Spring in Ukraine: May the Force Be With YouLife in Ukraine and Kyiv goes on. But there are islands of hurt, destruction, loss, scattered across the landscape, hidden behind polite smiles, encoded in the language
Ritual condemnation of death threats against EU diplomats in Kyiv masks concern Russia could bomb a European embassy and get away with it.
THIS WEEK: Magyar heads to Brussels to unlock Hungary’s frozen EU recovery money by 31 August Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar is expected in Brussels to negotiate the release of €10.4bn in frozen EU recovery funds. In Cyprus, foreign affairs ministers meet informally to discuss Iran and Russia. A new strategy on humanitarian aid will be unveiled by the EU Commission on Wednesday.
The best way forward for Belarus is an often misunderstood but ultimately promising strategy known as “Finlandization” – a policy of strict neutrality.
Internal conflicts in the Latvian coalition government came to a boil, after Ukrainian drones crashed into the country without interception. The formation of a new government is now in the hands of the rightwing opposition.
The EU will be ‘strategic’ and likely add more conditions to its development aid funding, EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas said on Monday.
Moscow was hit by 600 Ukrainian drones over the weekend, a few days after a 9 May Victory Day parade on Red Square that was noticeably scaled back. Is Russia starting to lose momentum in its war against Ukraine?
Former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder has sparked controversy after Vladimir Putin suggested he could help negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine. Is Schröder a legitimate bridge to peace, or the ultimate Trojan horse in Russia’s hybrid war?
Slovak defence minister Robert Kaliňák announced Bratislava wants to join the Baltic Air Policing mission with its new F-16 fighter jets — mixing up the confusing cocktail of Robert Fico’s government foreign-policy messaging.
Eurovision is the most-watched cultural event in the world. It involves artists from 35 countries, its online clips are set to be viewed two billion times, while Saturday’s grand final is expected to attract over 160 million viewers. Yet what was once a camp and glittery celebration has become the new frontline in Europe’s culture wars.
Vladimir Putin is tacitly conceding that Russia is now on the back foot: militarily, economically, diplomatically, politically and psychologically.
Putin and Fico look like losers at ‘Victory’ paradeJust six leaders from UN-recognised states joined Russian president Vladimir Putin — from Belarus, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malaysia, Slovakia, and Uzbekistan — highlighting his isolation.
The EU agreed a self-imposed ban on Russian gas imports effective from the end of 2026. But it continues to be the exclusive buyer of LNG from Russia’s project in Siberia.
Russia’s return to the 2026 Venice Biennale has handed the Kremlin a symbolic victory. The opening will reportedly be boycotted by EU culture commissioner Glenn Micallef and Italy’s culture minister Alessandro Giuli, but the result feels less like compromise than capitulation.
Estonia is one of Nato’s smallest members, but its experience of Russian occupation has contributed to high spending on defence and preparedness for attack.
“If the European Union accepts us, we will be happy and enthusiastic about it,” said Armenian prime minister Nikol Pashinyan at a first-ever EU-Armenia summit.
A Post-Nato Manifesto: Given that no country can defend itself alone, the priority is to make new alliances — flexible, capable frameworks of threat-aware allies that are willing to take risks and make sacrifices for themselves and for others. The most promising group of like-minded states includes the Nordic five (Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway and Sweden) and the Baltic three (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania). Together with Britain and the Netherlands they are part of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF).
London’s luxury “Moscow-on-Thames” has transformed from a Russian oligarch haven into a graveyard of frozen assets. Driven by historical financial deregulation and “golden visas,” billions in property now sit in disrepair due to post-2022 sanctions. Experts warn that despite transparency reforms, London remains a global playground for opaque wealth.
“The international order will be rebuilt … out of Europe,” said Canadian prime minister Mark Carney, in a sequel to his Davos speech.
US troop cuts in Europe risk inspiring Russian aggression“Imagine a scenario in which an emboldened Putin fired a nuclear weapon on European territory … What would Trump and the US do then? No one knows. Not even Trump”, an ex-Nato official said.