EU accession negoti­a­tions with Ukraine are hitting struc­tural and political limits in times of war—both in Kyiv and in Brussels. Techno­cratic proce­dures and exclu­sively positive EU rhetoric undermine the necessary incen­tives for reform, analyzes Liubov Akulenko and proposes a Germany-led “coalition of the willing” to delib­er­ately advance blocked reforms through confi­dential dialogue.

As the European Union adjusts its policies in prepa­ration for a new round of enlargement, relations between Moldova and the European Union (EU) have entered a new stage of devel­opment. Natalia Stercul (Foreign Policy Associ­ation of the Republic von Moldova) analyses the situation.

Georgia is on the path to author­i­tarian consol­i­dation of power. The systematic restriction of civil society, political compe­tition, and freedom of assembly goes hand in hand with a foreign policy shift away from the EU. An analysis by Nino Chachava and Saba Bachveli (both: Civil Society Foundation, Georgia).

The parlia­mentary elections on September 28 will be historic in Moldova, even if the outcome is still uncertain. Various scenarios are possible: Will Moldova succeed in pushing ahead with EU accession as protection against a perceived threat from Russia? Much depends on how the population reacts to frustration and fears, as Denis Cenusa analyzes for us.

Over the course of its 75-year history, NATO has weathered many storms. At least two previous crises were existential – and in both cases, the US played a key role. The new crisis in the transat­lantic alliance, triggered by President Trump, runs deeper. Europe needs a bold and strong strategy to brave the storm. Gerlinde Niehus, former Deputy Director for Defense and Security Cooper­ation at NATO, analyzes the current situation for us.

Despite the war, Ukraine is moving toward European Union membership at an unprece­dented pace. For its accession to succeed, it needs decisive support from the EU – and a solution to circumvent the ongoing blockades imposed by Viktor Orbán’s Hungary, Sergiy Solodkyy argues in his policy brief.

Beijing and Moscow are linked by a strategic partnership and a common adversary, “the West”. Senior Diplomat Johannes Regen­brecht analyzes for us what this alliance is about, what interests Xi Jinping is pursuing in Putin’s large-scale war against Ukraine and what challenges the Russian-Chinese alliance faces from an erratic president in the White House. The US and the European Union must be aware that restric­tions on Ukraine’s sover­eignty will set a signif­icant precedent not only for Europe, but also for the Indo-Pacific region. 

Repression is inten­si­fying in Georgia: following an attempt to introduce a Russian-inspired foreign agents law, targeted attacks on civil society, protesters, and independent media have ensued. Civic space is increas­ingly being restricted – through surveil­lance, legal crack­downs, and the targeted perse­cution of critical voices. To withstand this crucial fight for democracy, Georgian civil society now urgently needs clear and decisive support from Europe. Ivane Chkhik­vadze from the Civil Society Foundation analyzes this escalation and outlines concrete expec­ta­tions towards the EU.

The future of Europe is at stake in the face of Russian aggression. Germany and Poland should undertake a joint effort for a new European Russia policy, finding common ground despite their entrenched differ­ences. A new start can arise from shared insight and interests, if there is political will.