Bulgaria’s F-16 fiasco: prolonged delays, pilot shortages, and mounting concerns over air force inertia. Only one of four delivered jets has been formally accepted while Sofia struggles to train pilots and certify aircraft Bulgaria’s protracted and inexplicably slow transition to its new F-16 Block 70 jets – marked by technical...
EU internally explores limited accession for Ukraine, Moldova, and Western Balkans
New EU members would gain full voting rights only after the EU implements major institutional reforms to curb veto power abuse. The European Union is exploring a groundbreaking enlargement model that would grant new member states limited voting rights initially, a move aimed at overcoming hurdles to expansion, particularly Hungary’s...
The meeting between Trump and Zelensky signals a turning point in the US strategy towards Ukraine
One of the most scrutinised topics was the potential transfer of long-range Tomahawk cruise missile systems to Ukraine. While Kyiv pressed the case for their delivery, Washington did not commit. Trump cited the risk of escalation and concerns about U.S. stockpiles.Following the meeting, Trump publicly called on Ukraine and Russia to “stop...
French police arrest 4 suspects in plot against exiled Russian activist Osechkin
French anti-terror prosecutors opened an investigation on October 16, 2025, into a planned attack against Russian human rights activist Vladimir Osechkin, head of the Gulagu.net project, who has lived in France for the past decade. Authorities arrested four men, aged 26 to 38, on October 13 at different locations across...
France’s political instability puts the Franco-German alliance to the test
France’s political turmoil is testing the strength of the Franco-German partnership. At a joint cabinet meeting, President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Friedrich Merz pledged to overcome their countries’ disagreements on key issues. Yet the absence of concrete progress is troubling, given both leaders’ fragile political standing. In a world shaken...
EU is preparing to search Kremlin shadow fleet tankers
The EU is considering measures to target logistical support for vessels in Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, according to a document prepared for an upcoming meeting of EU foreign ministers. The bloc aims to enhance its powers to board and inspect these vessels, which transport Russian oil under different flags to...
Europeans paid €930bn extra due to energy dependency
Between 2021 and 2024, when energy prices spiked in the wake of the pandemic and Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Europe’s fossil-fuel import bill increased by €930bn, a report by the think tank Ember published on 16 October found. Overall, the total costs of Europe’s fossil-fuel imports during these three...
Trump-Putin summit in Budapest
If anyone ever wondered what the overlapping goals of Russian and US foreign policy might be, the announcement of a potential summit between president Donald Trump and Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Budapest leaves little doubt. The joint objectives — at least for this US administration — are unmistakably to weaken...
EU scrambles for anti-Russia ‘drone wall’ hits political, technical hurdles
The EU would need to draw heavily on Ukrainian expertise, honed over nearly four years countering waves of Russian drones. Just hours after some 20 Russian drones entered Polish airspace last month, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was time for Europe to build a “drone wall”...
Western Balkans no longer Europe’s backyard
At a forum in Tirana, von der Leyen and Rama cast the Western Balkans as a driving force for Europe’s growth and integration. A conference in Tirana on Monday came with a clear message: the Western Balkans are no longer Europe’s backyard, they are becoming its next engine of growth....