China could play a vital role in helping to nudge Russia towards ending the war in Ukraine. It is in the interests of Germany and the EU to take the lead in pushing Beijing to pressure Russia and cease its support, writes Naomi Breuer.

Venemaa taristurünnakute laienemine enne talve on otsene katse nõrgestada Ukraina vastupanu majanduse ja elanikkonna terroriseerimise kaudu, ent Ukraina on ühiskondliku kohanemise tõttu varasemast paremini valmis, kirjutab Marek Kohv RKK uudiskirjas.

European Allies should aim not just to match the potentially missing US contribution to immediate response, but to exceed it, writes Tony Lawrence.

"For many years, Europe’s armed forces have lacked the readiness to provide immediate response at significant scale." 🔹 Brief VIII: Immediate Response by Tony Lawrence

Whether a Europeanised NATO is sufficient to maintain transatlantic equilibrium in the Arctic depends on whether the Trump administration will prioritise balancing Russia and China, writes Henrik Larsen.

Europe’s defence challenge is not a lack of talent or ambition, but creating the conditions for independent defence companies to scale — without depending on foreign technology, capital, and political considerations, writes Tevian Thomson. ↘️ New brief in the EU Defence Series

The Arctic has become an additional test of transatlantic cohesion after the Trump administration's claim to Greenland. How would a Europeanised NATO defend the region?

"Europeanisation of NATO’s Arctic posture allows Europeans to demonstrate solidarity with Denmark without directly confronting Washington." 🔹 Brief VII: The Arctic by Henrik Larsen

Reconfiguring the European Defence and Technological Industrial Base for a more European NATO is possible but, like all serious reforms, entails high political cost. Private companies are unlikely to change their behaviour without state-induced incentives and pressure. @schuetzt.bsky.social

Two countries, one populist grammar: a corrupt incumbent, a compromised opposition, a public that trusts neither. Léna Zentai compares Serbia’s and Hungary’s political situations. For the first time since 2014, Serbia’s incumbent party looks vulnerable.

Whether the Student List can achieve in Serbia what Péter Magyar achieved in Hungary remains an open question, depending as much on the movement’s strategy as on an electoral environment far less forgiving than Hungary’s, writes Léna Zentai.

Up to 1.5 mn Russians have participated in Russia’s war of aggression since February 2022, of whom around 640 000 are still at the front in Ukraine. Closing the common European space to them is in everyone’s security interest, argues Tetiana Fedosiuk.

From the front line in Ukraine, many Russian troops return home with a history of violence and a sense of lawlessness and impunity. Combat-experienced returnees are an ideal recruitment pool for sabotage and subversion, writes Tetiana Fedosiuk.