In late January and early February 2026, the Czech Republic experienced one of the most acute domestic political crises in recent years. The conflict between President Petr Pavel and Foreign Minister Petr Macháček, which erupted just a month after the formation of the new coalition government, quickly escalated from a...
The ‘Council of Peace’ – a new chapter in world politics or an attempt to rewrite the rules of the game
On 16 January 2026, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, US President Donald Trump officially announced the creation of a new international structure, the so-called ‘World Peace Council,’ which, according to him, should become a key instrument for conflict resolution and the restoration of affected territories....
The ‘shadow fleet’ and the European decision to close the Baltic Sea
After Russia launched a full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022, Europe and the G7 countries imposed extensive sanctions on the Kremlin's energy sector, including a ban on insurance, financial and service provision for Russian tankers transporting oil whose value exceeds the price cap. This restriction is intended to deprive...
The ‘Salt Typhoon’ of Chinese hackers
The Chinese cyber espionage operation, codenamed Salt Typhoon, which allowed Beijing to listen in on the mobile phones of high-ranking officials in Washington and London for years, was perhaps the most serious failure of Western counterintelligence. The main shock for the intelligence community was not the fact that the mobile...
Red notices: how Russia is trying to turn Interpol into a tool for political persecution
International police cooperation, carried out within the framework of Interpol, the largest international intergovernmental organisation, has fallen victim to dangerous political games. Thousands of documents obtained by the BBC and the French investigative agency Disclose from an informant within the International Criminal Police Organisation have revealed Russia's constant and systematic...
Moscow Transforms Oil Tankers into Platforms for Espionage and Infrastructure Attacks
As “Maririme News” reported, Russia’s global “shadow fleet” entered a consolidation phase last month after months of expansion. The operational fleet carrying Russian oil grew by 16 vessels in a month and moved 337 million barrels of oil and petroleum products in October, with China and India remaining key demand...
Inside Alabuga: How Russia recruits women from the Global South for weapons production
In early 2026, the American think tank Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) published a report that sheds light on a little-known aspect of the Russian military economy. It concerns the large-scale and systematic recruitment of young women from Africa, South and Central America to work in the Alabuga special...
Davos 2026: when the global elite fails to reach an agreement
The World Economic Forum in Davos is traditionally seen as a neutral platform for discussing global issues and finding compromises between states, businesses and international institutions. However, in 2026, this format increasingly revealed its limitations. The forum, held under the motto ‘The Spirit of Dialogue,’ reflected the growing geopolitical tensions...
Cyprus mysteries: the death of a diplomat and the disappearance of a businessman
In early January 2026, Cyprus found itself at the centre of two high-profile incidents involving diplomacy, intelligence, business and possible political consequences for relations with Russia. On 8 January, Anton Panov (sometimes referred to as Alexei in foreign sources), an employee of the Russian diplomatic mission, was found dead in...
Orbán’s radical voice: Zsolt Bayer as a symbol of the authoritarian degradation of journalism
Zsolt Bayer is a Hungarian journalist, publicist and propagandist known for his pro-Russian, right-wing extremist, racist and ultra-nationalist views. He always interprets the domestic and foreign policy of Viktor Orbán's government in a manner loyal to the authorities, which makes him an important tool of modern Orbán propaganda in influencing...