Is HYDEF, the EU’s Hypersonic Interception Programme, Still Making Progress?
Russia perpetrated yet another heavy attack targeting Kyiv on May 24th, firing some 600 drones and 90 missiles including hypersonic Kinzhal and Zircon missiles. As EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said, “Russia hit a dead end on the battlefield, so it terrorizes Ukraine with deliberate strikes on city centres.” A tactic made easier by Ukraine’s lack of air defence systems that can reliably intercept hypersonic missiles – Europe has the same problem. Could the EU’s Hypersonic Defence Interceptor Programme (HYDEF) help to solve this challenge?
After the Iran War: NATO’s Paper Power May Not Survive a Long War
The Iran war is not NATO’s war. Yet, ahead of the 2026 Ankara Summit, it has exposed a deeper anxiety: NATO’s military capabilities may be easy to visualize, but it is evident that the alliance is not ready, both in a political and industrial sense, from the rising Russian threat.
Rearming Europe: Following the Netherlands’ Example?
The Dutch are looking to serve as the forefront in Europe’s new era of military independence.
Poland’s Rise as Europe’s New Technological, Economic, Military Power
Poland’s post-communist rise to one of Europe’s fastest-growing economies represents a profound structural transformation.
Bulgaria’s Russian Web: How Moscow’s Networks Influence Politics, Media and Society
Bulgaria’s adoption of the euro on January 1, 2026, marks a major geopolitical shift. In spite of this, echoes of its historic ties to Russia continue to play a role across its political, economic and informational landscape.
War in the Middle East, Visualised
A timeline of escalation and its global impact.
With Ayatollah Khamenei’s Death, What Does the Future of Iran Behold?
On Wednesday, US President Donald J. Trump assured that the United States will stay in the fight to “finish the job”.
The Funeral No One Wants To Attend: The Collapse of the Global Nuclear Order
As the old nuclear order decays, the world clings to rituals of reassurance that can no longer hide the growing risks beneath the surface.
European Defence: Is Germany a “False Friend”?
As the EU’s largest industrial power, Germany’s defence-industrial decisions are becoming a central fault line between Europe’s ambitions of military autonomy and continued reliance on the US.
Sudan’s Geostrategic Tragedy: How UAE–Saudi–Egypt Rivalry is Testing Europe’s Influence
Behind Sudan’s spiralling humanitarian crisis lies a quiet but decisive proxy war between Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Egypt.
The Weak Link: Hungary’s Espionage and the Risk to Europe and NATO
Within a short timeframe, two espionage scandals erupted involving the Government of Hungary. On separate occasions, the Hungarian secret services were caught infiltrating the European Commission and Ukraine. How has the EU reacted, and what role does Russia play in this?
Navigating Uncertainty: A Report From the Helsinki Geoeconomics Week
Europe’s search for resilience in a world where markets have become geopolitical battlegrounds.
