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...
Russia’s Gray Zone warfare campaign in Europe
According to the head of MI5, Russia is on a mission to ‘generate sustained mayhem on British and European streets.’ The statement refers to a string of high-profile sabotage and arson events that have occurred in Europe since the outbreak of the Ukraine war, ranging from the destruction of undersea...
A Case for strengthening Europe’s Nuclear deterrence
Political Will, Not Just Military Capabilities Nuclear weapons in Europe are, and will remain, the sovereign responsibility of two individual states, France and the United Kingdom. It is common knowledge that the United Kingdom contributes to NATO’s deterrence and defence as a member of the Nuclear Planning Group, while France...