Long-reads

Europe fails the resilience test: what the Berlin blackout revealed and how Ukraine can help
Peaceful Europe is not being hit where it traditionally believed itself strongest, but where it had grown used to expecting no blow at all: critical infrastructure.
Strength over law: how the US operation in Venezuela empowered Moscow and exposed its own weakness
What do these changes mean for the global order? How will Russia’s actions change as a result? What mistakes has the Trump administration made?
Beyond the prosecutor's office: what the European Commission overlooked
The formal implementation by Ukraine of individual recommendations, without a coherent institutional vision, is unlikely to deliver the expected results.
Neither reparations nor loans: Ukraine's gains and losses from the EU decision
The most serious risk, however, is that Russia has gained a new negotiating "card" as a result of this prolonged process. It is entirely plausible that, in a few years, the same Kirill Dmitriev could approach the EU with a proposal to "repay" this loan directly in exchange for the lifting of sanctions.
Help or surrender: why the West must acknowledge that Ukraine can win
The real question is not whether Ukraine has the capacity to win, but whether that is what we want. Ukraine's victory is unequivocally in Europe's interest.
The Compensation Commission established: what comes next, and what challenges Ukraine may face?
The establishment of the Compensation Commission, as well as the earlier creation of the Register of Damage, represents a major achievement of Ukrainian diplomacy. However, no such commission can be considered fully successful without adequate funding for the payment of compensation.
Trump’s deal with Belarus’s dictator: what lies behind the release of political prisoners?
Alexander Lukashenko has moved to release his "most valuable" hostages, receiving in return the lifting of US sanctions on Belarusian potash.
Plan B for Ukraine: how Orbán was barred from blocking Kyiv's EU bid
As of today, the responsibility for EU accession lies solely with Ukraine. Whether the parliament, the president and the government can implement the necessary reforms is now entirely up to them.
Second attempt to find funding for Ukraine: can the EU unlock frozen Russian assets?
The previous model was bolder but too risky. The new one is less legally sophisticated, but much more stable.
Security at a crossroads: how the US and Russia are pushing for a new European order through "peace" in Ukraine
Russia and the US are jointly destroying the remaining international rules established after World War II. "The consequence will be more armed attacks," they acknowledge in Europe…
Macron’s successor: is it possible to prevent the far right from coming to power in France?
Is it possible to stop the far right’s victorious march toward the presidency? And which French politicians are capable of doing so?
Capitulation in a new guise: what Donald Trump’s "Peace deal" actually offers Ukraine
We agree to a Peace Board headed by President Donald Trump. But we will never accept a "Capitulation Board" on Putin's terms.
EU is looking for funds for Ukraine: what options can replace the reparations loan?
The difficulties surrounding the reparations loan are forcing the EU to increasingly discuss alternative financing models for Ukraine.
After Trump and MAGA: can Republicans return to their values
Under the influence of Donald Trump and his MAGA movement, the American right has become unrecognizable to those who remain committed to the values espoused by Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher.
EU candidate ranking 2025: leaders, laggers and Ukraine’s critical crossroads
The EU’s "positive" report on Ukraine is actually a wake-up call. It would take more than 20 years to join at the current rate! Meanwhile, Moldova is forging ahead and setting records...
Ukraine warned but not punished: EU report assesses reforms and failures, setting the bar for Kyiv
Brussels sees Ukraine as one of the frontrunners on the path to EU membership, while Kyiv has also faced candid criticism and a new set of demands…
Frozen Eurointegration, thawed stagnation: how Ukraine’s justice system has changed over the past year
The European Commission delivered rather clear and unambiguous signals to the Ukrainian government regarding rule-of-law reforms.
Prison for president: how Sarkozy's sentence changes France's political landscape
A former head of state has received a real prison term for the first time in France’s history. The stereotype that the country’s leading politicians remain untouchable has been shattered.