The EU’s renewed focus on the Black Sea has created an opportunity for Romania, Turkey and Ukraine to shape a stronger defense against Russia. In May, the European Commission launched its for the Black Sea in response to the war in Ukraine. One of the three pillars of the new...
Why Moldova is so important
For the past few weeks, the small nation of Moldova in southeastern Europe has received more attention than it would like. That signals its importance. Moldova at the Crossroads Moldova, with a population of 2.4 million and celebrating its 34th anniversary of independence from the Soviet Union this year, is...
Hungary bans leading Ukrainian media as bilateral conflict escalates
Hungarian internet providers have blocked access to several leading Ukrainian news portals. The move came after Ukraine, in mid-September, banned several foreign outlets, including Hungary’s “Origo” and “Demokrata”, arguing that they regularly disseminate Russian propaganda. By Tuesday morning, Hungarian users reported restrictions on several Ukrainian sites, though the lists varied...
Romania plans defensive drone production with Ukraine to protect NATO’s east
The country’s ambition was announced as EU leaders gather for an informal “drone wall” summit in Denmark. Romania hopes to quickly set up production on its territory of defensive drones with Ukraine for domestic use as well as by European Union and NATO allies, Foreign Minister Oana Toiu said in...
Serbia’s arrests signal Vučić’s balancing act amid Russian influence concerns
The arrests may relate to economic pressures, such as U.S. sanctions on Serbia’s NIS oil company due to its Russian majority stake In late September 2025, Serbian police executed two significant arrest operations targeting activities linked to Russian interests, raising questions about President Aleksandar Vučić’s motives. EUalive’s partner Beta agency...
Russia’s Intelligence Steps Out of the Shadows
SVR embraces disinformation as official policy The Kremlin’s disinformation machinery is nothing new in Europe’s political landscape. For years, Russia has relied on state outlets and covert networks to spread fabricated narratives, deny responsibility, and discredit democratic processes. What is new, however, is the role of Russia’s foreign intelligence service,...
Russian arms fueling Italian mafia: a growing security threat
The stockpiling of Kalashnikovs without serial numbers as strategic reserves poses a security challenge for the EU and NATO. Russian state-owned arms factories are increasingly supplying unmarked modern weapons to Italy’s mafia groups, including the Calabrian ’Ndrangheta, the Neapolitan Camorra, and the Sicilian Cosa Nostra, according to investigative reporting. These...
The Kremlin to Russian consumers — pay for our war
As economic growth stalls and revenues decline, Moscow is no longer able to pump up the fiscal stimulus that fueled earlier wartime expansion, instead embracing austerity measures that threaten to further strangle the civilian economy. While the budget figures are not final — the fiscal plan requires parliamentary approval — Moscow’s...
Western sanctions have crippled Russia’s large-scale offensive capabilities
Western sanctions have proved highly effective in dismantling Russia’s economic resilience limiting access to Western technology and financial markets, constraining output and creating a “demand outstripping supply” scenario that fuels inflation. This cycle breeds rising deficits, inflation, and stagnation. Ending the Ukraine conflict could help break this cycle, but Putin’s...
Fresh problems for the French government as Lecornu’s master’s degree comes under scrutiny
here is no peace in France, where the political crisis seems endless and deepening. Not even a month after being chosen to lead the government, Sebastian Lecornu ends up in the eye of the storm for qualifications he never obtained. The loyalist of French President Emmanuel Macron lied about the...