Europe

NATO, Ukraine, ICC politics and the performance — and limits — of European solidarity. Coverage tracks transatlantic relations, the erosion of post-Cold War assumptions and what European governments do when their stated values meet hard choices.

The Black Sea Just Got Complicated

Bulgaria’s President Radev has resisted NATO pressure to close Black Sea ports to alliance logistics. The stand is not pro-Russian — it is a calculation about vulnerability. Sofia sits between two wars and is betting neutrality offers more protection than alliance solidarity.

By Sunny Peter

/ 21 Apr 2026

Lost in the Bargain

Ukraine’s war did not end with a peace agreement. It ended with an American pivot. Washington’s absorption in the Iran conflict left Kyiv without the political attention its position requires. Ukraine was not abandoned in a moment of decision — it was quietly deprioritised in a different crisis.

By Sunny Peter

/ 17 Apr 2026

Spain Shows Spine

France criticised and kept its bases open. Germany stayed quiet and offered Ramstein. Spain said what every European government privately believed: we are a sovereign country and will not participate in an illegal war. Consistency, in European foreign policy, is the rarest form of courage.

By Sunny Peter

/ 2 Apr 2026

Russia's Shrinking Sphere: Moldova's Pro-Western Victory Signals Shift

Moldova's pro-European presidential result is significant. Russia spent years cultivating influence in Chisinau through energy dependency, propaganda and political financing. The vote suggests that model has limits. The post-Soviet sphere is not as durable as Moscow assumed.

By Sunny Peter

/ 2 Oct 2025

Russia's Shrinking Sphere: Moldova's Pro-Western Victory Signals Shift

The Moldova Playbook: How Russia's "Occupation" Accusations Mirror Its Prewar Strategy

Before Ukraine, Russia called it peacekeeping. Before Georgia, it cited minority protection. Now the same language is being applied to Moldova. The playbook is not new — the occupation accusation precedes the intervention. Moldova is being prepared, not merely threatened.

By Sunny Peter

/ 23 Sep 2025

The Moldova Playbook: How Russia's "Occupation" Accusations Mirror Its Prewar Strategy