The Wider Europe programme aims to help the European Union defend its interests and values in the Western Balkans, Turkey, Russia, and eastern Europe, as well as the South Caucasus and central Asia. The programme also supports EU decision-makers work on a unified and coherent policy to address the challenges resulting from Russia’s full scale-invasion of Ukraine.
After years of bickering, Europe and Turkey need each other more than ever. A security partnership in the Black Sea could be the first step toward a pragmatic, if uneasy, alliance to contain Russia
The EU should provide extra support to Western Balkan countries to boost the green transition—and ease future integration into the bloc
The NB8 countries are some of Ukraine’s most steadfast supporters. Amid shifting transatlantic politics, their role in strengthening Ukraine’s defence is set to become increasingly vital
Europe’s security requires cooperation with Turkey, but Erdogan’s domestic abuses complicate the relationship. To navigate this, Europeans must invest in this partnership, prioritising urgent needs while carefully nurturing the seeds of a more democratic Turkey for the future
Mark Leonard welcomes Jana Kobzova to discuss whether a flurry of last-minute diplomacy can prevent a Ukraine settlement on Russia’s terms
The EU may need to deploy a peacekeeping force to Ukraine. However, without urgent regulatory changes, its member states are unprepared for the risks of direct confrontation with Russia
European boots on the ground in Ukraine seem more likely than ever before—but discussions on the practicalities of such a “reassurance force” are only just starting
Despite recent ceasefire talks, Putin’s programme of terror in Ukraine continued with a Palm Sunday attack on Sumy. Europeans need to maintain a “wartime mindset” and persuade the US that Russia’s hostility is not at an end
Europe needs to strengthen its collective security in the face of a more volatile US, Russia and China. The EU’s successful streamlining of its accession process would secure the wider neighbourhood—and its geopolitical future
European policymakers have little direct influence over Moscow and Washington. However, they can use certain tools as leverage to help shape talks about Ukraine’s future—while ensuring to act in the EU’s best interest
Mark Leonard welcomes Aslı Aydıntaşbaş to unpack the recent political upheaval in Turkey and its broader geopolitical implications
Europeans might be focused on deterring Russia’s military might—but they also need to consider the danger of its political gamble
Mark Leonard welcomes Kirill Shamiev to unpack the recent phone call between US president Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin
After years of bickering, Europe and Turkey need each other more than ever. A security partnership in the Black Sea could be the first step toward a pragmatic, if uneasy, alliance to contain Russia
The EU should provide extra support to Western Balkan countries to boost the green transition—and ease future integration into the bloc
The NB8 countries are some of Ukraine’s most steadfast supporters. Amid shifting transatlantic politics, their role in strengthening Ukraine’s defence is set to become increasingly vital
How the Kremlin’s view of a declining US and a mercurial Europe shapes the prospects for a Trump-Putin deal
The Western Balkans could enact a comprehensive energy transition straight from coal to renewables – but the region seems to be drifting towards greater use of gas. It is in both the EU’s and the Western Balkans’ interest to mitigate this trend
Serbian revisionism is on the march and would be greatly strengthened by a Trump win. The EU must prepare a deterrence plan — and take greater responsibility for Western Balkan security
With EU enlargement back on the agenda, democracy promotion in candidate countries is a key geopolitical interest for the bloc. The EU’s previous efforts to promote democracy in the Western Balkans and eastern neighbourhood may hold valuable lessons for the years ahead
The Kremlin is creating a new, more unified ideology, which it is disseminating among the Russian population and using to attract global south countries to a new conservative alliance
The Kremlin has long attempted to reform Russia’s military, but a dysfunctional system of civilian control has led to repeated failures, including in its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. These problems will likely continue after the war unless a new Russian leadership emerges to address these persistent systemic problems
European governments need a more coordinated response to Russian democrats in exile – to give them certainty for the future and help guard against Kremlin subversion
Europe’s security requires cooperation with Turkey, but Erdogan’s domestic abuses complicate the relationship. To navigate this, Europeans must invest in this partnership, prioritising urgent needs while carefully nurturing the seeds of a more democratic Turkey for the future
The EU may need to deploy a peacekeeping force to Ukraine. However, without urgent regulatory changes, its member states are unprepared for the risks of direct confrontation with Russia
European boots on the ground in Ukraine seem more likely than ever before—but discussions on the practicalities of such a “reassurance force” are only just starting
Despite recent ceasefire talks, Putin’s programme of terror in Ukraine continued with a Palm Sunday attack on Sumy. Europeans need to maintain a “wartime mindset” and persuade the US that Russia’s hostility is not at an end
Europe needs to strengthen its collective security in the face of a more volatile US, Russia and China. The EU’s successful streamlining of its accession process would secure the wider neighbourhood—and its geopolitical future
European policymakers have little direct influence over Moscow and Washington. However, they can use certain tools as leverage to help shape talks about Ukraine’s future—while ensuring to act in the EU’s best interest
Europeans might be focused on deterring Russia’s military might—but they also need to consider the danger of its political gamble
Putin’s visit to Kursk revealed an effort to buy time and keep focused on his ultimate war goals
As Washington’s plan for Ukraine appears further and further from European interests, Europeans need to put an alternative offer on the table. It should rest on four pillars
Republika Srpska’s pro-Russian president is jeopardising Bosnia’s fragile peace and testing the limits of Brussels’s and Washington’s newly weakened relationship
China is building up its influence in the Western Balkans through projects focused on everything from energy and infrastructure to culture, education, and media. If the European Union is to achieve its geopolitical goals in the region, it will need to understand the nature of competition with Beijing in all these areas
What role does Russia play in the breakaway regions of Eastern Europe?
