COMMENTARY
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MiG-31s over Estonia expose a NATO posture Moscow now expects
Estonia’s report that three Russian MiG-31s penetrated its airspace near Vaindloo Island on 19 September is the fourth such violation this year and the most serious to date: the jets reportedly remained inside for around 12 minutes, with transponders off,…
Europe Needs Its Drone Wall — Before It Is Too Late
For much of the past decade, Europe has sleepwalked into vulnerability. Our collective gaze has lingered on tanks, missiles and jets, while the quieter revolution in drone warfare has surged overhead. Drones — once the preserve of hobbyists — have…
Trump withholds Taiwan security aid as White House pursues talks with Beijing
President Donald Trump declined to approve a US$400 million–plus military aid package for Taiwan over the summer, as his administration seeks a trade agreement and a possible autumn summit with China’s leader, Xi Jinping, according to multiple reports. The move…
India sends 65 troops to Russian–Belarusian ‘Zapad-2025’ drills as tariffs row with Washington reshapes regional alignments
India has deployed a 65-strong contingent to Russia’s Mulino training ground for the multilateral military exercise “Zapad-2025”, marking New Delhi’s first participation in the Russian–Belarusian war games and signalling continued defence ties with Moscow amid heightened trade tensions with the…
Chinese and Philippine vessels collide near Scarborough Shoal as Beijing cites ‘control measures’
China and the Philippines have reported a collision between their vessels near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, with Beijing accusing a Philippine ship of “deliberately” ramming a China Coast Guard craft and Manila flatly denying the claim. China…
Trump’s Belarus overture risks confusing NATO at a fraught moment
U.S. military officers’ surprise appearance at Zapad-2025 in Belarus has jarred allies already managing drone incursions and a large Russian–Belarusian drill on NATO’s doorstep. The visit may have been designed as observation under OSCE rules, but its timing and optics…
China Spy Case Collapse Casts Questions Over UK’s Ability To Safeguard National Interests
The intelligence community is reeling after British authorities abandoned charges against two men suspected of spying for China, raising troubling questions about the United Kingdom’s resolve and effectiveness in addressing foreign espionage threats. Christopher Cash, a former researcher for Conservative MP…
Soldier F: This is not justice — it is scapegoating
More than half a century after Bloody Sunday, the British state has chosen its scapegoat. Soldier F, a former Paratrooper now in his seventies, stands accused of murdering two men and attempting to murder five others during the 1972 shootings…
Eastern Sentry Looks Reactive as Russian Drones Test NATO’s Eastern Flank
Repeated air alerts in Poland and Romania this week, coupled with NATO’s launch of the Eastern Sentry mission, underscore an alliance still reacting to events rather than shaping them. On 9–10 September, Poland became the first NATO member state to…
Project Bromo: can Europe’s satellite champions escape gravity of Brussels bureaucracy?
If Europe needed a symbol of its belated awakening to the new age of great-power competition, it could do worse than the news that Airbus, Thales and Leonardo — the continent’s aerospace titans — are preparing to fuse their satellite…