Image credits EU special Summit: Towards a European Defence Union Analysis After years of hesitation, the EU – driven by geopolitical shifts – is finally moving forward. The special summit in Brussels shows momentum in defence policy. But Europe remains vulnerable without a big step forward. By Eva van de Rakt and Roderick Kefferpütz Stopping Russian aggression means rejecting its fossil fuel exports – and, ultimately, switching to renewables Article Three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Paul Hockenos compares the efforts of the EU and the US in view of weaning from Russian fossil fuels. On the ground, Ukraine’s transition to distributed renewables already rhymes with resilience against the aggressor. By Paul Hockenos “Democracy cannot 'do the magic' and protect itself” Interview As part of an EU Democracy research project funded by the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union office, Sophie Pornschlegel interviewed European Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová, during the summer break of the European Commission. In their conversation, Vice-President Jourová reflected on five years of efforts to safeguard democracy, human rights and the rule of law in the EU, amid increasing threats against democracy and a shifting geopolitical context, not least due to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. By Sophie Pornschlegel and Věra Jourová Slovakia: When it comes to Ukraine's EU accession, politicians reach a surprising consensus, while only two parties are willing to discuss the right of veto Analysis The major points of friction in foreign policy can be observed when it comes to the issue of military support for Ukraine and keeping of the veto right. Other timely topics that are almost completely absent from the parties' manifestos include, for example, the war in the Gaza Strip or relations with China. By Natália Silenská Feminism in Ukraine is always anti-colonial Analysis Russian Imperialism has created many myths about Ukrainians and cannot be understood without a gender lense. Ukrainians are today persistently striving to uphold their national identity and advance gender emancipation, drawing parallels with the women’s movement in Ukraine a century ago. By Galyna Kotliuk Russia, Ukraine, and the Reshuffling of the European Security Order Analysis Russia’s large-scale war against Ukraine does also reflect how China and Russia are interlinked with each other to challenge the current global order. The Black Sea region has become a key area where the new European security order will be negotiated. By Iulia-Sabina Joja All Ukraine articles
EU special Summit: Towards a European Defence Union Analysis After years of hesitation, the EU – driven by geopolitical shifts – is finally moving forward. The special summit in Brussels shows momentum in defence policy. But Europe remains vulnerable without a big step forward. By Eva van de Rakt and Roderick Kefferpütz
Stopping Russian aggression means rejecting its fossil fuel exports – and, ultimately, switching to renewables Article Three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Paul Hockenos compares the efforts of the EU and the US in view of weaning from Russian fossil fuels. On the ground, Ukraine’s transition to distributed renewables already rhymes with resilience against the aggressor. By Paul Hockenos
“Democracy cannot 'do the magic' and protect itself” Interview As part of an EU Democracy research project funded by the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union office, Sophie Pornschlegel interviewed European Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová, during the summer break of the European Commission. In their conversation, Vice-President Jourová reflected on five years of efforts to safeguard democracy, human rights and the rule of law in the EU, amid increasing threats against democracy and a shifting geopolitical context, not least due to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. By Sophie Pornschlegel and Věra Jourová
Slovakia: When it comes to Ukraine's EU accession, politicians reach a surprising consensus, while only two parties are willing to discuss the right of veto Analysis The major points of friction in foreign policy can be observed when it comes to the issue of military support for Ukraine and keeping of the veto right. Other timely topics that are almost completely absent from the parties' manifestos include, for example, the war in the Gaza Strip or relations with China. By Natália Silenská
Feminism in Ukraine is always anti-colonial Analysis Russian Imperialism has created many myths about Ukrainians and cannot be understood without a gender lense. Ukrainians are today persistently striving to uphold their national identity and advance gender emancipation, drawing parallels with the women’s movement in Ukraine a century ago. By Galyna Kotliuk
Russia, Ukraine, and the Reshuffling of the European Security Order Analysis Russia’s large-scale war against Ukraine does also reflect how China and Russia are interlinked with each other to challenge the current global order. The Black Sea region has become a key area where the new European security order will be negotiated. By Iulia-Sabina Joja