EDITORIALS
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Czech NATO summit row exposes deeper struggle between Babiš government and President Pavel
Prague’s dispute over who should represent the Czech Republic at the Ankara NATO summit has become a wider test of constitutional authority, defence policy and the country’s support for Ukraine. A dispute between Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and President…
NATO’s Arctic pledge meets the hard limits of icebreakers, sensors and naval capacity
NATO’s northern flank is moving from strategic rhetoric to a procurement problem, as allies confront the cost of defending the Arctic with too few ice-capable ships, limited surveillance and a military geography heavily shaped by Russia’s presence on the Kola…
Zelenskyy Warns Belarus Over Border Infrastructure Built for Possible Wider War
Ukraine says new roads, ammunition depots and fuel facilities on Belarusian territory point to military preparation along routes leading towards northern and western Ukraine. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Belarus of developing border infrastructure that could support a wider Russian-led…
NATO unity message masks hard questions over US force posture in Europe
Air Chief Marshal Sir John Stringer’s call for unity before the Ankara summit comes as European allies prepare higher defence pledges while Washington reviews its military presence on the continent. NATO’s deputy military commander has called for the alliance’s July…
Belarus Relay Stations Stop Operating After Zelenskyy Warning
Belarus-based relay stations allegedly used by Russia to help guide drone attacks against western and northern Ukraine have stopped operating, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, marking a notable shift in Kyiv’s effort to reduce Minsk’s practical support for Moscow’s war.…
Italy’s Rebuke of Rutte Turns NATO Basing Into a Political Liability
Rome's rejection of Mark Rutte's claim about US aircraft using Italian bases for Iran operations exposes how allied basing can become politically explosive when operations move beyond Europe.
GCAP Expansion Offer Exposes Europe’s Fighter-Jet Realignment
Italy's signal that Canada, Germany and Saudi Arabia could join GCAP shows that Europe's next-generation fighter politics are shifting after Franco-German cooperation faltered.
Rutte’s Washington Visit Puts US-Europe Defence Alignment Under Scrutiny Before Ankara
Mark Rutte's 23-25 June visit to Washington is a preview of the real test facing NATO at its Ankara summit: whether European spending promises are becoming deployable forces, industrial capacity and sustained support for Ukraine.
Germany’s KNDS Stake Signals a New Phase in Europe’s Rearmament Debate
Germany’s planned move to take a 40 per cent stake in KNDS, the Franco-German manufacturer of the Leopard and Leclerc tanks, marks a shift in Europe’s rearmament debate from budgets to industrial control. The proposed acquisition, which is expected to…
Moscow Signals Retreat from ‘Anchorage’ Formula as Ukraine and Europe Hold the Line
A new statement by Yuri Ushakov, a senior aide to Vladimir Putin, suggests that Moscow is moving away from earlier expectations linked to the so-called “Anchorage” understandings between Russia and the United States. His remarks are important not because they…