Russia and corruption remain the main obstacles to Montenegro’s accession to the European Union. Although Russia is gradually losing its influence in the Western Balkans, the Kremlin has no intention of simply accepting this. Moscow is making every effort to continue interfering in the internal affairs of countries in the...
Hungary acts countrary to the EU on the issue of russian oil
Hungary continues to receive Russian crude oil through the southern branch of the Druzhba (“Friendship”) pipeline – an exemption allowed by the EU due to the particular dependence of Budapest and Bratislava on supplies of Russian “black gold.” The Druzhba pipeline runs from Russia through Belarus and Ukraine, delivering oil...
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...
NATO’s inland sea becomes a theatre of hybrid warfare
After Sweden’s accession to the North Atlantic Alliance, the Baltic Sea has effectively become an inland sea of NATO. Since then, alliance members have been staging one naval exercise after another in these waters. In September 2023, off the coasts of Latvia and Estonia, two weeks of “Northern Coasts” exercises...
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...
China and Russia seek to conquer the Arctic
Russia and China are demonstrating intensified cooperation in the Arctic, particularly in the security sphere. Moscow anticipates that global warming will melt Arctic ice, opening new opportunities for use of the Northern Sea Route (along Russia’s northern borders). Beijing likewise expects that climate change will make the Arctic more accessible,...
Belgium: the case of combating money laundering
On September 2, 2025, the Brussels Prosecutor’s Office announced that, in addition to investigating the money laundering case involving former EU Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders—who has been under investigation since 2024—it is also tracking his ties with Moscow. In particular, Belgian law enforcement became interested in possible contacts between...
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...
Austrians still waltz with Russians
How normal is it that the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria (1995-2000) and ex-Chancellor of this country (2000-2007) Wolfgang Schüssel suddenly becomes a member of the board of directors of the Russian telecommunications company MTS? And later – in 2019 – he becomes a member of the supervisory...
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...