France’s decision to withdraw its military forces from Senegal in 2024–2025 marks a major shift in its Africa strategy. This move is driven by a combination of regional, political, and strategic factors, reflecting the erosion of French influence in West Africa. 1. Regional Anti-French Sentiment Growing public hostility toward French military presence in former colonies like...
Strategic Risks of Budapest’s Covert Ties with Russia
Hungary under Viktor Orbán has become a geopolitical pivot point where Russian oil money, Chinese strategic investments, and American capital intersect. This convergence presents serious risks to both the European Union and NATO. Orbán’s deepening entanglements with Moscow—masked as business ventures—are not only eroding EU unity but also offering Russia a...
The Budapest Loophole: Viktor Orbán’s Corrupt Empire and Russia’s Backdoor into Europe
Orbán is no longer just a problematic EU member—he has emerged as a direct agent of the Kremlin, wielding bribery and institutions to destabilize the bloc from within. His strategic alignment with Moscow undermines EU solidarity, sanctions policy, and financial security—and demands urgent European scrutiny. In recent years, Hungarian Prime...
Investigating Europe’s water pollution crisis: Blame it on industrial farming
Despite comprehensive regulations, around 60 percent of Europe's surface water and a quarter of its groundwater do not meet "good" standards. Agriculture bears most of the responsibility. First part of an in-depth investigation on our most precious resource. From the beaches in Brittany, France, to the groundwater of Aragon, Spain;...
Closing NATO’s Indo-Pacific Gap
European allies should strengthen NATO’s Indo-Pacific ties as Washington wavers. The much-anticipated NATO summit in The Hague in late June accomplished its core objectives: securing a 5 percent defense pledge, managing U.S. President Donald Trump, and reaffirming a commitment to collective security. But the summit also drew criticism for sidestepping...
France and U.K. Sign Key Deals on Migration, Nuclear Weapons
The agreements signal a new chapter of post-Brexit Anglo-French cooperation. Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at France and Britain’s migration and nuclear weapons deals, U.S. tariff threats against Brazil, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s visit to Asia. Anglo-French Deals British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and...
Chinese Bankers Are at the Center of Global Crime
China’s underground financiers have specialized in international money laundering. Three separate police investigations in Italy recently uncovered around 1 billion euros in proceeds from drug trafficking of the Calabrian ‘Ndrangheta, Colombian drug cartels, and Albanian organized criminal groups. The more important finding may have been who it was determined had laundered the...
Beijing’s Dominance of the South China Sea Is Not Inevitable
Groupthink and short-termism are clouding judgments about these waters. As a heavily laden, Danish-owned container ship leaves Singapore’s port and enters international waters, it pings China’s Zheng He vessel identification system, providing an update on its cargo and intended route through the South China Sea to Shanghai. Despite long-standing fears...
Britain Is Failing to Become European Again
The Starmer government’s hopes of restoring relations with Europe have mostly remained just that. Forget the pageantry, the open-top carriage, and the royal welcome in the Windsor sunshine. The state visit to the United Kingdom of French President Emmanuel Macron will be remembered as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s “surrender...
Can Trump Be Sold on Supporting Ukraine?
A changeable president seems to be turning against Putin. It’s no secret that the U.S. president is frustrated with Vladimir Putin. Despite previous friendliness, Trump has lashed out at his Russian counterpart multiple times in recent weeks, most notably after Putin offered to help the U.S. with the situation in...