The founder of the Wagner Group paramilitary forces Friday sharply criticized the Russian military, saying Russian troops had abandoned the flank in and around the eastern city of Bakhmut, allowing Ukraine troops to gain ground on all sides of the disputed city. In a video released Friday, millionaire mercenary group …

Following weeks of Kyiv’s warnings about an upcoming counteroffensive, Russian troops in Crimea are reportedly bracingfor a possible attack. This development takes place despite the West’s reluctance to offer military assistance to Ukraine amidst concerns that its attempt at retaking Crimea would be a crossing of the red line for …

Introduction Among its many geopolitical implications, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has had profound consequences for the European Union’s relations with key energy suppliers. Soon after the war began, the EU began imposing sanctions on Russia, including on fossil fuel imports. In March 2022 the president of the European Commission …

Turkish presidential election Sunday goes down to the wires From a geopolitical perspective, the Turkish presidential election on Sunday may appear to be one of the most crucial non-violent political events of this year. But appearances can be deceptive in Turkish politics. In the surcharged polarisation of “West versus Rest” …

On 29 December 2022, the blockade in Jarinje and Bernjak crossing points in the North Kosovo region1 bordering Serbia ended after 19 days, following lengthy negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo with assistance from the European Union (EU) and the United States. However, the uneasy peace remains a cause for concern, …

Serbia is poised to cut the minimum age of criminal responsibility after a 13-year-old went on a shooting spree in a Belgrade school, reaching for the kind of ‘tougher punishment’ response it has deployed before. Studies, however, raise doubts about the deterrent effect. When, in the hours that followed an …

Months after government servers were hit by sophisticated cyber-attacks, questions remain over Montenegro’s readiness to confront the next inevitable assault, experts say. First they blamed Russia, then a gang called Cuba Ransomware. Months later, authorities in Montenegro still have no definitive answer as to who was behind “unprecedented” cyber-attacks in …

Croatia and Bosnia say the expulsion of hundreds of migrants and refugees from the first to the second country are regulated by a bilateral agreement – but NGOs, rights groups and a legal expert question its legality. Since the end of March 2023, hundreds of migrants and refugees have been …

Shrewd political ploy or justice served? Just why did Hungary’s president pardon Gyorgy Budahazy, a notorious extremist convicted of terrorism. Upon his unexpected release from prison, Gyorgy Budahazy, a notorious far-right activist, jumped on a horse and rode away triumphantly – straight to the nearest pub. What seemed like a …

There is the real prospect of the pro-Russian nationalist-populist Robert Fico returning to power after the September election. Slovakia is set for its third government in as many years after Eduard Heger stepped down as prime minister on Sunday. Even though the full details of the interim technocratic government that …