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Zelenskyy’s Belarus Ultimatum Turns Rear-Area Air Defence Into a NATO Concern
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's demand that Belarus remove equipment used in attacks on Ukraine within a week highlights the continuing role of Belarus as a rear-area platform for Russian pressure on Ukraine and NATO's eastern flank.
Russian Ex-Combatants Are Becoming a European Security Planning Problem
European Council conclusions have asked officials to examine possible internal-security measures concerning Russian ex-combatants from the war against Ukraine, turning a buried summit clause into a practical question for borders, intelligence sharing and hybrid-threat planning.
France Probes Suspected Russian Sabotage and Espionage Cases
French investigations into suspected sabotage and espionage attempts point to a widening security problem for Europe: Russia-linked operations are increasingly targeting transport infrastructure and defence industry inside EU and NATO states. French authorities are investigating several suspected Russia-linked sabotage and…
UK Missile Project for Ukraine Cuts Out US Components
Britain’s new long-range missile prototypes for Ukraine point to a wider defence-industrial problem: European weapons are increasingly being designed to avoid reliance on US export controls and political approval. The United Kingdom has unveiled three prototype long-range missiles for Ukraine…
To build strategic autonomy, Europe needs to wean itself off foreign technology, By Robert Brull
France’s trial of the AI-powered Arcadia battlefield command system points to a wider European defence challenge: strategic autonomy will depend not only on higher military spending, but on control over the technologies, intellectual property and decision-making systems that underpin modern…
Ukraine-Germany Missile Defence Deal Tests Europe’s Search for Patriot Alternatives
Kyiv’s agreement with Berlin on anti-ballistic capabilities comes as Ukrainian defence manufacturers seek European industrial partners for systems intended to reduce reliance on scarce US-made interceptors. Ukraine and Germany have signed an agreement to develop anti-ballistic capabilities, placing missile defence…
Moscow Refinery Strike Shows Ukraine’s Drone War Has Reached Russia’s Fuel System
Ukraine’s 18 June drone strike on Moscow’s Kapotnya oil refinery suggests Kyiv’s long-range campaign is moving beyond symbolic raids towards pressure on Russia’s domestic fuel supply and the credibility of air defences around the capital. Ukraine’s drone strike on a…
UK Drone Package Shows Frozen Russian Assets Moving Into Ukraine’s War Economy
Britain’s plan to supply Ukraine with 150,000 drones by the end of 2026 shows how proceeds from immobilised Russian sovereign assets are being converted into battlefield hardware, linking sanctions policy directly to defence procurement. Britain’s pledge to provide Ukraine with…
Pete Hegseth’s Hard Truth: Europe’s Free Ride on Defence Is Over
Pete Hegseth’s remarks in Brussels this week have unsettled many European policymakers. Yet for those who spent time serving alongside American military personnel during the Cold War, his words sounded less like provocation and more like a statement of reality…
NATO Nuclear Modernisation Raises Deterrence Stakes Before Ankara Summit
NATO’s Nuclear Planning Group has agreed to modernise the alliance’s nuclear capabilities and strengthen planning capacity, moving deterrence policy from reassurance language into practical adaptation as Russia pressure and US burden-sharing demands converge. NATO’s decision to modernise its nuclear capabilities…