Locked in a shadowy life between war and peace, “grey zones” now litter the map of Eastern Europe
Following high level ministerial meetings on Ukraine, ECFR's Wider Europe team report on the implementation the Minsk agreement
Mark Leonard welcomes Jana Kobzova to discuss whether a flurry of last-minute diplomacy can prevent a Ukraine settlement on Russia’s terms
Mark Leonard welcomes Aslı Aydıntaşbaş to unpack the recent political upheaval in Turkey and its broader geopolitical implications
Mark Leonard welcomes Kirill Shamiev to unpack the recent phone call between US president Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin
Mark Leonard welcomes Marie Dumoulin to discuss the recent Ukraine-US agreement on a 30-day ceasefire and its implications for the conflict with Russia
Mark Leonard welcomes Nicu Popescu, an ECFR distinguished policy fellow leading our work on the European security initiative, to discuss America’s decision to pause aid shipments to Ukraine—and how European countries are trying to turn this around
In Searching for Deutschland’s last pre-election episode, hosts Jeremy Cliffe and Jana Puglierin review the Munich Security Conference, the US-Russia talks on Ukraine, and what the new era…
Mark Leonard welcomes Camille Grand, Jana Kobzova, and Nicu Popescu to discuss European security guarantees for Ukraine and the path to sustainable peace
Mark Leonard welcomes Marie Dumoulin and Jeremy Shapiro to discuss how Trump’s re-election could affect the war in Ukraine and international efforts for peace
Mark Leonard welcomes Tefta Kelmendi and Nicu Popescu to discuss what the EU can learn from the recent elections in Georgia and Moldova
Mark Leonard welcomes Jana Kobsova and Nicu Popescu to discuss Russia, Ukraine, and the EU’s changing response to the conflict
Il dinner, in forma riservata e organizzato con il gentile sostegno della Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, avrà luogo in inglese (no traduzione simultanea), secondo…
With the contentious Oval Office meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy, and the US announcing it would pause military aid to Ukraine, Kyiv faces mounting pressure
ECFR is organizing a series of closed-door workshops in the framework of the project “Towards an Open, Free and Global Internet” funded by Fondazione Compagnia…
After taking office, Donald Trump did not stop the war in Ukraine in 24 hours. Yet, there are high expectations that his administration will at…
This international conference will discuss the main aspects of disinformation as a global challenge. It has been organised by the Embassy of the Republic of…
Nearly three years into the full-scale war, Ukraine has shown remarkable resilience and adaptability to counter Moscow’s relentless attacks. Now, President Zelensky has unveiled Ukraine’s…
On 12 December, the German Embassy in Washington DC and the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) will host a public discussion which will take…
Negli ultimi anni, la presenza della Russia in Africa è cresciuta significativamente, sia nel Nord Africa che nell’Africa Subsahariana, presentando una sfida strategica per l’Europa e, in particolare, per l’Italia. Mosca ha rafforzato la sua presenza nel continente attraverso una serie di accordi bilaterali, cooperazioni militari, e investimenti economici e nel settore energetico. Questo incremento di influenza è stato percepito come una mossa strategica per aumentare il suo peso globale e per contrastare l’influenza occidentale
Konflikte in Gaza, im Sudan und in der Ukraine, irreguläre Migration, Klimakrise und Extremismus: Die Welt wird von immer mehr gleichzeitig aufretenden Krisen erschüttert, die…
As leaders are about to take pivotal decisions for Ukraine’s fate at the NATO summit, join us for a discussion about pathways and policy options for…
