The EU is considering measures to target logistical support for vessels in Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, according to a document prepared for an upcoming meeting of EU foreign ministers. The bloc aims to enhance its powers to board and inspect these vessels, which transport Russian oil under different flags to...
Europeans paid €930bn extra due to energy dependency
Between 2021 and 2024, when energy prices spiked in the wake of the pandemic and Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Europe’s fossil-fuel import bill increased by €930bn, a report by the think tank Ember published on 16 October found. Overall, the total costs of Europe’s fossil-fuel imports during these three...
Trump-Putin summit in Budapest
If anyone ever wondered what the overlapping goals of Russian and US foreign policy might be, the announcement of a potential summit between president Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Budapest leaves little doubt. The joint objectives — at least for this US administration — are unmistakably to weaken...
EU scrambles for anti-Russia ‘drone wall’ hits political, technical hurdles
The EU would need to draw heavily on Ukrainian expertise, honed over nearly four years countering waves of Russian drones. Just hours after some 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace last month, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was time for Europe to build a “drone wall”...
Western Balkans no longer Europe’s backyard
At a forum in Tirana, von der Leyen and Rama cast the Western Balkans as a driving force for Europe’s growth and integration. A conference in Tirana on Monday came with a clear message: the Western Balkans are no longer Europe’s backyard, they are becoming its next engine of growth....
Slovenia edges closer to holding referendum to reject euthanasia
The initiators of the referendum see the law adopted in July as unjust and inhumane and accuse it of violating the constitution. Voters in Slovenia are expected to decide the fate of the law on assisted voluntary ending of life in a referendum on 23 November. The proposal was published...
UK intel: 1.1M Russian casualties since invasion
UK Ministry of Defence Reports Significant Russian Military Casualties As of October 14, 2025, Russian military losses in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine have reached approximately 1,118,000 personnel, including both killed and wounded. The British Ministry of Defence reports that roughly 332,000 of these losses occurred this year alone. The...
Ukrainian pipelines in exchange for weapons
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy may offer Donald Trump the opportunity to lease Ukrainian pipelines to American energy companies so they can sell to Slovakia and Hungary. Kyiv is looking to convince the U.S. to provide additional military support to help it defend its critical infrastructure from russian strikes before winter, including...
The protest by war veterans caused tensions between the prime ministers of Kosovo and Albania
A protest planned for Friday in Tirana – against the Hague war crimes court's trial of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci – has reignited feuding between Albania's premier Edi Rama and the biggest party in Kosovo. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and the biggest party in Kosovo, Vetevendosje, traded accusations...
Orban’s media investments in the Balkans
For several years, individuals closely associated with the Hungarian ruling party «Fides» and authoritarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán have been quietly buying up media assets across the Balkans. This strategic offensive is seen as a deliberate attempt to strengthen the alliance with Budapest-friendly regimes, particularly in Serbia and North Macedonia...