UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres visited Cyprus and renewed, what many think, a countdown for a new 5+1 meeting
The 5+1 format is the expanded negotiating framework by the UN to renew stalled peace talks in Cyprus over the island‘s division
Guterres has gotten all of the sides, including Turkey, on board with the terms of the new format: Preparation on confidence-building, methodology and substance
President Nicos Christodoulides‘ post-meeting comments suggest that the framework would replace the „interrupted“ attempt at Crans-Montana in 2017
Source: Cyprus Mail
More Quick Briefs:
·Economic Policy·Inside Europe·Housing Crisis·Maricarmen Abascal·Matrid·Pedro Sánchez·Protests·Spain
·Economic Policy·Inside Europe·Housing Crisis·Maricarmen Abascal·Matrid·Pedro Sánchez·Protests·Spain
Evicted Pensioner Can Return Home ↗︎
An 87-year-old Madrid pensioner whose eviction triggered protests can return to her longtime home, as her case adds pressure on Spain’s government to address the country’s wider housing crisis.
→Maricarmen Abascal was evicted on 23 September from the Madrid apartment where she had lived for more than 70 years, turning her case into a symbol of Spain’s housing crisis
→The eviction prompted protests in Madrid, amid wider concerns over rising rents and access to affordable housing
→The property owner has agreed to let Abascal return under a new eight-year rental contract, with rent capped at 30% of her net income. She still has to formally approve the agreement
→Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez explicitly referred to Maricarmen’s case while calling for parliamentary support for new housing measures aimed at strengthening tenant protection and addressing Spain’s housing crisis
→Sources: BBC, Reuters, El País
→Transparency Note: Use of AI
·Diplomacy·Russia·Security·War in Ukraine·“Russia Sanctions”·21 sanctions package·Alisher Usmanov·France·Latvia·Luxembourg·Mikhail Fridman·Unanimity·Valdis Dombrovskis
·Diplomacy·Russia·Security·War in Ukraine·“Russia Sanctions”·21 sanctions package·Alisher Usmanov·France·Latvia·Luxembourg·Mikhail Fridman·Unanimity·Valdis Dombrovskis
EU Faces “Russia Sanctions”Fatigue ↗︎
EU Economy Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis is urging member states to maintain economic pressure on Russia as disputes between capitals increasingly complicate the bloc’s sanctions policy.
→Update (28.09.2026): News: Kallas regrets EU delisting of Russian oligarchs and says Moscow ‘ridiculed’ Germany after UN talks (EUobserver)
→Update (28.09.2026): Analysis: EU’s Russia sanctions are running out of easy targets (Euractiv)
→Update (24.09.2026): Editorial: France’s deal over Russian sanctions undermines European unity (Le Monde)
→Update (24.09.2026): Commentary: Macron’s Russia policy risks damaging EU unity (EUobserver)
→Update (23.09.2026): News: Estonia demands explanation for France’s push to lift EU sanctions on Usmanov (Reuters)
→Update (23.09.2026): News: Azerbaijan pardons French national after EU drops Usmanov sanctions (Reuters)
→Quick Brief:
→Dombrovskis warns of growing “sanctions fatigue” after almost five years of war, arguing that weakening European pressure would benefit Moscow
→The EU has adopted 21 sanctions packages since Russia’s full-scale invasion, targeting energy, finance, trade and Russia’s military-industrial complex
→Internal divisions are becoming more visible: France secured the removal of Alisher Usmanov from the sanctions list, while Luxembourg pushed for Mikhail Fridman’s delisting. Latvia initially blocked the moves before lifting its veto
→Changing the system is difficult because EU sanctions require unanimity. Dombrovskis says removing that requirement is not currently realistic, leaving political unity among all 27 governments essential
→Sources: Euractiv, European Commission - EU sanctions against Russia
→Transparency Note: Use of AI
·Europe in the world·EU·European Commission·European Union·ICC·USA
·Europe in the world·EU·European Commission·European Union·ICC·USA
The EU Backs ICC After US Sanctions ↗︎
The EU has joined growing international criticism of US pressure on the International Criminal Court after Washington sanctioned its president and a senior prosecutor.
