Eastern-Central Europe
Russia’s Nuclear Doctrine Shift: A Dangerous Escalation Amid the Ukraine Conflict
Russian President Vladmir Putin’s new nuclear doctrine shifted significantly from the country’s previous nuclear policy. The new amendments, announced in late September 2024, lowered the threshold for the usage of nuclear weapons.
Russian Drone Strikes Near NATO: Prelude to World War 3 or Isolated Incidents?
On Sept. 8, a Russian-operated Shahed-type drone crashed in Latvia's Rezekne region. The drone had entered Latvian airspace from Belarus and was tracked by air defense systems. While there was no immediate harm, Latvian Minister of Defense Andris Sprūds emphasised this incursion's seriousness, as any violation of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member's airspace could have broad security ramifications.
Trial of Former Kosovo President Accused of War Crimes Begins in The Hague
The trial of former Kosovo President Hashim Thaci, who has led the partially recognized republic since 2016 and resigned in November 2020, began on Monday, April 3, at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Slovakia Sends First of Thirteen MiG-29 Jets After Poland Pledges Four
Last week on Friday, March 17, Slovakia announced that it would be providing 13 MiG-29 jet fighters to Ukraine; this came only a day after Poland had pledged four.
Ethnic Tensions Rise in Kosovo
Kosovo’s political leaders announced this weekend that upcoming local elections will be postponed until early next spring in several northern municipalities.
Missile Strike in Poland Threatens War in Europe
On Nov. 15, 2022, a missile landed in Polish territory close to the Polish-Ukrainian border, scrambling the military and diplomatic counterparts of NATO, Poland, Russia, and the U.S.
Tensions Escalate on the Border between Russia and Poland in Kaliningrad
On Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022, the general secretary of the ruling Law and Justice Party in Poland said that they were considering building a structure along its border with Kaliningrad, the Russian exclave along the Baltic Sea.