Think Tank Review

Ukraine’s path to the EU, the industrial accelerator act and the CHIPS Act 2.0 as tools for EU’s economic independence, Europe's energy transition and the AccelerateEU plan, European autonomy in space, and the impending crude oil crisis are also covered in the present issue.

How getting attention becomes a battlefield, and information becomes a weapon; scenarios for the future of Ukraine and its refugees; how Ukraine is racing to rebuild energy infrastructure damaged by Russian attacks before next winter; how a Russia–Ukraine ceasefire could imperil Ukrainian and European security; and rising tensions within Russia’s ruling elite becoming a mounting challenge for the Kremlin – these are some of the topics discussed in this update.

The results of the Hungarian elections, Ukraine’s integration into the EU, the EU budget’s new own resources, international carbon credits, the benefits and costs of website-blocking legislation, how Europe should respond to the Iran gas shock, US retrenchment, Europe’s place in the global permacrisis and the issue of the Strait of Hormuz are among the topics discussed in the present issue.

The importance of the enlargement process in 2026, the global space economy, the European Green Deal goals alongside the welfare of all European citizens, the Hormuz shock to the EU’s gas security, a new European security strategy, and Operation Epic Fury against Iran and its impact are of the topics featured in the present issue.

The Delta battlefield system being the beating heart of Ukraine’s warfighting capabilities, how Ukrainian media report on public opinion in wartime, how the Iran war highlights Ukraine’s rapid rise to drone superpower status and Ukraine’s post-war recovery with a US-Ukraine free trade agreement are some of the topics discussed in this update.

The evolution of the enlargement process and what can truly be achieved in 2026, the EU’s competitiveness and strategic autonomy, eurobonds for European strategic autonomy, better coordination for a more efficient European energy system, what the EU can do about Trump 2.0, steps for a European defence surge, European and Chinese exports, the status of the US dollar as a reserve currency, and the US-Israeli strikes on Iran are some of the topics discussed in this issue.

Several lessons to draw from the Ukrainian battlefield: after four years of war, Ukraine has held its line and now Europe must secure the future; Europe needs a military operations centre in Ukraine; reintegration of Ukrainians and the related cultural-identity and socio-economic aspects of return and the war in Ukraine as a new founding myth for Russian national identity are some of the topics discussed in the present update.

EU enlargement in the Western Balkans, the EU’s new rules for better regulation, Chinese restrictions on foreign critical tech infrastructure, transatlantic cooperation on protecting minors online, the EU’s digital sovereignty, Greenland and American ambitions, the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, the US intervention in Venezuela, and the new US national security strategy are some of the topics featured in this issue.

The logic of attrition in the Russo-Ukrainian war; the Trump administration and the Russia-Ukraine war and the chances of an agreement with Moscow; the EU and the war in Ukraine and Russia; Europe and the danger of strategic reassurance are some of the topics dealt with in this update.

The EU's growth plan for the Western Balkans, the state of play in the EU enlargement process in 2025, the European Space Agency 2040 strategy, opportunities and challenges of the next EU budget, the role of the EU in the Western Balkans and Eastern Partnership by replacing the USAID, European autonomy in space, and the EU–Mercosur agreement are some of the topics discussed in this Think Tank Review.

 

How to defend Europe and Ukraine from Russia’s hybrid energy war; the perspectives towards the end of Ukraine's ordeal or into a new nightmare; if the Ukraine peace deal is a strategic trap; Ukraine’s regional shift from the point of view of realignments in wartime and beyond; and how Europe and Ukraine can improve defence industrial collaboration are some of the topics dealt with in the present update.

The paths the EU will choose to take in 2026, the deployment of the digital euro by 2027, the second emissions trading system and the future of the European Green Deal, AI factories and gigafactories across Europe, EU cybersecurity, a European pillar within NATO, possible cooperation between the US and Russia in Eurasia, and the fallout from the G20 summit in Johannesburg are some of the topics featured in this Think Tank Review.

The bluff behind Russia’s ‘peace plan’ and how the Kremlin sets its sights on Kyiv; if Trump’s Ukraine peace deal is a Faustian bargain;  how Ukrainian cities became actors in international politics during the war; an emerging model of European security with Ukraine and without Russia; improving Ukraine's awareness of future technologies; and the case for a transport ban on Russian oil are some of the topics featured in the present update.

Civil society’s role in preparing for EU enlargement, the geopolitical potential of Europe’s internal market, EU-China climate relations, managing a changing transatlantic security partnership, China’s policy towards the EU, the future of the World Trade Organization and China’s geopolitical competition with the West are some of the topics covered in this Think Tank Review.

The production and use of Ukrainian battlefield unmanned aerial vehicles; a six-month progress assessment of the US-Ukraine reconstruction investment fund; why Washington’s newest oil sanctions won’t be enough to pressure Putin; the question of whether sanctions against Russia are making a difference after three years of war in Ukraine; and how the EU can help Ukraine unlock its renewable energy potential are some of the topics discussed in the present update.

The role of far-right parties in their respective countries and especially in EU institutions, the new budget proposal for the period 2028-2034, the architecture of European space governance, an EU industrial policy in accordance with the green transition objectives, the future of transatlantic relations, and China’s claim to a new world order are some of the issues discussed in this Think Tank Review.

Can Europe still hear Ukraine, and should European countries deploy a reassurance force in Ukraine regardless of a ceasefire; what do Ukraine’s reconstruction and EU accession mean in terms of investment and technical assistance; and is Europe the last obstacle on Russia’s path to victory in Ukraine: these are just some of the questions addressed in the present update.

The main priorities of the Danish presidency of the Council - enlargement in relation to Ukraine and the Western Balkans; currency tensions and what this issue implies for the US dollar and the euro; the new EU budget proposal; energy security; cooperation on cyber security between NATO members; the renewed EU-Ukraine trade agreement; Global South and US trade policy; and China’s de-dollarisation initiatives are some of the topics discussed in the present Think Tank Review.

Behind the Kremlin's ill will lies the risk of eternal war; after the Alaska summit, Ukraine seems to be not closer to peace; the interplay of technology and lived experience in the Russia-Ukraine war; sanctions against the Russian science and which are the current results so far; and how Ukraine’s reconstruction is going, how much it costs and who pays are some of the topics featured in the present update.

The Danish presidency priorities during the 2nd semester of 2025; acceleration of the enlargement process; enhancing EU’s industrial capacity in critical raw materials and semiconductors; the artificial intelligence at the centre of EU tech policy; rebalancing transatlantic relations; directed energy weapons shaping tomorrow’s battlefield; Europe’s military readiness by 2030; the Israel-Iran conflict and it implications, and the US-Ukraine minerals agreement are some of the topics dealt with in the present Think Tank Review.