NEW: Czechia is on track to slash its core defense spending to below 2 percent of GDP this year, setting it on a collision course with U.S. President Donald Trump — and the country’s NATO allies. w/ @paulmcleary.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/eu-c...

NEW: The U.S. is pushing NATO to slash many of its foreign activities including ending an alliance mission in Iraq. The U.S. is also lobbying to scale down NATO’s Kosovo op & and keep Ukraine from participating in the alliance’s annual summit in Ankara. www.politico.eu/article/us-p...

NEW: NATO should redistribute counter-drone equipment, radars and air defense missiles as part of a new 'Black Sea Sentry' to deter Russia, Romanian Defense Minister Radu Miruță told POLITICO. www.politico.eu/article/roma...

NEW: Europe must emerge as a geopolitical power that speaks in a “direct and clear” way to the US, Latvian PM Evika Siliņa told POLITICO. Siliņa said she would support a new European Security Council and was open to Latvia joining talks on a shared nuclear deterrent. www.politico.eu/article/evik...

NEW: More European countries are publicly backing talks on a homegrown nuclear deterrent to complement American atomic weapons following an erosion of trust in a Donald Trump-led U.S. w/ @laukaya.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/euro...

NEW: NATO is beefing up its Arctic presence in a move designed less to deter Russia than Donald Trump. Ahead of today's NATO summit, diplomats & experts said the effort is mostly a rebranding exercise to appease Trump — in response to an exaggerated threat. www.politico.eu/article/nato...

NEW: The U.K. has agreed to spend £150 million to buy U.S. weapons for Ukraine, becoming the latest ally to join NATO’s signature PURL scheme that supplies critical arms to Kyiv. w/ @estwebber.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/uk-j...

NEW: A major pullback of U.S. troops from European soil is unlikely in the near future. Since the start of the year, the U.S. has told allies any withdrawal would be very limited, govt officials from 7 European countries said. w/ @paulmcleary.bsky.social & Jack Detsch pro.politico.eu/news/212852

The U.S. wants to reshuffle commanders of several top NATO command centers, ceding control of 2 while taking over 1. It’s part of a push by Trump to make Europeans shoulder more responsibility as doubts swirl over U.S. commitment to NATO. w/@paulmcleary.bsky.social pro.politico.eu/news/212776

European countries are openly discussing a new form of protection against Russia built around French and British atomic weapons. Some are pushing for more clarity from Europe's nuclear powers, with some whispering about developing their own. w/@laukaya.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/us-d...

Donald Trump’s Greenland gambit pushes Europe to look to its own nuclear arsenals. European nations wanting additional “insurance” against Russia are increasingly looking to France and Britain. With @victorjack.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/us-d...

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will send his deputy to a meeting of NATO defense ministers next month, a decision likely to raise further questions about Washington’s dedication to the transatlantic alliance. w/ @paulmcleary.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/us-d...

NEW: Leaked diplomatic cables expose the reverberations of Trump's threats to seize Greenland as EU officials vented their frustrations this month. We also detail how Mark Rutte helped broker a deal. w/ @nahaltoosi.bsky.social @paulmcleary.bsky.social www.politico.com/news/2026/01...

SCOOP: Iceland wanted an apology. Finland was looking for a way out. China was pretty darn happy. U.S. diplomatic cables lay out some behind-the-scenes fallout over Trump's Greenland grab. Do enjoy: www.politico.com/news/2026/01... w/ @paulmcleary.bsky.social & @victorjack.bsky.social

NEW: Mark Rutte helped bring NATO back from the brink on Greenland. But some in Europe are now asking: At what cost? The Greenland standoff “did a lot of damage,” said one NATO diplomat. “We’re an alliance of 32, not a U.S.+31 club.” www.politico.eu/article/mark...

Donald Trump’s unending appetite for seizing Greenland is breathing new life into the idea of Europe setting up a UN-style Security Council. EU officials and even leaders are getting behind the idea, while lawmakers are drafting legal options. www.politico.eu/article/dona...