→Update (28.09.2026): News: EU lawmakers urge Commission to block US sanctions against ICC (POLITICO)
→Update (24.09.2026): News: Trump urges countries to quit ICC but few follow his lead (Reuters)
→Update (24.09.2026): Speech: Dutch PM Jetten tells UN ‘Hands off the ICC’ (YouTube)
→Update (22.09.2026): News: Pressure mounts on EU to shield ICC from new US sanctions (EUobserver)
→Update (20.09.2026): News: Trump administration prepares sanctions against entire International Criminal Court (Reuters)
→Update (09.09.2026): News: US pressures NATO allies to oppose ICC (POLITICO)
→Quick Brief:
→EU leaders backed the International Criminal Court after the US imposed sanctions on its president and a senior official
→Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused the ICC of targeting officials from countries that reject its jurisdiction
→The EU, Germany and the Netherlands defended the court's independence and right to operate without political pressure
→Washington has vowed to further weaken the ICC's ability to pursue cases involving Americans and other non-member states
→Source: POLITICO
→Transparency Note: Use of AI
·International Right·National Politics·Security·Ukraine·War in Ukraine·24 February 2022·Diplomacy·Hard Winter·Russia·USA
·International Right·National Politics·Security·Ukraine·War in Ukraine·24 February 2022·Diplomacy·Hard Winter·Russia·USA
Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine ↗︎
More than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Ukraine continues to resist as the war has evolved from Moscow’s failed attempt at a rapid victory into a prolonged conflict with no political settlement in sight.
→Update (28.09.2026): News: Ukraine regains territory and captures POWs in frontline push (POLITICO)
→Update (28.09.2026): Analysis: Ukraine’s Operation Vivaldi uses deception to liberate five settlements north of Lyman (ISW)
→Update (28.09.2026): News: Kremlin says Ukraine is ‘paying the price’ for attacks on Russia (Reuters)
→Update (26.09.2026): Analysis: Ukraine’s new counteroffensive tactics could help break positional warfare and restore tactical maneuver (ISW)
→Update (25.09.2026): Analysis: Russia intensifies strikes on Ukraine’s data centres and telecommunications infrastructure (ISW)
→Update (24.09.2026): News: Russian missile attack on Kyiv kills civilians and damages residential areas (Reuters)
→Update (23.09.2026): Analysis: Russian tank survives 40 drone strikes, suggesting mechanised warfare could make comeback (EUobserver)
→Update (23.09.2026): Analysis: Kremlin rejects proposed energy ceasefire and reiterates maximalist war demands (ISW)
→Update (23.09.2026): Analysis: Kremlin uses sham elections to manufacture legitimacy in occupied Ukraine (ISW)
→Update (22.09.2026): News: Ukraine races to counter new jet-powered Russian drones (BBC)
→Update (22.09.2026): Analysis: Russian Ministry of Defense falsely claims encirclement of Dobropillya as part of cognitive warfare campaign (ISW)
→Update (22.09.2026): Analysis: Western tech helps funnel foreign recruits into Russia’s war (POLITICO)
→Update (21.09.2026): Analysis: Ukraine’s largest Moscow air raid overwhelms defences and hits key oil refinery (EUobserver)
→Update (20.09.2026): Analysis: Russia secretly plans to massively expand kamikaze drone production (POLITICO)
→Update (20.09.2026): News: Ukrainian drones hit Moscow oil refinery, killing two (Reuters)
→Update (19.09.2026): Analysis: Russian Ministry of Defense exaggerates battlefield gains ahead of UN General Assembly (ISW)
