Europe

Hungary

Energy

Economics

Politics

In a letter written to European Council President Charles Michel, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban proposed not discussing the European Union's latest sanctions package, which includes the proposed EU embargo on Russian oil, at the European Council extraordinary leaders meeting set for May 30-31, the Financial Times reported May 24.

Hungary: Orban Does Not Want to Discuss Oil Embargo at European Council Summit

Divided EU Foreign Policies

Austria

Ukraine

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Austria's Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg said the European Union should consider granting neighboring states such as Ukraine rapid access to "parts of the common market" and to some EU institutions and programs as they seek full membership in the bloc, the Financial Times reported May 1.

Austria, Ukraine: Vienna Calls for 'Creative' Ways to Grant Kyiv Access to EU Institutions

Austria's Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg announced that his government opposed granting Ukraine EU candidate status and said the European Union should instead offer Kyiv "another path" forward in its relationship with the 27-member bloc, RFE/RL reported April 23.

Ukraine, Austria: Vienna Opposes Granting Ukraine EU Candidate Status

The Fate of the Eurozone

France

Germany

Russia

The European Union is drafting a ban on Russian oil imports that could be proposed after the April 24 second round of France's presidential election, The New York Times reported April 14, citing EU officials.

EU: Phased Russian Oil Ban Proposal Possible After French Presidential Election

The Ukraine Conflict

The Politics of Pipelines

Environment, Science & Technology

The European Commission officially presented its "taxonomy" for sustainable activities, which establishes which energy sources and economic activities can be considered "green" and therefore eligible for EU, national and private investment and subsidies, AP reported Feb. 2.

EU: European Commission Unveils 'Taxonomy' of Sustainable Energy Sources

EU: Regional Blocs

Environmental Issues

China

Taiwan

Slovenia

Asia-Pacific: Among Great Powers

On Jan. 28, Slovenian Foreign Minister Anze Logar told the European Parliament's foreign policy committee that the new Taiwan trade office would be titled "Taipei," not "Taiwan," South China Morning Post reported Jan. 31.

Slovenia, China: Ljubljana Falters on Taiwan Office Amid Early Trade Coercion

Lithuania

European business groups, including the German-Baltic Chamber of Commerce, have been pressuring Lithuania to de-escalate its dispute with China over Vilnius' new Taiwan Representative Office or else face a mass exodus of companies, Reuters reported Jan. 21.

China, Lithuania: Businesses Pressure Lithuania as Exports to China Dry Up

The European Commission has prepared a proposal that would grant it the power to impose economic sanctions on individuals, companies and countries that threaten the European Union without member state approval, Politico reported Dec. 6.

EU: European Commission Wants Power to Sanction Without Member State Approval

That countries act in their own interests and not the interests of others is a fact that has always haunted EU foreign policy. It is for this reason that its foreign policy is reactive, not proactive as it was meant to be. And this dynamic is not lost on other foreign powers such as Russia, Turkey and the United States, which exploit EU divisions for their own benefit.

That countries act in their own interests and not the interest of others is a fact that has always haunted EU foreign policy.

Estonia

Latvia

Poland

Italy

Brexit

European Disintegration

Echoes of the Cold War

Russia's Internal Struggle

The Fight for Russia’s Borderlands

Assessments

Denmark

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen speaks to journalists in Copenhagen on June 1, 2022, after the initial results of a historic referendum on Denmark's EU defense opt-out were announced.

Military & Security

The historic decision will complete the EU's security architecture and consolidate Nordic countries' influence over European military affairs as the war in Ukraine rages on.

The Significance of Denmark Ending Its EU Defense Opt-Out

Security

European Council president Charles Michel talks with the press on May 30, 2022, after arriving in Brussels, Belgium, for a special EU meeting focused on the war in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia. 

The caveated embargo shows Brussels may be reaching a limit in how much more economic pain it can inflict on Moscow without jeopardizing the bloc's own stability.

The EU Has Finally Approved Its Ban on Russian Oil. What Now?

