A group of masked men damaged surveillance infrastructure and removed cameras on the Latvian-Belarusian border, Latvian Interior Minister Jānis Dombrava said on October 6. According to him, the intruders returned to the Belarusian side before a border patrol arrived. The incident followed an attempted illegal crossing. Dombrava and Latvia’s National...
Who is behind Futuro Nazionale
Roberto Vannacci is a relatively new but ambitious figure in Italian politics. A former soldier, now a member of the European Parliament and leader of the Futuro Nazionale party, he aims to head the far-right flank, promises to restore Italy’s supposedly lost sovereignty, criticizes the EU and NATO, and calls...
European Parliament approves €115 million AGILE defence innovation programme
The European Parliament on 6 October approved the creation of a new defence innovation programme, AGILE, with a budget of €115 million. It is designed to speed up the development and fielding of new military technologies against the backdrop of a changing security environment shaped by Russia’s war against Ukraine....
Brussels prepares new restrictions on Russian diplomats amid sabotage across Europe
EU member states are discussing tighter restrictions and additional checks on Russian diplomats amid a wave of hybrid attacks in Europe, Euronews reported on 6 October, citing diplomatic sources. The talks are still at an early stage and are seen as a possible next step in the bloc’s sanctions regime....
Swedish churches cut ties with Russian Orthodox parish over security fears
Sweden’s Christian Council has frozen the Swedish branch of the Russian Orthodox Church under the Moscow Patriarchate out of its membership. The board approved the step on 17 September and published it on 1 October. In effect, the council is only putting on record a break that has already held...
BND chief calls confrontation with Moscow a shadow war
The head of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND), Martin Jäger, said Germany must become significantly more resilient to threats, above all from Russia. He made the remarks on Monday, 5 October, at a public hearing of the Bundestag’s Parliamentary Oversight Committee. “Russia is waging a shadow war against us,” Jäger...
Spain calls early parliamentary elections for 29 November
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced the dissolution of parliament and early general elections for 29 November 2026. He made the announcement on Monday in a statement from the Moncloa Palace, after the Congress of Deputies rejected two government decrees on housing. Sánchez said he had first informed King...
Why Fico’s Slovakia is slowing Euro-Atlantic unity
After Robert Fico became prime minister for the fourth time in 2023, Slovakia reversed its foreign policy and shifted markedly toward closer ties with Russia. His government is now one of the main opponents of the EU’s hard line on the Kremlin. That shows up in attempts to block or...
UN has recorded a sharp rise in civilian casualties from the war in Ukraine
In the first eight months of 2026, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights verified 15,280 civilians killed and injured in Ukraine. That is 55% more than in the same period of 2025, and an average of more than 400 people a week. UN High Commissioner for...
Nearly half of Britons support rejoining the EU
Debate in Britain over the country’s future relationship with the European Union has intensified again after a new Messina Group poll. According to the survey, 49% of respondents would support the country rejoining the EU, while 28.5% were opposed. The poll was conducted by The Messina Group (TMG) from 12...