party in the European Parliament has become a mouthpiece for Russian narratives
On the far-right periphery of an informal pro-Russian grouping within the European Parliament are two Slovak Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), Milan Uhrik and Milan Mazurek, representing the political movement Republika. Established in 2021 by former members of the Slovak neo-fascist party ĽSNS, of which both individuals were previously...
Paris and Berlin call for reform of the EU diplomatic service
On 17 July 2026, the 26th Franco-German Council of Ministers took place at Augustusburg Castle in Brühl. Against the backdrop of the protracted military conflict in Ukraine and yet another crisis in the Middle East, Paris and Berlin issued a joint statement containing a direct ultimatum to Brussels’ foreign policy...
The Russian Orthodox Church in Europe as an instrument of the Kremlin’s hybrid warfare
The Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) outside Russia performs functions that go far beyond ordinary religious ministry through its involvement in spreading propaganda, justifying aggression, and assisting the espionage activities of Russian special services. Its European network comprises more than 600 centres and includes churches, communities, and monasteries that may have...
How Greece saved Russian LNG from the sanctions
In July 2026, one of the most acute diplomatic crises since the start of the sanctions confrontation with Moscow erupted at the European Union headquarters in Brussels. The adoption of the EU’s 21st sanctions package — designed as a final blow to the Kremlin’s financial and energy revenues — was...
Italy’s military secrets in the hands of Moscow: arrests, diplomatic expulsions, and lessons for NATO
The spy scandal that erupted in Italy in June–July 2026 confirmed that Russian military intelligence has not ceased its active operations in the country, focusing on its military secrets, defense-industrial complex, and military supplies to Ukraine. On 7 July 2026, carabinieri in Rome arrested two former employees of the Italian...
Science under sanctions: how Russian researchers circumvent EU restrictions
On 30 November 2024, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) officially terminated its agreements with residents of the Russian Federation in the field of fundamental scientific cooperation. Approximately 500 Russian specialists were denied access to the infrastructure of the Large Hadron Collider and leading European laboratories. This decision became...
How sanctions forced the Kremlin to nationalize its shadow fleet
Restrictions against Russia’s “shadow” fleet have proven quite effective. Frequent detentions of vessels and the risk of secondary sanctions against countries that provided their registration played a key role. This forced these jurisdictions to begin revoking the registration of tankers involved in the transportation of sanctioned Russian oil. As a...