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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…
Europe Bets on Defence Innovation as Security Pressures Mount
The European Union’s drive to strengthen its security capabilities took another step forward this week as Members of the European Parliament endorsed a new programme designed to accelerate defence innovation across the bloc. The proposed initiative, known as the Programme…
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…
Fire Point: How Ukrainian Innovation is Reinventing Air Defence
Fire Point’s ambitious interceptor programme highlights Ukraine’s growing role as a driver of European security innovation amid rising demand for advanced missile defence systems. For much of the past four years, Ukraine has been viewed primarily as a consumer of…
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.…
Russia’s Fuel Tax Changes Show Ukraine’s Refinery Campaign Is Reaching Domestic Policy
Russian tax-code amendments aimed at fuel shortages show that Ukraine's refinery campaign is no longer only producing damage reports; it is forcing Moscow into domestic market intervention.
Rutte’s White House Visit Puts NATO’s July Summit Under US Pressure
Mark Rutte's meeting with Donald Trump before the Ankara summit is a test of whether NATO can keep the US committed while Europe tries to prove that higher defence spending is becoming capability.
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.