Nov 22, 2024 · On 21 November, the State Duma approved, at the third reading, the draft federal budget for 2025 and the general parameters of the 2026–27 budgets. Expenditure will increase for another consecutive year, primarily due to spending on national defence rising at a double-digit rate and internal security.

Research on the political, economic and social situation in Central and Eastern Europe, Balkans, Caucasus and Central Asia.

Oct 25, 2024 · For several months, the far-left Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) has been waging a campaign challenging the German government's security policy decisions. It aims to halt military support for Ukraine, initiate dialogue with Russia, and curtail Germany’s collaboration with the United States and its engagement in NATO. The BSW particularly criticises two issues directly affecting the security ...

Oct 23, 2024 · On 17 October, the defence ministers of Estonia and the United Kingdom signed a bilateral defence roadmap, outlining steps to further enhance the British military presence in Estonia. From July 2025, the UK will maintain a light brigade on standby, capable of rapid deployment to Estonia if required. The deployment of these forces will be practised regularly.

Sep 23, 2024 · Since December 2023, the US administration has been increasing its pressure on Russia’s financial sector and its foreign partners. This has made it progressively more difficult for the Russian Federation to pay for imported goods and services. Reports from Russian media and businesses also indicate that several Chinese banks have ceased their cooperation with Russia due to concerns over US ...

Dec 18, 2024 · Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is in a critical phase: The Russian military is making territorial gains while Western support for Ukraine is stagnant. Add to this the massive uncertainty about the future US policy. In this moment, we need determination and political leadership. Precisely because Warsaw and Berlin have hitherto had significant differences in their policies versus ...

Oct 28, 2024 · Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine aims to subjugate or destroy Ukraine, overturn the current political and security order in Europe, and fundamentally revise the global order. The conflict is systemic in nature and will continue as long as the dictatorial Putin regime operates in Moscow. Although Russia has not achieved its strategic goals, it is not giving up on its aggressive plans ...

MAIN POINTS Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 is not an escalation of a local conflict over limited territory. It is an armed aggression aimed at subjugating or destroying an important European state, and simultane-ously a stage in Russia’s long-standing war against the Western community. At stake is an overturning of the current political and security order in ...

Nov 29, 2024 · On 30 October, the European Commission published its annual enlargement reports containing a detailed assessment of the state of play and the progress made by the countries seeking to join the European Union, including Ukraine and Moldova. The documents are divided into thematic sections corresponding to six clusters encompassing a …

Dec 3, 2024 · The increasingly intensive cooperation between Russia and North Korea since September 2023 poses a significant threat to the US-led security system in East Asia. By fostering this partnership, Moscow is creating a new axis of international tension intended to increase the costs for the West of supporting Kyiv following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Pyongyang, for its part, is driven ...