Poland’s actions following the outbreak of war in Ukraine—its break with Hungary, its openness toward the refugees—do not necessarily signal a shift back to liberal democratic values. The national populist government’s focus is Ukraine’s and, invariably, Poland’s right to self-determination.
French President Emmanuel Macron is seeking to provide fresh impetus to the Franco-German partnership. Yet to avail of the opportunities ahead the duo needs to also open up to others in Europe.
Prague takes over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union in July. Jaroslav Kurfürst, the Czech Republic’s Special Envoy for the Eastern Partnership in charge of preparing the presidency, talks to IPQ about the impact Russia’s attack on Ukraine has had on the EU.
Russia's aggressiveness has upended the security order in Europe and the world.
In an interview, renowned Russia expert and former US government adviser Fiona Hill discusses the background to Putin's brutal assault on Ukraine.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is the largest security and humanitarian crisis in Europe since World War II. Yet the West is not doing nearly enough to discourage Putin’s deadly ambitions.
The invasion of Ukraine may well end up being remembered as the last act of the 30-years-long drama of Russia struggling with its imperial legacy.
Once the war in Ukraine ends, Russia will be far less influential and powerful than it was before February 2022. This will only increase the relative importance of military force in Russia’s political arsenal.
The EU needs to improve its capacity to act. The new German government is ready to play its part in order for Europe to be seen as a strong actor on the international stage, says the SPD's foreign affairs spokesperson.
In an increasingly competitive world the concept of European sovereignty has gained in currency. But it’s important to understand exactly what that means.
EU strategic sovereignty in defense remains a distant goal. Member states are desperately clinging to their national sovereignty—but that’s the wrong approach.
What should the EU’s role in the world be? It should aim for confident realism, argues Christoph Heusgen, who will take over the leadership of the Munich Security Conference at the close of this year’s MSC in February.
