After years of hesitation, Europe and the UK are poised to seize Russian assets and hand them to Ukraine. Since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine three and a half years ago, Europe has been dithering on what to do with more than $300bn of frozen Russian assets....
Hungary and Slovakia AWOL from EU’s “drone wall” talks
Commissioner Kubilius described the “drone wall” as a mix of detection sensors, jamming devices and defensive weapons Hungary and Slovakia will not participate in the first round of EU discussions on the creation of a so-called “drone wall” along the bloc’s eastern border, a project pitched as a response to...
Russian provocation in Estonia ‘part of pattern of unacceptable behaviour
Senior Estonian diplomat Jonatan Vseviov warns that last week’s Russian incursion was “part of a pattern of unacceptable behaviour, not an isolated event.” “Recent weeks have seen repeated air and drone incidents in the region, all happening on the background of Russia’s illegal war of aggression in Ukraine,” he said....
Vučić flexes muscles and rattles weapons with massive military parade in Belgrade
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić staged on Saturday (20 September) the largest parade in Serbia’s history, deploying 10,000 troops, 2,600 pieces of military equipment and a 300-metre Serbian flag. The display in Belgrade raised eyebrows in neighbouring countries and Brussels over the true intentions of the increasingly autocratic Serbian leader. Vučić...
Lukoil’s Bulgarian refinery sinks into €107million loss amid EU sanctions
Under the compensation programme for high electricity prices, Lukoil was granted €11.6 million from the Bulgarian state budget in 2024. The Russian-owned oil refinery Lukoil Neftochim near Burgas, the largest in the Balkans, reported a major loss of 213 million leva (€107 million) for 2025, meaning the company received more...
Macron’s UN gambit: statehood or setback?
This week, the spotlight is at the United Nations General Assembly and it isn’t just on global crises like climate change, war in Ukraine, or artificial intelligence. It’s also firmly on France’s Emmanuel Macron, who is pushing for formal recognition of a Palestinian state. But will this move, backed by...
The Digital Euro: public money for a fairer future
The European Parliament’s rapporteur on the digital euro file, centre-right MEP Fernando Navarrete, in a recent article, claimed to offer a rational common ground to discuss the proposal for a European Central Bank digital currency (CBDC). However, his approach reflects a fear of transition: warning of financial instability, lost innovation,...
The Baltic Defense Line: Shield or Illusion?
Though their landscape is picturesque, the Baltic states are not built for defense. Lakes and swamps provide some benefit, but there are no mountains, jungles, or Rhine-sized rivers to stop an invader. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania can be Holland, but not Switzerland. Hence, the Baltic states want to build the...
Poland to China: So, you want to play hybrid war?
One unexpected victim of Russia’s drone invasions of Poland’s airspace and the Zapad military exercise is China. Days before Russia and its ally Belarus began military exercises to practice an attack on NATO’s eastern flank, the Kremlin probed alliance air defenses in Poland. The unprecedented seven-hour long incursion seemed designed...
Is Germany joining the trend of politics shaping media freedom?
In Germany, a dispute over public broadcasting has reached the political spotlight. Julia Ruhs, a journalist and presenter of Klar, a programme that often covered right-wing themes such as immigration, has been dropped by Germany’s public broadcaster NDR. The decision triggered a strong reaction from the Christian Democrats. Their general...