Author: Klaus Holz

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), global military spending surged by 9.4% in 2024, reaching $2.718 trillion—the largest annual increase ever recorded. The main driver of this spike was Europe (including Russia), where expenditures rose by 17% to $693 billion, surpassing levels seen at the end of...

In the digital payments industry, where trillions of euros change hands annually, European giant Worldline and its German subsidiary Payone have become embroiled in a major scandal. An investigation by European Investigative Collaborations (EIC), published on June 25, 2025, revealed how the companies systematically serviced high-risk clients for over a...

A pressing issue in European politics over the past decade has been the increasing activity of radical parties and their connections with Russia. Regardless of the national context in which they operate, certain patterns stand out: these parties often serve as “platforms” for Moscow, facilitating direct or indirect attempts to...

Across Europe, concern is mounting over persistent foreign interference in domestic politics — a trend that becomes particularly visible ahead of key events such as elections. One of the most frequently used channels for such meddling, according to investigative reports, is the cultivation of radical or far-right political forces whose...

Nothing galvanizes the military sector—from soldier training to weapons manufacturing and procurement—like the looming specter of war. This assertion is no longer theoretical; it’s been vividly illustrated by the events unfolding on Europe’s eastern frontier. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, European states and Kyiv’s...

Despite internal turmoil and external threats, the European Union is moving swiftly to bring Moldova, the Western Balkans, and Ukraine closer to its doorstep — a step Brussels frames as a strategic choice aimed at bolstering democracy and economic stability in the region. Yet behind the lofty declarations of a...

One of the most striking economic trends in Europe over the past decade has been China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). For countries with limited resources or underdeveloped infrastructure, it has opened doors long shut — bringing long-awaited funds for roads, ports, railways, and energy projects that had languished for...

Under conditions of international isolation — intensified after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine — Russia has been actively seeking alternative ways to influence European politics in order to promote its interests. Having failed in its attempts to “befriend” the EU at the official level, Moscow has increasingly...

In the common perception, war means weapons, soldiers, and the struggle for territories, resources, and dominance. But there is another kind of war — one without explosions or gunfire — the information war. It is invisible, and its weapon targets not the body but the human mind. In the 21st...

The Baltic Sea. The Baltics. Despite its relatively modest size, the region has long been a battleground of empires. Throughout history, it has seen the rule of Teutonic knights, Polish-Lithuanian nobles, Swedish kings, the Russian Empire, and later the Soviet Union.For Russia, the region has always held strategic significance —...