SVR embraces disinformation as official policy The Kremlin’s disinformation machinery is nothing new in Europe’s political landscape. For years, Russia has relied on state outlets and covert networks to spread fabricated narratives, deny responsibility, and discredit democratic processes. What is new, however, is the role of Russia’s foreign intelligence service,...
Russian arms fueling Italian mafia: a growing security threat
The stockpiling of Kalashnikovs without serial numbers as strategic reserves poses a security challenge for the EU and NATO. Russian state-owned arms factories are increasingly supplying unmarked modern weapons to Italy’s mafia groups, including the Calabrian ’Ndrangheta, the Neapolitan Camorra, and the Sicilian Cosa Nostra, according to investigative reporting. These...
The Kremlin to Russian consumers — pay for our war
As economic growth stalls and revenues decline, Moscow is no longer able to pump up the fiscal stimulus that fueled earlier wartime expansion, instead embracing austerity measures that threaten to further strangle the civilian economy. While the budget figures are not final — the fiscal plan requires parliamentary approval — Moscow’s...
Western sanctions have crippled Russia’s large-scale offensive capabilities
Western sanctions have proved highly effective in dismantling Russia’s economic resilience limiting access to Western technology and financial markets, constraining output and creating a “demand outstripping supply” scenario that fuels inflation. This cycle breeds rising deficits, inflation, and stagnation. Ending the Ukraine conflict could help break this cycle, but Putin’s...
Fresh problems for the French government as Lecornu’s master’s degree comes under scrutiny
here is no peace in France, where the political crisis seems endless and deepening. Not even a month after being chosen to lead the government, Sebastian Lecornu ends up in the eye of the storm for qualifications he never obtained. The loyalist of French President Emmanuel Macron lied about the...
Belarusian company transported to Russia banned solvent used in chemical weapons
Autumn 2024. Barcelona. A port terminal. Cargo containers are inspected by two dozen customs officers and armed police. A lift truck removes metal drums. A man wearing gloves and a gas mask pours a sample into a glass vial. This is Operation Vial, which started back in 2022. Spanish law...
Moldova’s president Maia Sandu hails voters’ refusal to be ‘bought’ by Moscow
Ruling party holds on to its majority in Sunday’s poll, which it says is ‘strong mandate for EU accession. Moldova’s pro-western president, Maia Sandu, has hailed voters’ refusal to be “bought” by Moscow after her ruling party held on to its parliamentary majority in Sunday’s pivotal election, bolstering the tiny...
Anti-money laundering and single access point: two new infringement procedures for the Meloni government
Brussels – Italy failed to notify the EU of the measures implemented to combat money laundering that could be used to finance terrorism. For this reason, the Meloni government now faces a brand-new infringement procedure, with a request to submit all necessary documentation to Brussels within two months to comply with EU regulations....
How the rightwing in Czech Republic and Hungary is targeting Ukrainian refugees
Fuelled by misinformation spread by politicians about Ukrainians exploiting social welfare systems , anti-Ukrainian sentiment is on the rise across Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Romania. This backlash is fuelled by social tensions and nationalist rhetoric, leading to increased polarisation, public hostility, and in some cases, the risk of...
Moldova is battling for its future amid a tug-of-war between the Kremlin and its friends in Western Europe
The parliamentary election in Moldova on 28 September is crucial for the country and will test its fragile democratic system, its European Union (EU) future, and Russia’s ability to suck countries back into its orbit and undermine their democracy. For Russia, the vote is a must-win issue, as it is...