Eastern Europe / Features
Russian banking officials warn of hidden risks as debt concerns mount
Russia’s banking sector faces a growing threat of a systemic crisis within the next 12 months, with internal assessments suggesting a more fragile outlook than official statements imply.
Tosyali dethrones Eregli to become largest Turkish steelmaker
Company owner Fuat Tosyali became a favourite businessman of president Erdogan. Projects he’s involved in include making Turkey’s “native and national” Altay battle tank.
Russia’s switch to Murmansk after EU sanctions on LNG exports exposes fragile dependence on Western shipping – CREA
Russia’s attempt to reroute Arctic LNG exports through domestic waters following the European Union’s March 2025 transshipment ban has exposed a hidden vulnerability at the core of its energy strategy, Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
Will Ukraine's refugees go home after the war is over?
Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 caused Europe’s biggest displacement in decades as millions fled, most of them women and children. Three years later, there are still more than 5mn Ukrainians living abroad and only 20% say they will go home.
LONG READ: Nato summit in The Hague is all about the money, not about Ukraine
The collected membership of Nato meets in The Hague on June 25 for a cutdown version of the annual gathering, where Ukraine has been dropped from the agenda and the only thing that will be discussed is increasing defence spending to 5% of GDP.
Global uncertainty causes FDI to plummet in Emerging Europe
wiiw research blames crisis in German industry and the uncertainty surrounding Donald Trump’s second term as US president for sharp slowdown in FDI.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is set to attend a Nato summit in The Hague next week after all
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is set to attend a Nato summit in The Hague next week after all, the European Council confirmed on June 20, amid uncertainty over the US role in transatlantic security commitments.
Russian economy: cooling or recession?
One of the most closely watched sessions at the annual St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), which is underway now, is the economic panel with the heavy hitters from the Kremlin’s economic team.
Western unity collapses as G7 summit in June beaks up with no joint statement
Western unity to support Ukraine in its existential struggle with Russia has collapsedю The G7 summit of the world’s richest nations in Canada, broke up on June 17 without releasing a statement condemning Russia’s military occupation of Ukraine.
Belarus sliding back into Soviet economy habits
Russia been transformed into a war economy, but it is still run on market lines. Belarus is going in the opposite direction, one that is increasingly mirrors Soviet-style economic management.
Russia slowly being squeezed out of Syria
The new Syrian authorities have gone a long way towards gaining full recognition by the international community and as these relations get better those with Russia are getting worse.
Kremlin in delicate position between Israel and Iran, but could play peacemaker
With its long-standing good relations with both Tel Aviv and Tehran, the outbreak of war in the Middle East has put Moscow in a delicate position, but it has also been presented it with the opportunity to act as peacemaker.
CITIES IN PERIL: Boomtowns built on melting ground
The warming climate has opened up some of the world’s coldest regions to mining and shipping, but melting permafrost under cities like Yakutsk and Norilsk is causing buildings and infrastructure to crumble.
Nawrocki’s rise sparks fresh uncertainty for wartime Ukraine
Conservative historian Karol Nawrocki’s victory in the June presidential election in Poland has all but dashed Ukrainian hopes for Warsaw speaking with one voice about Ukraine.
A drone arms race between Russia and Ukraine is in full swing
Drones have increasingly become an offensive, not defensive, weapon.
Ukraine, Russian ceasefire talks are dead
Both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy have given up on ceasefire talks, calling them pointless as both sides increase the frequency and ferocity of their mutual missile strikes on each other's territory.
The Bazarification of war
In the early hours of June 1, 2025, Ukrainian intelligence operatives executed what military historians may well regard as warfare's equivalent of Pearl Harbor.
China helping Russia outpace Ukraine in drone production, Kyiv claims
Russia is rapidly closing the gap with Ukraine in drone warfare thanks in part to covert support from China that is supplying Russia with all the parts and technology it can, but strictly staying within technical limits imposed by sanctions.
Countering drones in modern warfare: lessons from Ukraine and beyond
Electronic countermeasures are among the most widely used methods for neutralising drones. These include GPS jamming, radio-frequency jamming and signal spoofing.
CITIES IN PERIL: Cities confront the rising tide of climate change
Fast and chaotic urban population growth combined with climate challenges on multiple fronts are putting cities at risk around the world.