→Update (18.09.2026): Analysis: Tusk reveals classified estimates of Ukrainian battlefield casualties (EUobserver)
→Update (18.09.2026): Analysis: Kremlin denies post-election mobilization amid fears of public backlash (ISW)
→Update (18.09.2026): Podcast: Ukraine faces mounting pressure ahead of wartime winter (ECFR)
→Update (17.09.2026): Analysis: Russia pushes to capture Dobropillia before autumn conditions worsen (EUobserver)
→Update (17.09.2026): Analysis: Russia continues deporting Ukrainian female political prisoners to distant penal colonies (ISW)
→Update (17.09.2026): News: Russia targets passenger trains to undermine Ukraine’s economy and morale (POLITICO)
→Update (16.09.2026): Analysis: Ukrainian forces reportedly advance beyond Zherebets River (EUobserver)
→Update (16.09.2026): Analysis: Putin frames Duma elections as referendum on Ukraine war (ISW)
→Update (15.09.2026): Analysis: Ukraine hits record number of Russian refineries as Trump pushes energy ceasefire (EUobserver)
→Update (15.09.2026): Analysis: Ukraine’s Operation Vivaldi disrupts Russia’s Fortress Belt encirclement (ISW)
→Update (14.09.2026): Analysis: Ukraine races to counter Russia’s jet-powered drones (POLITICO)
→Update (14.09.2026): Analysis: Zelensky reiterates readiness for mutual energy strikes moratorium (ISW)
→Update (13.09.2026): Analysis: Russian strikes near Polish border signal growing escalation (ISW)
→Update (12.09.2026): Analysis: Ukraine disrupts Russia’s Donbas offensive plans (ISW)
→Update (13.09.2026): Analysis: Anthropic AI joins Ukraine war after Russian exploitation (EUobserver)
→Update (11.09.2026): Analysis: Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment (ISW)
→Update (10.09.2026): Analysis: Russia spent over €110bn on Ukraine war so far in 2026 (EUobserver)
→Update (10.09.2026): Analysis: Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment (ISW)
→Update (10.09.2026): Analysis: Russian Occupation Update (ISW)
→Update (10.09.2026): Analysis: Zelenskyy gambles on pressure to force Putin into peace talks (POLITICO)
→Update (09.09.2026): Analysis: Russia’s claimed Kharkiv encirclement lacks evidence (EUobserver)
→Update (09.09.2026): News: Zelenskyy’s plane nearly hit by drone en route to Oslo (Euronews)
→Quick Brief:
→Russia launched its full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022, expecting rapid military gains, but its attempt to seize Kyiv failed as Ukrainian forces resisted
→The failed initial offensive developed into a long war of attrition, with Russia occupying Ukrainian territory while Ukraine continues to defend itself and strike Russian military and economic targets
→Winter has repeatedly intensified pressure on civilians: Russia has systematically targeted Ukraine’s electricity and heating infrastructure, causing widespread outages and disruption
→Diplomacy has not ended the war: renewed US-led efforts have so far failed to bridge fundamental differences between Moscow and Kyiv, while Russian military operations continue
→Sources: UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, Reuters, Associated Press
→Transparency Note: Use of AI
·Europe in the world·Middle East Relations·Security·Aspides·Bab al-Mandeb·European Union·Houthis·Italy·Kaja Kallas·Red Sea·Suez Canal·Yemen
·Europe in the world·Middle East Relations·Security·Aspides·Bab al-Mandeb·European Union·Houthis·Italy·Kaja Kallas·Red Sea·Suez Canal·Yemen
Houthis Tighten Grip on Red Sea ↗︎
Houthi gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast are increasing the threat to a crucial Europe-Asia trade route, pushing the EU and countries such as Italy to strengthen their naval response.
