To increase the security of Europe's digital infrastructure, @erikbrown.bsky.social argues that European governments should adopt guidelines that restrict and exclude high-risk equipment and technology from Chinese telecommunication firms from being used in their undersea data cables.

New Piece: In @lawfaremedia.org, I argue that European governments should follow Washington’s lead in restricting and excluding high-risk equipment and technology from their subsea data cables (1/9)

Spain scraps Huawei-linked network expansion contract after all: "The €9.8 million tender was scrapped for “digital strategy and strategic autonomy considerations,” a ministry spokesperson told Euractiv." An overdue but correct decision. www.euractiv.com/section/tech...

Today marks 2 months since the NB8++ statement: "Stateless vessels, including those falsely claiming to fly a flag, do not have a responsible flag state and are not entitled to rights under [UNCLOS], including freedom of navigation." Since then, 32 false flagged vessels have enjoyed that freedom

Submarine comms cable Shefa-2 has been damaged affecting a limited amount of users on Orkney and Shetland, islands north of Scotland. A hospital was caught without redundancy (shame card updated). Tnx follower! www.bbc.com/news/article...

The U.S. government is increasingly directing its attention toward the physical protection and cybersecurity of its subsea data cables and related digital infrastructure. A flurry of recent initiatives sheds light on the specifics of this approach: 🧵(1/7)

Not a particularly surprising announcement, but will be curious to see how this translates into pressure on allies and partners to follow suit in coming months www.ft.com/content/8ac3...

What are subsea data cables, and why are they important to European security? @sophiabesch.bsky.social explains on the latest #TheWorldUnpacked, with Jane Munga and @ibkardon.bsky.social: youtube.com/shorts/twSI9...

Question remains how willing Germany and others will be to firmly and consistently enforce such checks if ships lack insurance/sail without valid registration. Unfortunately, Estonia's pursuit of the Jaguar last month appears to be an exception to the norm so far

...If vessels fail to fly a valid flag in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, we will take appropriate action within international law. " Time to act is now! More roving environmental catastrophes will continue to come, unless we put the foot down.

Three crew members of the oil tanker #EagleS - the captain, 1st and 2nd officer - are facing trial for „aggravated sabotage and disruption of telecommunications“ in 🇫🇮 Finland. “Under Finnish law, aggravated sabotage can carry significant prison sentences.”

My latest for @carnegieendowment.org: "The Baltic Sea at a Boil: Connecting the Shadow Fleet and Episodes of Subsea Infrastructure Sabotage.” carnegieendowment.org/research/202...

Rubio welcomes the new German foreign minister to Washington with a threat to sanction foreign officials who clamp down on hate speech www.reuters.com/business/med...

Wow. "It is similarly unacceptable for foreign officials to demand that American tech platforms adopt global content moderation policies or engage in censorship activity that reaches beyond their authority and into the United States." www.state.gov/announcement...

Shadow tanker FALCON has no flag, no insurance, 13 deficiencies including structural ones. Turns off her AIS to hide the fact that she slings LPG from Russia. Entered Baltic Sea an hour ago. Src: equasis.org, marinetraffic.com, @maritimekiwi.bsky.social

💡Registration is open for the 2025 Carnegie Endowment James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Conference, The Next Generation of Foreign Policy. 📅June 11, 11am-5pm EDT, in-person. Open exclusively to students and young professionals. Learn more and register here: carnegieendowment.org/events/2025/...

🚨 Today the EU imposed measures against entities responsible for Russia’s destabilising actions abroad … including … two fishing companies … that have conducted espionage missions and sabotage on critical infrastructure, including undersea cables. 👀 www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/pre...

Will Estonia continue to enforce against non-compliant tankers — even as the risks of escalation grow? Or will another NATO country between FALCON’s current location and Estonia step in to support?

New @foreignaffairs.com piece out now with @richardyoungs.bsky.social Coalitions of the willing are no silver bullet, nor is EU reform. Increasing defense budgets is not enough. This is not the time to muddle through, its the time for a new regional order. www.foreignaffairs.com/ukraine/euro...

New paper: lessons learned and what should come next for Europeans seeking to protect their subsea cables. For @lawfaremedia.org with @erikbrown.bsky.social

With threats to subsea cables increasing, European countries need to step up to secure their interests, write @SophiaBesch.bsky.social and @erikbrown.bsky.social. www.lawfaremedia.org/article/euro...

"[T]hat China is a 'fitness center' where German companies can train for competition on global markets is still widespread. In reality, German firms are struggling on the treadmill while Beijing is pumping up their Chinese competitors with steroids." ip-quarterly.com/en/germany-n...

Well, judging by the lines on the US and NATO in the coalition agreement, you wouldn't think that Trump 2 was the decisive factor in Merz's U-turn on the debt brake.

Incredibly frustrating development, even if not entirely surprising

In this new paper for Survival, we take a long term view and outline how a new transatlantic alliance of revisionists could threaten the European political project. When we first presented the idea last Dec, it seemed far-fetched to many. Very interested to see how it lands today!

How can the US stop losing the clean energy race so badly? @milomcbride.bsky.social and I have some ideas: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hi0Y...

