EUROPE
Share
NATO northern-flank exercise tests UK-Norway maritime co-operation
Exercise Tamber Shield has begun in western Norway, bringing together Royal Navy helicopters, uncrewed systems, patrol boats and Norwegian naval units for intensive training in fjord and coastal operations. British and Norwegian naval forces have begun a maritime exercise in…
European defence spending jumps as governments respond to prolonged insecurity
Newly published data show global military expenditure reached $2.887 trillion in 2025, with Europe recording a 14 per cent rise as NATO members, Russia and Ukraine continued to expand defence budgets. Global military expenditure rose again in 2025, with Europe…
France and Greece put EU mutual defence back into operational focus
Emmanuel Macron and Kyriakos Mitsotakis have renewed the Franco-Greek defence partnership in Athens, using the visit to argue that Europe’s mutual assistance clause should be treated as an operational commitment rather than a treaty provision rarely tested in practice. France…
EU Leaders Seek Practical Blueprint for Mutual Defence Clause
EU leaders used an informal summit in Cyprus to examine how the bloc’s mutual defence clause could operate in practice, amid a security environment shaped by Russia’s war against Ukraine, instability in the Middle East and renewed scrutiny of Europe’s…
Drone Debris in Romania Brings Ukraine War Risk Back to NATO’s Border
Romania said fragments from a drone fell in Galați during Russia’s overnight attack on Ukraine, damaging property but causing no casualties. The incident again underlines the exposure of NATO’s eastern flank to spillover from strikes near the Danube border. Drone…
China Targets European Defence Firms With Dual-Use Export Controls
Beijing has placed seven European defence-linked entities on an export control list over alleged Taiwan-related arms sales or cooperation, restricting access to Chinese-origin dual-use goods, technologies and services. China has imposed export controls on seven European entities over alleged involvement…
French-Polish Nuclear Exercises Would Mark Significant Shift in Europe’s Deterrence Debate
France and Poland are moving towards a more explicit form of strategic defence cooperation, with nuclear deterrence now entering discussions that until recently would have remained largely confined to national doctrine and NATO’s established nuclear framework. France and Poland are…
Russia warns European states against hosting French nuclear-capable aircraft
Moscow has warned European countries against hosting French nuclear-capable aircraft, as debate grows over the possible European dimension of France’s nuclear deterrent. Russia has warned European states that they could become military targets if they host French nuclear-capable aircraft, in…
NATO and EU call for sustained, coordinated support to Ukraine at Brussels meeting
NATO and EU representatives have held their first joint meeting of the year on Ukraine, with both sides stressing the need for predictable long-term support as Kyiv continues to face Russian military pressure. NATO and European Union representatives have called…
Spain at centre of NATO row as US weighs symbolic Sanctions
Washington’s confidence in the cohesion of the Atlantic alliance appears to have been tested anew, according to a report that lays bare the frustrations simmering beneath the surface of NATO diplomacy. An internal Pentagon email, circulated among senior officials, has…