A New Iron Curtain on the Black Sea: Putin and the Russian Geopolitical Obsession with the Danube Mouths
by Isac Mihai | 3 August 2025 | Editorial | 0 Comments
The Danube Mouths, the strategic area where the Danube River flows into the Black Sea, on the border between Ukraine and Romania, have historically been a point of major interest for empires and great powers. In recent years, the Russian Federation has openly...
Electoral Republic of Moldova: presidential warnings
by Isac Mihai | 31 July 2025 | Analysis, Republic of Moldova | 0 Comments
The President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, has sounded a strong alarm that Russia is preparing 'an unprecedented interference' in the parliamentary elections on September 28, for which 'financing of over 100 million euros' is planned. The head of state from...
Ukraine Ceasiv Yar, the fight against corruption and Western support
by Popescu Paul | 31 July 2025 | Analysis, Ukraine | 0 Comments
The Russian military announced that it has captured the city of Chasiv Yar, a major stronghold of the Ukrainian army in the Donetsk region, in eastern Ukraine. The city of Chasiv Yar, which has been at the center of fighting for months, "has been liberated by Russian...
Russia, Ukraine and Washington’s strategic dilemma in the era of Trump 2.0
by Todos Veronica-Milisa | 28 July 2025 | Analysis, The Russian Federation | 0 Comments
Introduction The Russian-Ukrainian war of 2022 has caused many international reactions, especially from the United States of America, which, among other things, has supported Ukraine militarily. The incumbent US president began his presidential term with the phrase...
Saviours of Europe. How to beat Putin?
by Cara Evgheni | 19 May 2025 | Analysis, The Russian Federation | 0 Comments
Introduction Europe today stands at a crossroads between heightened geopolitical volatility and an unprecedented push for strategic autonomy. A new breed of leaders has emerged, tasked with navigating complex security threats, economic disruption, and a shifting...
NATO’s Maping the War in Ukraine. The Informal Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs
by Cara Evgheni | 19 May 2025 | Analysis, Ukraine | 0 Comments
NATO's Ambitious Defense Spending Proposal: A Strategic Imperative or an Overreach? At the Informal Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs held in Antalya, Turkey, on May 14–15, 2025, a pivotal topic of discussion was the U.S. proposal to elevate NATO's defense...
NATO’s Strategic Evolution in 2024. Secretary General Annual Report. The Road Ahead for Ukraine and Republic of Moldova.
by Cara Evgheni | 6 May 2025 | Analysis, Ukraine | 0 Comments
The Secretary General’s Annual Report for 2024, released on 24 April 2025, provides a concise overview of NATO’s main achievements and priorities over the past year. The report underscores the Alliance’s enduring commitment to collective defence and cohesion among its...
The consequences of the war in Ukraine on Russia’s relations with its allies
by Bogdan Cozma | 2 May 2025 | Analysis, The Russian Federation | 0 Comments
Looking at the news about the current situation on the Ukrainian front, as well as the disputes between Kyiv and the White House, which favor the Kremlin's position, a reader can quickly get the idea that Russia has managed to consolidate its forces and will emerge in...
Zangezur, Turkey’s gateway to Central Asia?
by Isac Mihai | 30 April 2025 | Analysis, Turkey | 0 Comments
The expansion and consolidation of Turkey's geopolitical and economic presence in the South Caucasus and Central Asia represents a historic gamble for the Erdogan administration. By skillfully exploiting the political and security developments of recent years, Ankara...
Romania and the EU: 20 years since the signing of the Accession Treaty
by Isac Mihai | 29 April 2025 | Editorial | 0 Comments
A few days ago we marked two decades since a crucial moment in Romania's contemporary history: the signing, on April 25, 2005, of the Accession Treaty to the European Union. In Luxembourg, 20 years ago, our country took a decisive step towards fulfilling a profound...
Editorial
A New Iron Curtain on the Black Sea: Putin and the Russian Geopolitical Obsession with the Danube Mouths
by Isac Mihai | Aug 3, 2025 | Editorial
The Danube Mouths, the strategic area where the Danube River flows into the Black Sea, on the border between Ukraine and Romania, have historically been a point of major interest for empires and great powers. In recent years, the Russian Federation has openly...
Romania and the EU: 20 years since the signing of the Accession Treaty
by Isac Mihai | Apr 29, 2025 | Editorial
A few days ago we marked two decades since a crucial moment in Romania's contemporary history: the signing, on April 25, 2005, of the Accession Treaty to the European Union. In Luxembourg, 20 years ago, our country took a decisive step towards fulfilling a profound...
From ‘ReArm Europe’ to ‘Readiness 2030’: the EU can strengthen its presence in the Black Sea
by Isac Mihai | Apr 24, 2025 | Editorial
The Black Sea region becomes the focus of a major strategic shift in the context of the launch of the ambitious ‘ReArm Europe’ initiative recently proposed by the European Commission. The programme, renamed ‘Readiness 2030’, was unveiled by President Ursula von der...