Trump is expected to hit Europe with tariffs of 20% next week, EU officials tell the FT after a visit by the EU trade commissioner to DC. This is likely to trigger a major transatlantic trade war. US officials were apparently unwilling to negotiate. on.ft.com/4kZpzPD

In two recent proposals, the European Commission appeared to hand responsibility for Europe’s tenuous security to its member states. Can they deliver? Read more from @sophiabesch.bsky.social and @erikbrown.bsky.social: carnegieendowment.org/emissary/202...

My commentary on the EU‘s defense white paper out now - instead of leaning in, in this moment of crisis the Commission is choosing a light touch and passing the buck back to member states - for @carnegieendowment.org with @erikbrown.bsky.social carnegieendowment.org/emissary/202...

Great to see many proposals from the new "EU Action Plan on Cable Security" draw from @sophiabesch.bsky.social and my recent paper on Securing Europe's Subsea Data Cables: These include an EU-dedicated cable repair fleet (including icebreakers!)...(1/3) digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/j...

Remarkable: Merz wants to discuss reforming debt brake in the *outgoing* Bundestag, where CDU/CSU+SPD+Greens still have over 2/3 of seats, before new Bundestag is constituted by 25 March. Greens already signalled willingness this morning.

The EU is beefing up its subsea security. Today, we are taking steps to sanction saboteurs, deter adversaries and mobilise our military and civil capacities when needed. This includes boosting funding to safeguard critical infrastructure.

How and where does the U.S. allocate funding for disaster relief? Check out this novel analysis provided in the Disaster Dollar Database on these timely trends. Some stellar work from my colleagues @sarahlabo.bsky.social and @debbragoh.bsky.social at @carnegieendowment.org #ClimateSky #GreenSky

Actually, VEZHEN has been in Sweden for hours. Grey line is 12 mile territorial limit. This makes everything a lot easier legally. So, THIS is the diversion? Too easy! =)

Swedish Coastguard seem to have "advised" cable sabotage suspect VEZHEN to steer towards Sweden.

Ab morgen darf ich einmal im Monat im Wechsel mit den großartigen Kollegen @jpuglierin.bsky.social @dschwarzer.bsky.social & @carlomasala1.bsky.social die Geoeconomics-Kolumne des Handelsblatts vollschreiben. Freue mich sehr. Danke sehr für die Einladung, Thomas Sigmund.

Useful next steps announced today! In line with our recs: joint naval mission, mapping of vulnerabilities, technology investment, better legal recourse, securing supply chains and investing in cable repair capabilities. For more on why this matters: t.co/5XvdZnKeI6

Looking to better understand #European interests, stakeholders & vulnerabilities in subsea cables ahead of the #Baltic Sea #NATO countries #Summit in #Finland tomorrow? Have a look at our recent in-depth @carnegieendowment.org paper (w @erikbrown.bsky.social): t.co/5XvdZnKeI6

Greens move ahead of the SPD in the latest Politbarometer poll www.zdf.de/politik/poli...

Joint Expeditionary Force activates UK-led reaction system to track threats to undersea infrastructure and monitor Russian shadow fleet 🇬🇧🇪🇪 www.gov.uk/government/n...

Herming Chiueh, deputy head of Taiwan’s digital ministry, on lessons learned in Europe and Taiwan re: undersea cable cuts. Once a ship is “sailing back to China, you can’t do anything.” www.wsj.com/world/asia/c...

7/ “Securing Europe’s Subsea Data Cables” by @sophiabesch.bsky.social & @erikbrown.bsky.social from the Europe Program https://buff.ly/3VDemcn

ICYMI, unfortunately it’s become even more timely over the holidays - our long read report on subsea cables in Europe for @carnegieendow.bsky.social, link below ⬇️

Hong Kong-flagged freighter XIN XIN TIAN 2 has been shadowed by NATO units the last 12 hours as she is leaving Baltic Sea. XXT2 was just ahead of EAGLE S as the Gulf of Finland cables broke. She showed no track irregularities, but is conspicious by family bands to old saboteur Newnew Polar Bear.

FREE TO READ: Russia-linked Eagle S seized by Finland over damage to undersea electricity cable, was previously loaded with special transmitting and receiving devices to monitor NATO activity, according to source with direct involvement in ship: www.lloydslist.com/LL1151955/Ru...

Finnish authorities stopped the ship (part of Russia’s sanctions circumvention “dark fleet”) in Finnish territorial waters. A good sign European states take this seriously & act swiftly. Still Europe is far away from effectively deterring this kind of grey zone attacks.

Eagle S seem a very good candidate for a vessel guilty of the damage. Her dynamics are very similar to those of Yi Peng 3 and Newnew Polar Bear, previous saboteurs of Baltic Sea infrastructure. Eagle S is right now stationary in the middle of the fairway, ~50 km SW of Helsinki. International waters

Cook Island flag oil tanker Eagle S lost 25% of her speed minutes before she crossed the broken cable Estlink2. She crossed at 10:26Z, ie the time of cable fault. She proceeded at affected speed til she reached shallow waters, where she lost all momentum. After some maneuvers she regained speed.

Und noch ein bisschen #KRITIS im. Norden Europas: