EU external relations, diplomacy, and security
Born without arms near Kazakhstan’s Semipalatinsk nuclear test site, Karipbek Kuyukov has spent decades putting a human face on the cost of nuclear weapons. This week, survivors from across the globe gathered to demand that disarmament move from rhetoric to reality.
Humanitarian agencies have delivered food and supplies to more than 300,000 people in Gaza, but aid workers warn the scale of need is vastly outpacing deliveries. With famine-like conditions spreading, access remains the central obstacle to relief efforts.
Donald Trump has announced what he’s calling a historic agreement giving the United States effective control over 65 billion barrels of Venezuelan oil. The deal, brokered under extraordinary diplomatic pressure, could reshape the global energy market almost overnight.
Board of Peace envoy Nickolay Mladenov has warned that collapsing the October ceasefire would be a “point of no return” for Gaza. He condemned Israeli airstrikes and Hamas rocket fire in unusually blunt terms.
The UN’s top human rights official says Rohingya in Myanmar are enduring cruelty on multiple levels, as conflict, displacement, and aid cuts leave millions without protection. The crisis shows no sign of easing.
China has told its citizens to leave Eswatini, Africa’s only Taiwan ally, citing vague ‘security risks’ in a move analysts say fits Beijing’s pressure playbook. The advisory comes as Taiwan’s circle of formal diplomatic partners continues to shrink.
The Syrian Democratic Forces announced their dissolution on August 25, a move reshaping the balance of power across northeastern Syria. Here’s why the decision carries consequences far beyond the battlefield.
European leaders have pledged €1.4 billion in fresh military aid to Ukraine as Russia launches its heaviest strikes of the year. The show of unity comes amid growing concerns over the reliability of US support.
Sweden’s armed forces have formally requested the seizure of a Russian-owned estate near the strategically vital Muskö Naval Base, pointing to repeated drone threats as justification. The case could set a landmark precedent for foreign land ownership near military sites.
Emmanuel Macron’s decision to welcome Mohammed bin Salman at the Élysée has reignited a defining tension of our era: do Western governments actually stand by their values when serious money is on the table? Der Spiegel’s Susanne Koelbl calls it realpolitik in its purest form — and the evidence is hard to argue with.