As Trump threatens to use the military to seize Greenland, European officials and diplomats have started quietly airing a previously unsayable thought: What would it look like to fight back? One potential target: American military bases. www.politico.eu/article/dona...

If Donald Trump uses military force to grab Greenland, Denmark has options beyond NATO. Instead, it could trigger Art 42.7, the EU's common defense pact. But doing so would mean overcoming high legal, political and military hurdles. w/@jacopobarigazzi.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/5-th...

NEW: NATO countries today asked the alliance to strengthen its Arctic flank amid U.S. threats to seize Greenland, NATO diplomats said. Envoys raised better use of intel, shifting assets, more defense spending & military exercises. w/@jacopobarigazzi.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/nato...

As the U.S. continues to browbeat Denmark and Greenland, we looked into the different ways Europe could respond — from bolstering NATO's presence in the Arctic all the way to a tripwire force to raise the cost of U.S. military action. w/ @zoyashef.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/euro...

NEW: Pressure is mounting on NATO countries to spread more evenly the costs of buying desperately needed U.S. weapons for Ukraine, as the alliance looks to restructure its signature scheme. www.politico.eu/article/nato...

NEW: Europe is looking at joint offensive cyber operations and surprise military drills as Moscow steps up its campaign to destabilize NATO allies. w/ @laukaya.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/euro...

Russia has no veto over Kyiv’s bid to join NATO, alliance chief Mark Rutte said on Wednesday — rebuffing a peace deal proposal floated by Moscow and Washington that would block Ukraine from the alliance. www.politico.eu/article/mark...

NEW: Russia is likely to test NATO’s collective defense pledge very soon, Sweden’s top general has said, as Moscow escalates its campaign of hybrid attacks against Europe. w/ @jacopobarigazzi.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/russ...

NEW: Gunvor said it was retracting its offer to buy the international assets of Russia's Lukoil's after the U.S. said it would "never" approve the deal. It slammed the U.S. Treasury as "fundamentally misinformed" for branding it the "Kremlin's puppet." www.politico.eu/article/dona...

NATO chief Mark Rutte today played down a U.S. decision to withdraw hundreds of troops from Romania, just as the alliance grapples with increasing numbers of suspected Russian hybrid attacks. “This happens all the time,” Rutte told POLITICO at a press conference. www.politico.eu/article/nato...

NEW: Bulgaria is exploring requesting an exemption to new U.S. sanctions against Lukoil, according to two people familiar with the matter, as it fears the measures will cause severe fuel shortages and a populist backlash across the country. www.politico.eu/article/bulg...

EU countries are considering postponing imposing higher taxes on gas, electricity and other fuels by an extra year as they seek a deal on the bloc’s revamped energy tax rules. pro.politico.eu/news/207592

NEW: Donald Trump’s surprise move to sanction Russia’s largest oil companies won’t paralyze Russia’s war machine — but it could help the EU quit Moscow’s oil for good. For Lukoil in particular, it will be “catastrophic,” said one former exec. w/@evahartog.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/dona...

NEW: A requirement asking EU countries to track Russian gas cargoes before they enter the bloc will likely remain part of Brussels’ ban on Moscow's imports. Despite pushback from France among others, the final country negotiation document keeps that requirement in place. pro.politico.eu/news/206691

Pressure is growing on NATO countries to join the organisation's arms-buying program for Ukraine, after a majority of allies on Wednesday said they were backing the scheme backed by U.S. President Donald Trump. www.politico.eu/article/pres...

NATO defense ministers meet today, as the alliance strains to protect its skies after recent airspace violations. A key issue to resolve: whether national rules are stopping NATO’s top military officer from effectively tackling these aerial threats. www.politico.eu/article/nato...

