The rehabilitation of Joseph Stalin has moved from the fringes of Russian politics into public space, schools, museums and law. Statues are multiplying, Stalin has returned to the Moscow Metro, and a majority of Russians now describe him positively. The Kremlin’s version is selective: Stalin appears as the victorious commander, industrialiser and builder of a
Stalin Is Back, and the Message Is for Russia’s Neighbours Read More »
Rumen Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria won the Bulgarian elections by campaigning against corruption and promising a more transactional, less confrontational approach to Russia, framed as “Bulgarian realism”. Radev has opposed Bulgarian military aid to Ukraine and has been described as Moscow’s man. While Hungarian voters turned away from the increasingly Moscow-aligned Viktor Orbán, the Bulgarian electorate
Bulgaria’s Radev shock turns Sofia into Europe’s newest weak hinge Read More »
Denmark went to the polls on amid heightened warnings of foreign interference, with intelligence services and European analysts pointing to sustained Russian influence activity in the final phase of the campaign. There is evidence of foreign attempts to interfere in elections in Germany, Hungary and Slovenia, too. The Hungarian Foreign Minister is accused of briefing
President Trump’s bold bid to acquire Greenland has sent shockwaves through Europe and raised dire questions about NATO’s future. Danish PM Mette Frederiksen warned that a U.S. attack on a fellow NATO member “would be the end of everything – that includes NATO”. Even EU defence chief Andrius Kubilius agreed: a US military takeover of
Greenland Crisis: NATO at the Brink? Read More »
Russian influence operations against the United States are not a relic of the 2016 election cycle, nor a closed chapter in the history of hybrid warfare. They are active, adaptive and, in the view of Finnish investigative journalist Jessikka Aro, increasingly enabled by political decisions inside Washington itself. Speaking at her book launch of her
Jessikka Aro: Russia’s Influence War Is Still Running Inside the United States Read More »
Since 2022, Russia has opened a new front in Europe’s political system: sabotage, cyber‑attacks, disinformation campaigns and clandestine financing designed to fracture alliances, weaken democratic institutions and polarise electorates. At the same time, traditional parties on both the centre‑left and centre‑right are seeing their support eroded by insurgent movements. Nigel Farage’s Reform UK now leads
For over four decades, the Islamic Republic of Iran has been under siege—not just through sanctions and speeches, but via a relentless, largely undeclared campaign of sabotage, cyberwarfare, assassinations, and airstrikes. Orchestrated primarily by Israel and the United States, this “secret war” has targeted Iran’s nuclear ambitions, military infrastructure, and top scientists with precision and
The Secret War on Iran: Decades of Sabotage, Sanctions, and Strikes Read More »
The Baltic states and Finland are racing to redraw their rail networks on European terms. Soviet-gauge tracks – once binding these countries to Moscow – are being supplanted by European standard-gauge lines in a strategic shift with echoes of the Cold War. This grand infrastructure push is driven by hard security logic: NATO troop movement,
Ripping Up the Rails of Empire: Baltic and Finnish Railways Turn Westward Read More »
With the election of Friedrich Merz as Germany’s new Chancellor, the longstanding debate over supplying Taurus KEPD 350 cruise missiles to Ukraine has gained renewed momentum. In his inaugural speech, Merz, known for his assertive stance on defence, pledged to bolster Germany’s military capabilities and deepen support for Ukraine amidst its ongoing conflict with Russia.
Chancellor Merz Signals Shift on Taurus Missile Deliveries to Ukraine Read More »
Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo declared that the nation intends to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, the international treaty banning anti-personnel landmines. Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have recently announced similar intentions, citing escalating security threats from Russia. “Withdrawing from the Ottawa Convention will allow us to prepare for changes in the security environment in
Defence Over Diplomacy: Finland Reassesses Landmine Ban Read More »