Supply Chains

Columns

On Geopolitics

Hungarian President Katalin Novak (L) and Polish President Andrzej Duda on May 17, 2022, in Warsaw, Poland.

Just as the Ukraine war motivated Sweden and Finland to abandon their neutrality, it could reconcile the European Union with two of its most problematic member states.

Will the War in Ukraine End the Polish-Hungarian Alliance?

Snapshots

Georgia

Moldova

French President Emmanuel Macron (left) meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during an Eastern Partnership summit at the European Council headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Dec. 15, 2021. 

These countries will probably receive more EU funding and political support to help fend off threats from Russia, but they're unlikely to join the bloc anytime soon.

For Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, EU Aid Remains More Likely Than Accession

United States

The flags of NATO member countries are seen on a billboard in Riga, Latvia, on Nov. 28, 2021, two days before the start of meetings to discuss Russia’s military buildup near Ukraine. 

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

If Russia invades, the West’s reaction will be one of the most consequential and complex decisions in decades, setting off a motion of reverberating effects throughout the world.

The West’s Dilemma of Sanctioning Russian Aggression in Ukraine

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen gives a statement on Ukraine at the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Jan. 24, 2022. 

Unless Russia invades Ukraine, the bloc is unlikely to impose high-impact sanctions that could damage its economic ties with Moscow.

How Will the EU Respond to Russian Aggression in Ukraine?

Media

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Forecast Webcast

China in Transition

Join our analysts for this webcast recording exploring key topics identified in the 2022 Annual Worldview Forecast.

2022 Annual Forecast Webcast

U.S.-Iran Relations

U.S.-China Relations

Belarus

A deserted migrant camp is seen on the Belarus-Poland border in the Grodno region on Nov. 18, 2021. 

Germany’s outreach to Lukashenko may temporarily improve the migrant crisis, but simmering tensions with Brussels will likely push Minsk to resume pressure tactics.

EU-Belarus Cooperation on the Border Is Unlikely to Yield Broader Rapprochement

A security guard patrols outside a building that houses the NATO information office in Moscow on Oct. 18, 2021, after Russia announced it was ending the country’s mission to the Western military alliance. 

Moscow’s response to the Western alliance’s expulsion of Russian diplomats is aimed at undermining transatlantic unity and deterring additional U.S. sanctions. 

By Ending Its NATO Mission, Russia Seeks to Strain U.S.-Europe Ties

Guidance

Italy’s top foreign policy officials attend a G-20 joint session on June 29, 2021.

Globalization

Failure to reach an agreement would deprive governments of critical revenue to cushion the aftershocks of COVID-19.

Competing G-20 Interests Risk Hindering a Global Tax Deal

Turkey

The Turkish flag (left) waves alongside the EU flag in Istanbul in August 2018. 

The results of the bloc’s foreign policy-focused summit signal continued tensions with Moscow and potentially more pragmatic ties with Ankara. 

The EU Lays Out Its Approach to Russia and Turkey

Then-U.S. Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a 2015 meeting with EU leaders in Brussels, Belgium.

Divergences of data rules and the scope of antitrust laws will keep technology a thorny issue between Washington and Brussels.

Despite New Deals, EU-U.S. Tech Tensions Remain 

Divided EU Foreign Policies

SITUATION REPORTS

Hungary: Orban Does Not Want to Discuss Oil Embargo at European Council Summit

Austria, Ukraine: Vienna Calls for 'Creative' Ways to Grant Kyiv Access to EU Institutions

Ukraine, Austria: Vienna Opposes Granting Ukraine EU Candidate Status

EU: Phased Russian Oil Ban Proposal Possible After French Presidential Election

EU: European Commission Unveils 'Taxonomy' of Sustainable Energy Sources

Slovenia, China: Ljubljana Falters on Taiwan Office Amid Early Trade Coercion

China, Lithuania: Businesses Pressure Lithuania as Exports to China Dry Up

EU: European Commission Wants Power to Sanction Without Member State Approval

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