CLOAK AND CABINET

Since the war in Ukraine took an interesting turn from conventional warfare to drones, the question on everyone’s lips has been whether Europe should still keep investing in expensive military equipment such as tanks and jets. Cheap drones and missiles appear to be making a major difference in the war in Ukraine. So why spend so much money on traditional weapons when there is already a lack of funding in other areas? Education and health systems, after all, do not fund themselves. This week, let’s break down why conventional warfare is still very much relevant—and why Europe continues to need expensive military materiel alongside cheap drones. UKRAINE, A BIG AND FLAT NATION The war in Ukraine could initially be fought with tanks and large mechanized formations because Ukraine’s geography allows for it. It is a vast, relatively flat country with wide open fields and long land borders, which makes it suitable for maneuver warfare where tanks, artillery, and infantry can operate across la...

As the European Union faces growing geopolitical challenges and renewed interest from countries seeking membership, policymakers have begun exploring alternative approaches to enlargement. One proposal gaining increasing attention is a two-tier membership model, often referred to as "staged accession" or a form of "lite membership." Rather than requiring candidate countries to complete the lengthy and demanding accession process before benefiting from European integration, this model would allow them to participate in selected EU policies, programs, and institutions while continuing to implement the reforms necessary for full membership. In this blog post, we will examine how this model works, why it has attracted support, and the potential advantages and drawbacks it could bring for both the EU and aspiring member states. THE HISTORY OF EUROPEAN UNION ENLARGEMENT The European Union traces its origins to the aftermath of the Second World War, when European leaders...

This week, it's really hard to think what topic to write about. The world right now is constantly changing around us, and attention is being drawn away from the war in Ukraine. What's going on in Iran, the price of oil, the rising cost of living, and the situation with China are grabbing people's attention. In this week's blog, let's focus on Ukraine because it's still necessary to look at the war and what's going on there. SITUATION IN EUROPE The situation in Ukraine has not changed very much, so I won't be focusing on that today. The front line situation is slightly improving in Ukraine's favor. They are pushing back the Russians, but not by much. For Victory Day, there was an exchange of 1,000 prisoners on each side. However, drones and missiles keep hitting Ukrainian cities every single night. People are dying: civilians, children, and the elderly. Europe's situation is now different, so let's focus on that. Why the European situation has...

For centuries, Russia has promoted its culture and language as major global exports and symbols of national achievement. At the same time, other countries have often romanticized Russian history and culture, portraying them as exotic and intriguing themes that capture widespread attention. As a result, when people refer to anything “Slavic,” they frequently default to Russian associations. This can be in personality traits, films, cuisine, or aesthetics. Despite the fact that many countries share Slavic heritage, Russia has become the most prominent and recognizable representative of it. Why does this matter? Because the way Russia and Russian culture are portrayed in music, film, and other forms of art carries implicit messages. Art and culture function as powerful tools of soft power, shaping perceptions and subtly influencing how people think and feel about a nation. In this blog post, I will explore this dynamic and its broader implications, focusing primarily on its relevance to t...

In the previous post, we touched on Trump’s ambitions in Venezuela and his increasing interest in Greenland. Now, it’s time to dive deeper into Greenland itself and explore what a potential U.S. takeover could really mean. What role does Denmark play today? Has Greenland truly been neglected by the EU? Will Trump really risk breaking up NATO?  Let’s find out!   WHAT IS GREENLAND? Greenland is the world’s largest island, with a small population of around 56,000 people, the majority of whom are Inuit. Most residents live along the southwest coast in towns such as Nuuk, the capital. Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, managing its own domestic affairs while Denmark handles defense and foreign policy. Culturally, Greenland blends indigenous traditions with Nordic influences, and its society is closely tied to the harsh Arctic environment and the sea. Economically, Greenland is heavily dependent on fishing, which accounts for the vast majority of it...

