The country once described as the "indispensable nation" upholding the rules-based multilateral order has rapidly mutated into an extractive superpower.
5 August 2025 — Moreno Bertoldi, Marco Buti, Project Syndicate
There were two reasons that forced President Zelenskyy to change direction and agree to reverse a law that would have seriously jeopardised Ukraine’s future within Europe.
Europe's political leaders, having pledged to boost defense spending and support Ukraine in its war against Russia, must now confront the painful budgetary trade-offs required to fund these commitments.
Hungarian President Viktor Orbán had worn the European Union down to the point that there was a growing willingness to ignore him, but Ukraine seemed determined to sabotage that plan.
The Trump administration is not the first to be tempted by the idea that short, sharp displays of military strength can convince other countries to capitulate to US demands.
Trump could choose to be a unifier rather than a divider. Unfortunately, it is far more likely that Trump will continue to fan the flames of division, keeping the risk of political violence elevated.
On June 28th, more than 100,000 people took to the streets – not so much in support of Pride values, but to show Orbán he is losing power… Orbán is the only one who lost in this story.
The political doctrines that try to justify that Ukraine should not be a member of the EU and NATO are not only anti-Ukrainian, they are anti-Hungarian and anti-European.
26 June 2025 — The Central European Strategy Institute (ICES)