Interviews
Volodymyr Solovian: Any legal recognition of Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s sovereign territories – including Crimea – is unacceptable / It is crucial for Ukraine to maintain Bucharest’s support for its European path / Kiev will coordinate its policy towards Transnistria with the pro-European government in Chisinau.
Mr. Volodymyr Solovian heads the Hybrid Warfare Analytical Group at the Ukraine Crisis Media Center (UCMC) in Kyiv. One of the most well-known political analysts in Ukraine, in his public interventions, Mr. Volodymyr Solovian has always drawn attention to the...
Elena Mârzac: Criza refugiaților a demonstrat că femeile nu sunt doar victime, ci actori de prim-plan în gestionarea situațiilor de urgență. Multe dintre intervențiile eficiente – de la centre de primire și consiliere, gestionarea frontierei, la mobilizarea resurselor și medierea comunitară – au fost coordonate de femei, inclusiv în afara structurilor instituționale formale.
Ms. Elena Mârzac is the director and founder of the Platform for Security and Defense Initiatives. With over 15 years of experience in project management, communication and promotion in the associative, public-private and academic sectors, Ms. Mârzac's fields of...
Stanislav Zhelikhovskyi:Ukraine wants international partners to give up the idea of a ‘peace pact’ imposed on Russia’s terms
Mr Stanislav Zhelikhovskyi is a Doctor of Political Science, working in the period 2020-2023 as a Senior Specialist at the Hennady Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine, an institution operating under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kiev. The...
Stanislav Zhelikhovskyi: It is essential for the pace of cooperation between Bucharest and Kyiv to not only remain in good standing but also to strengthen further
Mr. Stanislav Zhelikhovskyi is a Doctor of Political Sciences, Senior Specialist at the Hennady Udovenko Diplomatic Academy of Ukraine, which operates under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kiev. He answered our questions about the war,...
Tamari Bibichadze: Romania can play a pivotal role in Georgia’s path towards EU accession
Ms. Tamari Bibichadze is a member of the non-governmental organization YATA Georgia, one of the most important civil society platforms in the Republic of Georgia. K.P.: How did the Russian invasion in Ukraine influence Georgian political life? T.B.: The Russia-Ukraine...
Analysis
Electoral Republic of Moldova: presidential warnings
The President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, has sounded a strong alarm that Russia is preparing 'an unprecedented interference' in the parliamentary elections on September 28, for which 'financing of over 100 million euros' is planned. The head of state from...
Ukraine Ceasiv Yar, the fight against corruption and Western support
The Russian military announced that it has captured the city of Chasiv Yar, a major stronghold of the Ukrainian army in the Donetsk region, in eastern Ukraine. The city of Chasiv Yar, which has been at the center of fighting for months, "has been liberated by Russian...
Russia, Ukraine and Washington’s strategic dilemma in the era of Trump 2.0
Introduction The Russian-Ukrainian war of 2022 has caused many international reactions, especially from the United States of America, which, among other things, has supported Ukraine militarily. The incumbent US president began his presidential term with the phrase...
Saviours of Europe. How to beat Putin?
Introduction Europe today stands at a crossroads between heightened geopolitical volatility and an unprecedented push for strategic autonomy. A new breed of leaders has emerged, tasked with navigating complex security threats, economic disruption, and a shifting...
NATO’s Maping the War in Ukraine. The Informal Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs
NATO's Ambitious Defense Spending Proposal: A Strategic Imperative or an Overreach? At the Informal Meeting of NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs held in Antalya, Turkey, on May 14–15, 2025, a pivotal topic of discussion was the U.S. proposal to elevate NATO's defense...
NATO’s Strategic Evolution in 2024. Secretary General Annual Report. The Road Ahead for Ukraine and Republic of Moldova.
The Secretary General’s Annual Report for 2024, released on 24 April 2025, provides a concise overview of NATO’s main achievements and priorities over the past year. The report underscores the Alliance’s enduring commitment to collective defence and cohesion among its...
The consequences of the war in Ukraine on Russia’s relations with its allies
Looking at the news about the current situation on the Ukrainian front, as well as the disputes between Kyiv and the White House, which favor the Kremlin's position, a reader can quickly get the idea that Russia has managed to consolidate its forces and will emerge in...
Zangezur, Turkey’s gateway to Central Asia?
The expansion and consolidation of Turkey's geopolitical and economic presence in the South Caucasus and Central Asia represents a historic gamble for the Erdogan administration. By skillfully exploiting the political and security developments of recent years, Ankara...
The Republic of Moldova at the moment of truth: parliamentary elections under Putin’s shadow
Since 2022, the Republic of Moldova has been going through the most intense campaign to influence the will of the electorate externally since the proclamation of the former Soviet republic’s independence. Recently, President Maia Sandu pledged to bring the Republic of...
Bulgaria, the Danube and NATO, a geopolitical bet for the next decade
Bulgaria has met the final requirements for joining the eurozone by meeting the budget deficit criterion in 2024. Having previously met the inflation target, the final step was to confirm compliance with the EU methodology on public finances in 2024. These economic...
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