→Update (28.09.2026): Commentary: Yemen, Ethiopia and Europe reveal how interconnected global crises have become (EUobserver)
→Update (28.09.2026): News: EU struggles to find more ships for Red Sea mission Aspides (Rapporteur)
→Update (22.09.2026): Analysis: Europe should bolster Red Sea security and push diplomacy to end US-Iran war (ECFR)
→Update (22.09.2026): News: Belgium to send frigate to EU’s Red Sea Aspides mission in late October (Euractiv)
→Quick Brief:
→The Iran-aligned Houthis have seized Yemen’s Red Sea coastline, strengthening their position around the strategically vital Bab al-Mandeb Strait
→Around 12% of global trade passes through Bab al-Mandeb, connecting the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal - making disruption particularly important for European supply chains
→The EU’s Aspides mission currently operates with six warships, but foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says more than ten are needed to respond to the growing threat
→Italy is pushing for a stronger response: already active in Aspides, Rome is preparing an additional naval deployment to protect shipping as around 40% of Italian trade passes through the Suez Canal
→Sources: EUobserver, Reuters, Italian Navy
→Transparency Note: Use of AI
·National Politics·Aleksandr Vučić·Serbia
·National Politics·Aleksandr Vučić·Serbia
Vučić Resigns as the Serbian President Following Nationwide Protests ↗︎
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced his resignation and early elections after months of anti-government protests that have become the biggest challenge to his 12 years in power.
→Update (28.09.2026): News: Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announces resignation and plans to become prime minister (Le Monde)
→Update (09.09.2026): News: Vučić calls snap election after dissolving Serbian parliament (POLITICO)
→Quick Brief:
→Aleksandr Vučić announced that he will resign in the coming weeks following 18-months of anti-government protests
→He announced his intention to campaign for the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in the upcoming parliamentary elections
→His electoral list is going to be called "United Serbia" reminiscent of Putin's "United Russia"
→Vučić's second term as president would end at the end of May next year.
→Source: EURACTIV
·Arctic Policy·Inside Europe·Security·Barentsburg·NATO·Norway·Russia·Subsea Cables·Svalbard·Ukraine
·Arctic Policy·Inside Europe·Security·Barentsburg·NATO·Norway·Russia·Subsea Cables·Svalbard·Ukraine
Russia Tests Norway on Svalbard ↗︎
Growing tensions around Norway’s Arctic Svalbard archipelago are turning its unusual legal status and Russian presence into a test of how Oslo and NATO manage pressure from Moscow in the High North.
→Svalbard is Norwegian territory, but the 1920 Svalbard Treaty gives citizens and companies from signatory states, including Russia, extensive rights to live and conduct economic activity there
→Russia maintains a long-standing presence in Barentsburg, while relations with Norway have deteriorated sharply since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Norway says bilateral cooperation with Moscow has been reduced to a minimum
→Security concerns have intensified: NATO allies reportedly disrupted a Russian operation targeting subsea cables near Svalbard in 2026, infrastructure that connects the archipelago with mainland Norway
→For NATO, Svalbard sits in an increasingly important Arctic security environment. Norway says the High North is its main strategic priority, and NATO is strengthening its Arctic presence as Russia remains the alliance’s central long-term security challenge
→Sources: POLITICO Europe, Norwegian Government, Reuters
→Transparency Note: Use of AI
·Inside Europe·Justice Policy and European Law·Bulgaria·Court of Justice·European Commission·European Union
·Inside Europe·Justice Policy and European Law·Bulgaria·Court of Justice·European Commission·European Union
EU Opens Five Cases Against Bulgaria ↗︎
The European Commission has opened five new infringement cases against Bulgaria for failing to fully incorporate EU legislation into national law across areas ranging from money laundering to energy and environmental protection.
→The five cases concern EU rules on industrial emissions, hydrogen and decarbonised gas, money laundering, new psychoactive substances and the right to repair goods
→Bulgaria failed to notify the Commission that these directives had been fully transposed into national law by their respective deadlines
→The Commission has issued letters of formal notice, the first stage of the EU infringement procedure, giving Bulgaria two months to respond and complete the required changes
→If Bulgaria does not provide a satisfactory response, the Commission can issue a reasoned opinion, moving the cases closer to possible proceedings before the EU’s Court of Justice
→Sources: European Commission, The Sofia Globe
→Transparency Note: Use of AI
·Geopolitics·Inside Europe·Security·Christoph Blocher·EU Sanctions·International Law·Russia·Swiss People’s Party·Switzerland
·Geopolitics·Inside Europe·Security·Christoph Blocher·EU Sanctions·International Law·Russia·Swiss People’s Party·Switzerland
Switzerland Votes against Stricter Neutrality ↗︎
Swiss voters will decide on 27 September whether to constitutionally tighten the country’s neutrality, potentially restricting sanctions and defence cooperation at a time when Russia’s war against Ukraine has reshaped European security.