On 3rd January 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump led a military operation in Venezuela to capture President Nicolás Maduro on alleged drug charges. The mission was swift and ruthless, lasting only a few hours, and it successfully resulted in the arrest of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. They are now in New York, facing trial on drug-related charges. On top of this, Trump has been threatening several other countries in Latin America, and has even gone as far as claiming that the U.S. will take Greenland because “they need it for their defence.” In this blog post, we’ll briefly look at the Venezuela operation, and then spend more time analyzing what it means for global geopolitics—and more specifically, why Trump seems so obsessed with Greenland.     WHAT HAPPENED IN VENEZUELA? On 3 January 2026, United States forces carried out a rapid military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. According to U.S. offici...

As 2025 draws to a close, I can’t say I’ll miss it. From a geopolitical perspective, the year has been nothing short of a rollercoaster. The war in Ukraine escalated in ways we haven’t seen before, while the so-called peace process took a darker turn, intensified in the worst possible way by Trump’s involvement. Across Europe, we witnessed a paradoxical moment: unprecedented unity alongside deepening fractures. In this blog post, I want to look back at the defining moments of 2025 and venture some predictions for 2026. Will Ukraine finally find a path to peace, or will the war continue much as it has? 2025 WAS A YEAR THAT WORE EVERYONE DOWN In 2025, the war in Ukraine showed no real signs of slowing down. Fighting along the front lines remained brutal, while Russia continued its campaign of missile and drone strikes against Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, especially targeting energy systems and civilian areas. Ukraine managed to hold its ground in many places, but the year increas...

This week proved to be a pivotal one for the European Union, as leaders gathered for the European Council Summit on 18 and 19 December. The most anticipated question was whether Europe would use the €210 billion of Russian funds frozen in Euroclear to support Ukraine. European leaders debated the issue at length, with a few unexpected moments along the way. The final decision may not have been entirely surprising, yet it still carried elements of unpredictability. In this blog post, we’ll take a closer look at what happened during the summit and explore its potential impact. FUNDS FROZEN, A LONG AWAITED DECISION At the same summit, EU leaders also decided to freeze Russian state assets held at Euroclear indefinitely. This concerns roughly €210 billion in assets belonging to the Russian central bank, which had already been frozen under EU sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Previously, the freeze had to be renewed every six months by unanimous agreement, creating t...

The past few days have been a rollercoaster of meetings, headlines, and breaking news surrounding the ongoing peace process in Ukraine. Since the United States submitted its widely criticized 28-point peace plan, we’ve seen several revised iterations, culminating in a European-approved version that reportedly contains 20 points. Since Sunday, European leaders and U.S. envoys have been meeting in Berlin, signaling cautious progress. We are close, but still very far . In this blog post, we’ll break down the latest developments in the peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, while also examining some of the troubling consequences that have emerged from this drawn-out and deeply complex process.   WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING SO FAR? Over the past few days, Ukraine has reported measurable progress in peace-related talks, largely through discussions with U.S. and European representatives rather than direct negotiations with Russia. Meetings in Berlin have centered on a potential framew...

The United States’ 2025 National Security Strategy was published on December 4th. It sets out the priorities of the U.S. government for the upcoming administration, its main goals, strategic direction, and expectations for global partners, as well as how it intends to position itself on the world stage. It is a critical document that U.S. allies look to in order to understand how to navigate their relationships with an increasingly unpredictable Trump administration. Unfortunately, despite its significance, this 30 page document falls short. It presents a deeply insular “America First” approach, combined with the assertion that the United States can intervene anywhere it deems necessary in the name of “protecting the interests of the American people.” In practical terms, this means asserting authority over other nations’ governments, laws, and internal affairs whenever Washington labels something a threat. In this blog post, I will break down the strategy, focusing especially on what ...

For decades, American diplomacy has traditionally followed a structured and institutional approach shaped by the State Department, multilateral cooperation, and standardized policy frameworks. The current U.S. strategy in mediating the Ukraine–Russia peace process, however, looks extremely different. Rather than following classical diplomatic norms, Washington is now approaching the conflict as though it were a business negotiation. This is most evident in the strong involvement of Steve Witkoff, the US envoy with a background in real estate, investment, and deal-making. Their methods reflect the growing influence of American business culture on global conflict resolution, due to Trump's own background in this area. The result is an approach that treats the war not only as a geopolitical crisis but also as a complex transaction in which leverage, incentives, and practical outcomes matter more than ideological alignment. In this blog post, let's analyze how this approach will be...