Newsletter: EU leaders weigh a NATO-style common defence clause Also in this newsletter: EU unblocks €90bn Ukraine loan and new Russia sanctions. Euronews · Apr 23
Russia vs NATO: New Spy Report Flags 12-Month Threat Timeline, Warns of Cyberattacks and Nuclear Pressure Risks The Netherlands' MIVD warns of potential Russian hybrid warfare and nuclear threats against NATO post-Ukraine war, highlighting risks to European security and cyberattacks. International Business Times UK · Apr 23
How the war in Iran has brought European countries closer together – without Trump The United States under President Donald Trump and the European Union have a complicated relationship. On one hand, European countries and the US have built some of the strongest alliances since the end of the second world war. On the other, since the start of Trump’s second term in 2025,… The Conversation · Apr 22
Speed and deterrence: Germany's defence minister unveils first ever military strategy Germany is reshaping its armed forces. The Bundeswehr is set to become faster, more capable and more technologically advanced, with the ability to strike targets precisely at longer range. Euronews · Apr 22
Trump’s team has created a ‘naughty and nice’ list to punish NATO nations that don’t back his plans The president has slammed alliance members for not doing more to support the U.S. war in Iran The Independent UK · Apr 22
A Moldovan oligarch and ex-opposition leader gets a 19-year sentence in a $1 billion bank fraud case A Moldovan oligarch and former opposition leader has been sentenced to 19 years in a fraud case in which a billion dollars stolen from banks in the country more than a decade ago The Independent UK · Apr 22
Cyprus urges EU to agree plan for defence of member states ahead of summit As European Union leaders meet in Cyprus, the country's President Nikos Christodoulides has called for them to address a long-standing gap in the bloc’s security architecture – how the EU responds if one of its member state comes under attack. Radio France Internationale · Apr 22
Britain’s military dependence on US ‘no longer tenable’, says former Nato chief George Robertson says diplomatic tone from White House is at ‘historic low’ and two allies are likely to keep diverging The Guardian - UK · Apr 22
'Learn from Ukraine or defence money will be wasted,' Sanna Marin warns EU The former Finnish prime minister told Euronews that she "cannot rule out" that Russia is preparing for war with the rest of Europe, and that the bloc is "as dependent on Ukrainian help as Ukraine is on EU support". Euronews · Apr 22
Is Trump heading to a Pyrrhic victory in Iran? President Donald Trump has claimed victory in the war in Iran even before the conflict is over. But despite killing the country’s leader and seriously degrading its military, there is an argument being made that the Islamic Republic has emerged all the stronger for having simply survived. The Conversation · Apr 22
Led by Republicans, Americans' Support for NATO Fades Has the Cold War-era military alliance outlived its usefulness? Reason · Apr 22
Newsletter: EU set to unlock €90 billion for Ukraine after Hungary power shift Also on today's newsletter: Luxembourgish Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel and former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin joined us. Euronews · Apr 22
Sky-High Standoff: 6 Nations Scramble Jets as Russian 'Nuclear' Bombers Go Dark Over the Baltic On 20 April, six NATO air forces scrambled to intercept two Russian Tu-22M3 bombers and their 10 fighter escorts, which were flying without transponders over the Baltic region. International Business Times UK · Apr 22
Euronews · Apr 22 How Portugal shaped Canada's new submarines and fine-tuned Arctic defence Portugal is the first country in recent history to operate a conventional submarine under the Arctic ice. The Navy's adaptations for this mission are being studied by Canada, which will incorporate them into its new fleet. Arpão has expanded "tactical options" for underwater combat in the far north.
The Independent UK · Apr 22 The AP Interview: Cyprus president says EU needs a clear playbook on helping members under attack The president of Cyprus says fellow European Union leaders meeting on the island nation need to start preparing a playbook on what should happen if an EU country under attack puts out the call to bloc partners for help
The Mary Sue · Apr 21 ‘A weakness’: Canadian PM Carney unveils shocking plan to break free from the US Canada’s Prime Minister just dropped a bombshell. He’s calling the country’s deep economic ties to the U.S. a “weakness” that needs fixing. In a 10-minute video address on April 20, 2026, Mark Carney laid out a plan to break free from America’s shadow, warning that relying too much on one…
Euronews · Apr 21 NATO intercepts Russian military aircraft flying over the Baltic Sea, French team says Many of the Russian flights that NATO monitors with its Baltic air policing mission, in place since Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia joined the alliance in 2004, are to and from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
The Independent UK · Apr 21 Nato fighter jets scrambled to intercept Russian military aircraft over Baltic Sea Multiple aircraft were all tasked with monitoring the Russian formation
Radio France Internationale · Apr 21 Macron, Tusk push for deeper defence ties as Europe recalibrates security France and Poland have stepped up efforts to deepen their strategic partnership, with Emmanuel Macron and Donald Tusk using a bilateral summit in Poland to inject fresh momentum into defence, industrial, and political cooperation.
The Conversation · Apr 21 NATO’s internal cohesion is being threatened (again) – but in pushing for support on Iran, Trump may risk eroding US influence on the alliance Soon after the Israeli-U.S. war in Iran began on Feb. 28, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump called upon NATO allies to help support the effort. The response of European leaders was at first mixed. Some, like the United Kingdom, offering limited or qualified support. Others — chief among them Spain…
Euronews · Apr 21 Appetite among NATO members to join Iran war 'very limited', says Norway's foreign affairs minister Norway's foreign affairs minister Espen Barth Eide says Europe is 'doing its part' in the Hormuz Strait but argues NATO 'is not party to the conflict' in Iran.
Euronews · Apr 20 France and Poland discuss boosted defence ties as US commitment to Europe wavers One theme Macron has repeatedly come back to is a "European preference" for military procurement to ensure greater independence and self-reliance on the continent.
The Mary Sue · Apr 20 A former VP torches Donald Trump for gas prices but their old quote about the ‘price of democracy’ returns to haunt them Kamala Harris is calling out Donald Trump for soaring gas prices, but an old quote from her own past is making the rounds again. This week, Harris posted on social media that “gas prices are too high” and blamed Trump’s “war of choice in Iran” for the pain at the…