→Update (27.09.2026): News: Swiss voters reject stricter neutrality rules that could restrict NATO cooperation (The Guardian)
→Quick Brief:
→The initiative would define Swiss neutrality as permanent and armed and restrict the country’s ability to cooperate militarily with other states
→Switzerland would generally no longer adopt EU sanctions against countries at war, such as those imposed on Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine
→The vote therefore reaches beyond traditional neutrality, potentially changing how Switzerland responds to European security crises and violations of international law
→Former federal councillor Christoph Blocher, a leading figure of the Swiss People’s Party (SVP), helped drive the initiative after criticising Switzerland’s adoption of EU sanctions against Russia. The government and parliament recommend rejecting it
→Sources: Swiss Federal Government, ZEIT, Swiss Parliament
→Transparency Note: Use of AI
·Economic Policy·Energy Policy·EU Enlargement·Geoeconomics·Inside Europe·Aleksandar Vučić·Azerbaijan·Russia·Russian Gas·Serbia
·Economic Policy·Energy Policy·EU Enlargement·Geoeconomics·Inside Europe·Aleksandar Vučić·Azerbaijan·Russia·Russian Gas·Serbia
Serbia Seeks Russian Gas Extension ↗︎
Serbia hopes to extend its discounted Russian gas supplies after a call between Aleksandar Vučić and Vladimir Putin, highlighting Belgrade’s continued energy dependence on Moscow despite its EU membership ambitions.
→Serbia’s current Russian gas arrangement expires on 30 September, after a series of short-term extensions replaced its previous long-term contract
→Vučić expects another extension following his call with Putin, saying Serbia currently pays €318 per 1,000 cubic metres for Russian gas
→Serbia also imports gas from Azerbaijan and produces some domestically, but remains heavily dependent on Russian supplies
→Energy ties remain a challenge for Serbia’s EU orientation: Belgrade has maintained close relations with Moscow, while the EU is moving to end Russian gas imports by 2027
→Sources: Euractiv, Reuters
→Transparency Note: Use of AI
·Diplomacy·Europe in the world·International Right·Middle East Relations·Ukraine·European Union·General Assembly’s General Debate·Multilateralism·Russia·United Nations·USA
·Diplomacy·Europe in the world·International Right·Middle East Relations·Ukraine·European Union·General Assembly’s General Debate·Multilateralism·Russia·United Nations·USA
World Leaders Converge in New York ↗︎
The 81st UN General Assembly’s General Debate begins on 22 September, bringing heads of state and government together under the theme of restoring trust and strengthening international cooperation.