EU ambassadors today failed to finalize their position on Brussels’ landmark plan to end imports of Russian gas by the end of 2027 after persisting technical concerns over the text. w/ @gabrielgavin.bsky.social pro.politico.eu/news/206123

The Shadow Fleet shipping Russia's oil is already leaving trails of oil in its wake, raising the question of who will pay up if the worst is to happen. Our latest investigation with @victorjack.bsky.social of @politico.eu, using data from @skytruth.org. www.source-material.org/shadow-fleet...

NEW: Russian-linked vessels are continuing to leak oil off Europe’s shores — despite Western sanctions — underscoring the continent’s inability to rein in Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet. Read our joint investigation with @source-material.org here: www.politico.eu/article/russ...

NEW: The European Parliament will push for an accelerated Russian gas ban by late-2026 and an end to Moscow's oil imports by the end of this year, per a provisional deal by POLITICO. pro.politico.eu/news/205873

What are NATO’s rules of engagement? How can they be changed? Why didnt NATO shot down the Russian warplanes last week? Read our explainer, with @victorjack.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/nato...

pro.politico.eu/news/205440 EU countries are considering easing reporting requirements for tracking Russian gas imports to the bloc as part of Brussels’ mooted supply ban, per a doc obtained by POLITICO.

The EU plans to propose sanctions on more Chinese companies this week, just as Donald Trump pressures the bloc to slap sweeping tariffs on Beijing as a condition for more sanctions on Russia. www.politico.eu/article/eu-c... w/ @camgijs.bsky.social @zimmerfrau.bsky.social @gabrielgavin.bsky.social

www.politico.eu/article/quit... If Donald Trump is going to slap sanctions on Russia, there are a few things he’d like NATO allies to do first. But meeting some of these demands will be easier than others. w/ @camgijs.bsky.social @zimmerfrau.bsky.social @gabrielgavin.bsky.social

NEW: EU countries are considering giving companies an extra six weeks to comply with an incoming ban on Russian gas, according to a negotiation document obtained by POLITICO. pro.politico.eu/news/204632

NEW: EU countries will discuss a proposal that casts doubt on a suggested 2026 deadline for the bloc to end short-term Russian gas contracts. pro.politico.eu/news/201485

NEW: The EU wants to ban LNG terminal services for Russian customers as part of its plan to end the bloc's reliance on Moscow, a draft text shows. pro.politico.eu/news/200349 w/@gabrielgavin.bsky.social

NEW: The EU's two biggest buyers of Russian liquefied natural gas are refusing to endorse Brussels' plan to ban Moscow’s imports. France and Belgium argue they need more reassurances on the economic and legal consequences of the move before making a decision. www.politico.eu/article/eus-...

NEW: EU countries are considering demanding that Brussels revisit methane emission rules being swept into trade negotiations with the U.S. That comes after Trump gave the EU a temporary reprieve from imposing blanket 50% tariffs on the bloc. pro.politico.eu/news/199309

NEW: EU countries are considering ordering the Commission to prepare a detailed impact assessment on its upcoming Russian gas ban. Despite a large majority of capitals backing the plan, Hungary and Slovakia remain fiercely opposed. pro.politico.eu/news/199022

The EU is planning to slash natural gas purchase targets — even as U.S. President Donald Trump insists that buying more gas is the only way to end his trade war. www.politico.eu/article/dona...

NEW: EU countries provisionally agree on loosening gas storage rules, per diplomats. pro.politico.eu/news/eu-coun...

Since 2023, the Baltic Sea has seen at least 11 subsea cables taken out by suspected sabotage. That poses a growing conundrum for EU governments in their evolving hybrid war with Russia — and experts warn it could just be the beginning. Reed our deep dive here: www.politico.eu/article/russ...

The EU Commission is considering revising landmark energy legislation as part of its drive to ease requirements on the EU’s struggling businesses, per two people familiar with the matter. That might form part of a future "omnibus" simplification package, they said. next.politico.eu/news/196281