Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has become a kind of test of loyalty to Latvia for Latvian cultural and sports stars. Those who have “flirted” or even collaborated with Russia have fallen out of favor.
Ukraine and the USA could soon sign an agreement regarding Ukraine’s mineral resources, especially rare earths. However, it is unclear how large the deposits are, and a significant part of them are located in areas occupied by the Russians.
Amid the war in Ukraine, Estonia wants its Orthodox Church to cut ties with the Russian Patriarchy. The initiative could be unconstitutional.
The election campaign in Poland is marked by bizarre candidates, debates unrelated to the president's duties, and the influence of Russian narratives and MAGA ideology.
The EU appears to be the rational and moral actor, abiding by the rules, in contrast to an unpredictable Donald Trump. As the so-called US soft power declines, the EU will gain geopolitical leverage.
Russians are hoping for an easing of sanctions and the return of big Western brands to the Russian market. Is this a real prospect – or simply a collective wish disguised as news?
Alexander Lukashenko’s looked frail and isolated at his 7th inauguration as Belarus president, consumed by old obsessions and leaning on his personal clan. The ceremony told more about the state of affairs in the regime than the dictator himself wanted it to.
In today’s Russia, ending the war in Ukraine may bring economic and social turmoil so profound that peace could pose greater risks to Kremlin than the conflict itself.
A good relationship with Russia would help the US isolate China. But Putin's decision to continue the war in Ukraine could convince Washington that Europe remains its most important partner.
World wars have transformed the USA into a “European power”. Its desire to free itself of Europe’s influence, fueled by suspicion and frustration, has always endured in American society.
Pro-rușii din Bulgaria au profitat de tăcerea pro-europenilor pentru a exploata în scop politic uciderea unui angajat bulgar al ONU în Fâșia Gaza.
For four months, Georgians have been protesting daily against the abandonment of the European path by a government seen as pro-Russian. The increasingly harsh response of the authorities has failed to deter the protesters.
Amidst the uncertainties surrounding American security guarantees, Estonia is also marked by a political crisis. The country’s far right is the only one who seems pleased with the new developments.
The share of military expenditures in the GDP of European Union countries is set to rise, bringing Europe back to an era where security was defined not by investments in education or the green economy but by the number of tanks, aircraft, and soldiers.
The specter of foreign interference looms large over Poland’s upcoming presidential election. Will Warsaw face a rerun of the Romanian scenario, where Russian actors disrupted elections? And more importantly, is Poland prepared to withstand the onslaught?
The arrest of the Turkish opposition leader and a series of attacks against Kurdish militants suggest that, for the Erdoğan regime, maintaining power overrides external credibility.
The signals coming from the US regarding Ukraine and the transatlantic commitments are forcing Europeans to rethink their security. Obstacles: costs of hundreds of billions and extremists’ boycott.
While some argue that the Baltic States have been abandoned by a major strategic partner, others insist on the need for Europe to become more militarily independent.
Official statistics show that Russia's economy is growing despite war and Western sanctions. In fact, economic problems are piling up and Russia risks recession.
Belarus has an ever increasing list of items deemed extremist, ranging from reasonable ones, like Hitler’s Mein Kampf, to rock songs that authorities see as being critical to Lukashenko’s regime.
The practice of compiling “blacklists” has reemerged in Romania. Such lists were used by legionnaires and communists to take out their opponents. The former provoked a spiral of political violence and death.
On February 8, the Baltic states completely disconnected their power grids from Russia’s and switched to the European grid. Contrary to concerns, this transition did not cause any major complications.
The ruling GERB party, marred in the past by corruption allegations but with a pro-European discourse, is embracing some ideas of pro-Russian extremists and seems ready to adapt to Washington's new policy.
After its anti-democratic and anti-Ukrainian blunders compromised its relations with the West, the Georgian Dream hopes to be able to "reset" its relations with the US, now that it is led by Donald Trump.
For years, Poland has been forging close ties with both the US and Ukraine, regarding both as vital to its security. Changes in Washington’s policy are forcing Warsaw to rethink its future, but Polish politicians can’t seem to be able overcome their differences.
The so-called “blacklists” have recently remerged in Romania – they are particularly circulated by Călin Georgescu’s supporters. In Romania, blacklists have a rather dark history, as they were used by extremists to take out their opponents.
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Despite being antagonistic to the US, the Kremlin craves Washington’s attention, just as the Soviets and the Tsars did in their time. And Putin suddenly finds common grounds between his regime and Trumpism.
The Trump administration's signals about a US policy toward Moscow, Ukraine, and the EU are causing concern in Russia's neighborhood, from the Black Sea to the Baltic Sea.
Latvia must be prepared for everything in its defense: in the short term for versatile hybrid attacks, and in the long term even for a broader and more direct attack.
Retreating from the front, with a population increasingly feeling the war fatigue, ignored by the US, which has launched bilateral peace talks with Russia, Ukraine is also on the verge of a political crisis.
As young Russians are sent to the front or fleeing the country, Russia’s economy needs migrants. But the latter are a target for extremists and populist politicians.
Brussels is dismayed by the measures and positions taken by Trump. In the new geopolitical context, the EU is emerging as the last bastion of liberal democracies.