→Update (27.09.2026): News: German Foreign Minister Wadephul urges Russia to abandon ‘dangerous escalation’ in first ministerial talks since invasion (The Guardian)
→Update (25.09.2026): Nepal Speech: Balendra Shah, Prime Minister of Nepal, warns of devastating climate disasters and calls for stronger global action (YouTube)
→Update (25.09.2026): Niger Speech: Lamine Zeine Ali Mahaman, Prime Minister, defends Sahel sovereignty (coalition between Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso) and accuses France of destabilising the region (YouTube)
→Update (25.09.2026): South Africa Speech: South Africa calls for greater African voice in global governance and action against global inequality (YouTube)
→Update (25.09.2026): Australia Speech: Albanese defends multilateralism and rules-based international order (YouTube)
→Update (24.09.2026): Ethiopia Speech: President Taye Atskeselassie Amde calls for global cooperation and demands maritime access (YouTube)
→Update (24.09.2026): Rwanda Speech: Justin Nsengiyumva accuses DR Congo and Burundi of supporting FDLR rebels operating from eastern Congo (YouTube)
→Update (24.09.2026): Palestine Speech: Abbas calls for Palestinian statehood and an end to the Gaza war (YouTube)
→Update (24.09.2026): EU News: Costa warns of ‘dangerous escalation’ in Russian hybrid attacks against Europe (EUobserver)
→Update (24.09.2026): Ghana Speech: Ghana calls for permanent African representation on UN Security Council (YouTube)
→Update (24.09.2026): Netherlands Speech: Dutch PM Jetten tells UN ‘Hands off the ICC’ and pushes for further fight against climate change (YouTube)
→Update (24.09.2026): Israel Speech: Netanyahu addresses UN General Assembly amid Gaza war, several delegates leave the hall (YouTube)
→Update (24.09.2026): Spain Speech: Sánchez defends multilateralism and human rights in UN address (YouTube)
→Update (24.09.2026): Kenya Speech: President Ruto calls for reform of global governance, global economy and Security Council to a more multilateral and fair system (YouTube)
→Update (23.09.2026): Ukraine Speech: Zelenskyy warns of harsh winter and vows to make war painful for Russia (YouTube)
→Update (23.09.2026): Jordan Speech: King Abdullah condemns Israeli actions and calls West Bank displacement a war crime (YouTube)
→Update (23.09.2026): Finland Speech: Stubb warns of growing world disorder in UN address (YouTube)
→Update (22.09.2026): Brazil Speech: Lula warns against foreign interference and defends Brazilian sovereignty (YouTube)
→Update (23.09.2026): Speech: Guterres warns of growing global divisions in UN address (YouTube)
→Update (23.09.2026): News: Zelenskyy meets Trump at UN to push energy truce with Russia (Reuters)
→Update (22.09.2026): News: Macron denounces Trump’s Gaza diplomacy as ‘spectacle of shame’ (Reuters)
→Update (22.09.2026): News: Trump lays out vision of militaristic US unbound by international rules (RFI)
→Update (22.09.2026): News: Wars, AI and climate change dominate UN General Assembly agenda (RFI)
→Quick Brief, 21.09.2026:
→The 81st UN General Assembly’s General Debate begins on 22 September, bringing heads of state and government together under the theme of restoring trust and strengthening international cooperation
→The wars in the Middle East and Ukraine will dominate diplomacy, with Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian among the key figures expected in New York
→Zelenskyy is expected to meet Trump, while also holding talks with European leaders as Ukraine seeks continued political and financial support against Russia
→For the EU, the gathering is also a test of its push to defend international law and multilateral institutions at a time when relations with Washington are strained over several major global conflicts
→Sources: EUobserver, United Nations, Reuters
→Transparency Note: Use of AI
·Security·Transatlantic Relations·Arctic·Greenland
·Security·Transatlantic Relations·Arctic·Greenland
An Agreement about Greenland: Hope for US-EU Diplomacy? ↗︎
Large protests in Nuuk overshadowed the opening of a new US consulate amid growing fears of American pressure on Greenland.
→Update (25.09.2026): News: Arctic outpost likely to host US troops under new Greenland deal (Reuters)
→Update (23.09.2026): Analysis: Greenland Agreement reshapes US-Danish Arctic security ties (POLITICO)
→Update (22.09.2026): News: Trump, Denmark and Greenland sign deal aimed at ending Arctic standoff (Reuters)
→Update (20.09.2026): Commentary: Greenland deal offers hope for US-EU diplomacy (EUobserver)
→Update (19.09.2026): News: Denmark and Greenland say US deal will not compromise sovereignty (Reuters)
→Update (18.09.2026): News: US and Denmark reach Greenland security agreement after Trump annexation threats (BBC)
→Update (18.09.2026): News: Trump-linked US investors buy property for former Greenland minister (Euractiv)
→Quick Brief, 22 May:
→Around 1,000 protesters chanted “Greenland belongs to Greenlanders.”
→Activists rejected US influence and Trump’s Arctic ambitions
→Several Greenlandic leaders boycotted the opening ceremony
→The event exposed tensions over growing US geopolitical interest in Greenland
→Source: Euractiv
