Jaded Russian diplomats in darkish fits are parroting failed propaganda strains in EU capitals, in accordance with a grim portrait of Russian diplomacy by Estonian spies after one 12 months of warfare. Some Russians really feel demotivated due to little issues, reminiscent of late cost of wages because of issues …

EU officers ought to count on a flood of latest requests for inside paperwork within the wake of a pro-transparency court docket ruling. Emilio de Capitani, a former European Parliament official turned campaigner, filed his first tranche of en-masse queries final week utilizing the asktheeu.org web site, which is hosted …

Senior EU officers pledged extra navy support and Russia sanctions on a singular journey to Kyiv on Thursday (2 February), as Russian president Vladimir Putin amped up speak of World Battle Three. EU nations will prepare a further 15,000 Ukrainian troopers and collectively purchase an additional €500m of arms for …

MEPs ought to pay for their very own international journeys to keep away from suspicion of undue affect, a German member of the European Parliament (EP) has mentioned, after rebelling over a latest go to to Azerbaijan. “We get a budget from taxpayers for expenses like this to unquestionably ensure …

Poland is urging different EU states with Leopard-class tanks to ship them to Ukraine after Germany softened its place on re-export. “Yes. Certainly we’re going to send these tanks,” Polish overseas minister Zbigniew Rau informed press in Brussels on Monday (21 January) after assembly his EU friends. “We will do …

Accusations of Russia appeasement have redoubled following Germany’s decision to continue withholding tanks from Ukraine. German defence minister Boris Pistorius defended Berlin’s decision following a Western arms-pledging meeting by 54 countries at the Rammstein military base in Germany on Friday (20 January). “There was no unified opinion on this,” he …

The European Parliament has cast doubt on whether Hungary’s EU commissioner, Olivér Várhelyi, is fit to do his job following his antics in the Western Balkans. The EP “urges the commission to initiate an independent and impartial investigation into whether the conduct engaged in and policies furthered by the commissioner …

A distinguished Australian scientist says he was duped into doing Azerbaijan propaganda in a PR fiasco that sheds light on shady spin tactics in Brussels. Professor Bill Laurance from James Cook University in Cairns told EUobserver that a London-based PR firm called BTP+Advisers tricked him into signing an inflammatory op-ed …

EU countries should consider a new round of Russian diplomatic expulsions, Estonia has said after ejecting 21 more Russians. “In the context of Russia’s ongoing full-scale war on the soil of Europe against Ukraine, it’s worth considering also by other countries in the Western community,” Estonian foreign minister Urmas Reinsalu …

Turkey and Sweden have hit a wall in talks on Nato accession, with some predicting Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan won’t give way till July. The deadlock comes after Sweden indicated it won’t extradite anybody else to Turkey just to please Ankara. Stockholm: Political extraditions not on the cards, Swedish …

Serbia and Kosovo have stepped again from the brink of violence after ethnic Serbs started dismantling some 10 roadblocks in northern Kosovo on Thursday (29 December). “Diplomacy prevailed in de-escalating tensions in north Kosovo,” EU overseas affairs chef Josep Borrell mentioned, however “pressing progress in dialogue” was wanted to keep …

My first juicy leak got here in 2013 when an EU supply gave me an inch-thick file of information documenting EU Fee cock-ups on diplomatic security in Afghanistan. They introduced it to my dwelling in Brussels and informed me they felt morally compelled as a result of lives have been …