Europe

Foreign companies that left Russia after the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine are now cautiously discussing a possible return. However, some never left. More than 11,000 Western-owned companies continue to operate in Russia, contributing an estimated $5 billion in annual tax payments to the Kremlin, The Insider has tallied. The countries with the most companies still active in Russia are the United States and Germany. Yet none of these businesses — nor any of the other foreign firms that have profited from the war — are in a hurry to devote their earnings towards Ukraine’s ongoing self-defense.

BELGRADE — The EU is boosting the size of its peacekeeping mission in Bosnia after recently convicted Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik banned state-level institutions in Serb regions, sparking separatist fears.

The EU “will temporarily increase the size of its force,” the European Union Force Bosnia Herzegovina, or EUFOR, said in a statement late Friday. “This is a proactive measure aimed at assisting Bosnia and Herzegovina in the interest of all citizens,” it said.

EUFOR said the increase will occur “in the coming days” but gave no details. Local media reports say the EU will add 400 troops to its 1,100-strong force next week.

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The plan is a response to US President Donald Trump's proposal that the US could seize control of the Gaza Strip and turn it into 'the Riviera of the Middle East.' 

Britain, France, Germany and Italy on Saturday, March 8, backed a proposal by Muslim-majority nations to rebuild Gaza. The counter-proposal to US President Donald Trump's plan to take over Gaza and displace its residents "promises – if implemented – swift and sustainable improvement of the catastrophic living conditions for the Palestinians living in Gaza," the foreign ministers of the four countries said in a joint statement.

Archive: https://archive.is/2025.03.08-050706/https://www.ft.com/content/76937db3-0b3b-44d4-9005-9709512acd53

A proposed €150bn injection into the EU’s defence industry has become a new flashpoint in a long-standing battle between France and Germany over the continent’s rearmament drive and whether it should include countries outside the bloc.

Spooked by US President Donald Trump’s threats to end generations of American protection, Europe has pledged to increase defence spending dramatically and scale up their domestic capabilities that have withered since the cold war.

Last week the European Commission proposed to raise €150bn that would be lent to capitals to boost their military production. While the broad idea has received unanimous political backing, the details are still being fleshed out, with heavy lobbying over whether the cash could be spent on arms made outside the bloc.

Archive: https://archive.is/2025.03.08-041220/https://www.wsj.com/world/europe/nato-baltic-sea-suspected-sabotage-response-a4190a75

Proving sabotage is difficult and requires significant evidence or testimonies to support the finding, say investigators, prosecutors and officials involved in the investigations. To issue an arrest warrant or bring a case, prosecutors must provide substantial evidence of intentional wrongdoing, rather than an accidental and unnoticed dropping of an anchor.

“Even if you show it was deliberate, it’s extremely unlikely you’ll find a paper trail linking the incident to a state actor,” said Elisabeth Braw, an expert in combat below the threshold of warfare, who is writing a book on subsea geopolitical conflict.

The difficulties of prosecuting such cases are frustrating Western officials who are trying to combat what they say is a hybrid war against critical infrastructure in the West that they blame on Russia.

European countries are hastening to boost defence spending and maintain support for Ukraine after President Donald Trump froze US military aid to Kyiv and raised doubts about Washington's commitment to its European NATO allies. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective on Europe's pivot from a "welfare state" to a "warfare state", FRANCE 24's Oliver Farry welcomes Velina Tchakarova, Author, Geopolitical Strategist and Founder of the consultancy FACE (For A Conscious Experience).

Poland's trust in science is growing, but medical conspiracy theories continue to gain traction, according to new EU data.

Summary:

"In recent decades, Europe has witnessed the emergence of the Christian Right as a significant political force, reshaping the continent’s political landscape. From the seamless integration of Christian Right ideologies into coalition governments in Italy, Slovakia, and Austria, to their challenge of the moderate Christian democratic mainstream in Germany, this movement has become a pivotal undercurrent within Europe’s Far Right.

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The Trump administration rules out security guarantees for Ukraine – as did the Biden administration. Europeans and Ukrainians need to give up hope that this stance might change. Efforts to align Kyiv, Washington and European capitals on other points would be better placed.

European defense firms appear set to profit from a massive EU investment in armaments, as the bloc reacts to a U.S. pivot away from Europe’s security under President Donald Trump.