Finland urges NATO, EU to shield critical networks after undersea cables damaged – POLITICO

Finland urges NATO, EU to shield critical networks after undersea cables damaged – POLITICO

This marks the second time in a year that Baltic Sea infrastructure — which includes communications cables and energy pipelines such as Nord Stream — has been damaged, raising concerns over security and sabotage. Another telecom cable in the Baltic Sea between Lithuania and Sweden’s Gotland Island was damaged Sunday morning, telecom company Telia Lietuva, … Read more

The death of a Russian defector: Who failed Maxim Kuzminov?

The death of a Russian defector: Who failed Maxim Kuzminov?

The death of a Russian defector: Who failed Maxim Kuzminov? Ukraine’s most celebrated deserter was gunned down in a Spanish beach town. By CLAUDIA CHIAPPA, EVA HARTOG, and VERONIKA MELKOZEROVAin Villajoyosa, Spain Illustration by Brian Stauffer for POLITICO The first person to spot the body was an elderly Spanish man who mistook it for a … Read more

Franziska Brantner elected co-leader of German Greens going into snap elections – POLITICO

Franziska Brantner elected co-leader of German Greens going into snap elections – POLITICO

Brantner wants to “make Green great again,” she said, adapting the slogan of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, whom she has criticized as a threat to global climate policy. Brantner will remain state secretary in the German economy ministry, headed by Robert Habeck, Germany’s vice chancellor. He is expected to be nominated as the Green Party’s … Read more

Positively surprised by call with Trump, Scholz says – POLITICO

Positively surprised by call with Trump, Scholz says – POLITICO

Scholz on Friday spoke on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin for about an hour in what constituted the first direct exchange between the two leaders in nearly two years, according to German media reports. Asked in the Süddeutsche Zeitung interview if he’s afraid of a deal over Ukraine’s head between Trump and Putin, Scholz … Read more

What does Trump’s pick for Pentagon chief mean for US-China military ties?

What does Trump’s pick for Pentagon chief mean for US-China military ties?

US president-elect Donald Trump’s surprise pick of Pete Hegseth, a television host and army veteran, to be his Pentagon chief is expected to inject more unpredictability into the already fragile US-China military relationship, according to analysts. Hegseth, 44, is a Fox News political commentator and a military veteran who served tours of duty in Iraq … Read more

5 things to know about EU tech security chief Henna Virkkunen’s hearing – POLITICO

5 things to know about EU tech security chief Henna Virkkunen’s hearing – POLITICO

Virkkunen on Tuesday took a quintessential Brussels approach to the issue, sticking to her script and spelling out the same, legalistic answer all evening: Any company operating in Europe must abide by its rules. She said she wanted to speed up the investigations under the DSA, but the work needed to be “evidence-based.” She stopped … Read more

Donald Trump Jr. taunts Zelenskyy about ‘losing your allowance’ – POLITICO

Donald Trump Jr. taunts Zelenskyy about ‘losing your allowance’ – POLITICO

Trump has repeatedly claimed that he would end the war started by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 in one day. In an attempt to anticipate any upcoming cuts to Ukraine funding, the government of outgoing President Joe Biden is looking to send the last of more than $6 billion … Read more

October was worst month for Russia since start of Ukraine war, UK official says – POLITICO

October was worst month for Russia since start of Ukraine war, UK official says – POLITICO

While Russian gains are putting pressure on the Ukrainian front, Radakin said, Moscow is suffering losses “for tiny increments of land.” The Kremlin does not provide figures on the impact the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has had on the Russian military. A Wall Street Journal report in September said more than a million … Read more

Qatar suspends role as mediator between Israel and Hamas – POLITICO

Qatar suspends role as mediator between Israel and Hamas – POLITICO

The move to pause its mediator role comes after senior U.S. officials reportedly said Washington would no longer accept the presence of Hamas representatives in Qatar, accusing the Palestinian militant group of rejecting fresh proposals for an end to the war in Gaza. The Qatari statement said media reports on the future of the Hamas … Read more

Poland’s Tusk to meet EU, UK, NATO leaders on Ukraine after Trump win – POLITICO

Poland’s Tusk to meet EU, UK, NATO leaders on Ukraine after Trump win – POLITICO

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk plans meetings with leaders from the EU, the U.K. and NATO to discuss the situation in Ukraine after Donald Trump’s election victory in the United States. Tusk said that he would host meetings in Warsaw with French President Emmanuel Macron and NATO chief Mark Rutte, while a meeting with British … Read more