Moscow threatened to retaliate after claiming to have downed eight U.S.-manufactured missiles fired from Ukraine toward Russia’s southwestern Belgorod region. “These actions by the Kyiv regime, which is supported by Western curators, will be met with retaliation,” the Russian defense ministry said in a statement on Telegram Saturday, without specifying what countermeasures it intended to … Read more
No full meeting for the group has been convened since Trump’s election victory in November. The loose alliance — also known as the Ramstein format, named after the air base in which it is usually convened — has been run by the U.S. Department of Defense since the start of Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine. Since then, … Read more
Hawkish Eastern European and Nordic countries including Poland and Sweden are keen to boost EU spending on defense, while Southern ones such as Italy and Greece would prefer more cash to stem migrant arrivals from Africa. In 2025, EU countries will set their red lines for the negotiations. But if the past is anything to … Read more
Speaking to POLITICO, Moldova’s national security advisor, Stanislav Secrieru, accused Russia of “weaponizing” its energy exports “to destabilize Moldova economically and socially, weaken the pro-reform government ahead of the elections, and manufacture political demand for the return of pro-Russian forces to power.” According to Secrieru, Moldova — which has been an ardent supporter of Ukraine … Read more
OK, Europe will have to endure again presidential histrionics and needling all-caps tweets, along with threats to withdraw from NATO and impose tariffs, but doesn’t that present an opportunity? Might now European leaders screw up their courage and loosen the apron strings? For years they’ve waffled on about strategic autonomy and sharing the burden more … Read more
And, no doubt, he’s now hoping history repeats itself. Hence, Merz is trying to curb his instincts and not snap at critics, not make any unguarded remarks. But the risk of him getting into trouble while pressing the flesh with voters is not insignificant. This is critical because while Merz dreams of an outright majority, … Read more
Meanwhile, Kyiv could replace the lost power with imports from Romania and Poland, Galushchenko said. Warsaw has already offered its support in case of a cutoff. If “the goal [is] to make Ukraine [in] pain,” he said, “it doesn’t work in this situation.” Slovakia and Hungary, led by the Russia-friendly Fico and Viktor Orbán, have … Read more
At the other end of Europe, Russia’s war in Ukraine continues. Ukrainians chalked up some successes in 2024, becoming a dominant force in the Black Sea despite the country’s tiny navy, and mounting a counteroffensive into Russia’s Kursk region in August. But they are ending this year on the back foot, having lost many of … Read more
Officially, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy celebrated Biden’s decision as significant support for Ukrainian soldiers that would help to stabilize the frontlines. “Every additional supply from our partners means more saved lives of our soldiers. We are also working to ensure that other partners maintain their support at the necessary level,” Zelenskyy said in a … Read more
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is threatening retaliatory measures against Ukraine if Kyiv stops Russian gas transit to Slovakia as of Jan. 1. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy last week said his government “would not prolong the transit of Russian gas” once the current contract expires at the end of this year. Zelenskyy accused Fico of … Read more
