Two major developments signal Europe’s shift toward strategic autonomy: a landmark Franco-British nuclear cooperation deal and the creation of a multinational headquarters for a 32-country coalition backing Ukraine. Both steps show Europe moving away from dependence on U.S. leadership and building its own defense structures. The first breakthrough came when...
China deploys former dissidents as spies to infiltrate overseas activist groups, as authorities struggle to maintain control
Alleged Chinese Spy in Germany Raised Suspicions Among Tibetan and Pro-Democracy Activists In 2017, Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, speaker of the Tibetan parliament-in-exile, met with pro-democracy activists in Dharamshala, India, to discuss China’s repressive policies against Tibetans. Among those present was a German citizen of Chinese origin, Guo, then 36, who...
The Energy Weapon
Moscow has used its control over Europe’s energy supplies as a tool of political leverage. The familiar image is crude but effective: if a government dares to defy Russian foreign policy, the gas is turned off in the dead of winter, as happened in Ukraine. Yet this picture is misleading....
Risk of growing corruption within the EU
A report from researchers at the University of Gothenburg, among other places, identifies six high-risk areas where corruption threatens to have far-reaching and system-threatening consequences within the EU. One of these areas is the public procurement sector, which accounts for 14 percent of the EU’s GDP. According to the European...
Russia’s energy leverage in Europe: interdependence, control, and Influence
Russia’s Energy Leverage in Europe: Interdependence, Control, and Influence Russia and Europe remain deeply intertwined in the energy sphere. In 2016, Russia supplied over 70 percent of natural gas and one-third of crude oil consumed by OECD countries, accounting for roughly 75 percent of Russia’s gas exports and 60 percent...
Eight detained in Slovakia over suspected € 7.4 million military aid fraud to Ukraine
European prosecutors suspect rigged tenders and overpriced ammunition. Four defense ministry employees are among those in custody. Eight individuals, including four officials from Slovakia’s Ministry of Defense, have been detained as part of a European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) investigation into alleged misuse of €7.4 million intended for Ukraine’s military...
NATO Procurement agency probed for corruption
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Thursday that the organization’s procurement agency is cooperating with police investigating corruption and fraud allegations involving the purchase of military equipment. The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) helps the 32 members of the world’s biggest security alliance and their partners to buy defense equipment...
TotalEnergies сalls for immediate investigation into alleged massacre at Mozambican Gas Project
TotalEnergies Calls for Immediate Investigation into Alleged Massacre at Mozambican Gas Project The French energy group TotalEnergies has urged the Mozambican government to launch an immediate and independent investigation into allegations of a massacre at its liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in northern Mozambique. The claims involve reports of severe...
Estonia’s role in the сhanging architecture of development cooperation
Development cooperation is a tool of soft power for states that enables them to promote their values, build relationships with partner states, and reduce global poverty. Since development cooperation is impacted by changes in the norms and power dynamics of international politics, it is essential to analyse Estonia’s use of...
The Case of the European Defense Community
Since World War II, Europe’s security has essentially been “outsourced” to the United States within the broader framework of NATO, relegating European countries to a position of total subordination to the external line dictated by Washington. The Trump administration has changed all this. And now, amid the potential collapse of...