A collection of 150 posts
Von der Leyen's visits to frontline NATO states aims to deliver a message of solidarity while boosting Europe’s defence capacity, promoting joint procurement and galvanising industrial support through the EU’s SAFE mechanism.
The alliance’s biggest spenders are all on the Eastern flank and neighbouring Russia, with Poland leading the pack (4.48%) ahead of Lithuania (4.0%), Latvia (3.73%), and Estonia (3.38%). The US is sixth at 3.22% of GDP.
Fico’s Moscow visit and rhetoric at the recent commemoration have deepened tensions with Brussels over his approach to Russia. The forthcoming Beijing trip highlights his efforts to expand ties with China.
Ukrainian drones have struck at least 10 key Russian energy facilities this month alone, according to US news channel CNN. Attacks on 12, 17 and 21-22 August all targeted Druzhba's same pipeline’s southern leg.
Dodik, once seen as a moderate reformer, has shifted over two decades into a hardline nationalist who consistently tests BiH's post-war settlement.
Like other strategic CRM efforts across Central and Eastern Europe, Chvaletice is emblematic of the policy-delivery gap haunting the bloc’s transition ambitions.
“For Europe, analysis of the historical data shows that a 1% drop in geopolitical alignment is associated with a corresponding 1% decline in trade intensity,” Deloitte observed.
Research by TechBehemoths shows that strong education systems, multilingual talent pools and EU-level legal protections keep CEE competitive for global tech outsourcing and nearshoring.
Romania’s 2024 presidential elections marked the first instance of a national vote annulled due to foreign interference within the EU, the European Commission noted. The episode has triggered renewed calls in the EU and NATO for enhanced cybersecurity capacity and democratic resilience across CEE.
Finland and Sweden abandoned their long-standing neutrality and joined NATO in 2023 and 2024 respectively, citing heightened security threats from Russia. Austria, bordered by NATO members Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia, is increasingly the odd one out in Central Europe’s defence landscape.
The EC is expected to present the proposal formally as part of its mid-term budget review later this year. The plan must be approved unanimously by all 27 member states and endorsed by the European Parliament. Opposition is expected from net contributor countries and regions facing cuts.
Serbia and Bulgaria did not sign the Dubrovnik declaration. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has maintained a policy of strategic ambiguity regarding NATO, while Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has voiced concerns about deepening military support for Ukraine.
EC President Ursula von der Leyen said: "Russia has repeatedly attempted to blackmail us by weaponising its energy supplies. We have taken clear steps to turn off the tap and end the era of Russian fossil fuels in Europe for good."
Global Peace Index (GPI) founder Steve Killelea spoke to the Central European Times on the day of the release of the GPI's 18th annual report. Despite the steep rise in militarisation in CEE, investment-led ambitions are currently limited by fragmentation, Killelea tells CET.
Producers in Poland, Czechia and Moldova are rebranding locally and pursuing new strategies to stay afloat after the collapse of major foreign markets, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Western sanctions on premium alcohol.