Diplomats or disruptors — when Trump’s ambassadors get ‘rude’
Ambassadors are supposed to smooth tensions, not spark them. But in recent weeks some American envoys in Europe – from Belgium to Poland and France — have found themselves at the center of very public...
27 Helmi 28min
Inside EU ambassadors' crisis 'bunker'
Brussels is adjusting to a shifting geopolitical landscape. Coreper meetings — the regular gatherings of EU ambassadors — are becoming more frequent and a clear evidence of how the bloc is adapting. ...
26 Helmi 15min
Who showed up — and who didn't — for Kyiv's big day
Europe marked four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion with a high-profile show of solidarity in Kyiv on Tuesday. Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa stood alongside Volodymyr Zelenskyy — but ...
25 Helmi 14min
Four years of war — and Hungary breaks EU unity
On the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, European leaders gather in Kyiv to signal unity and solidarity. But back in Brussels, Hungary blocks a new sanctions package again...
24 Helmi 15min
Sanctions, tensions — and a birthday at the FAC
EU foreign ministers are gathering in Brussels with one clear goal: to agree on a 20th sanctions package against Russia. But Hungary is threatening to block it — linking its support to a growing energ...
23 Helmi 15min
The EU’s envoy to Ukraine on war, resilience — and Nordic walking
An air raid siren sounded as we were wrapping up our interview with the EU’s ambassador in Kyiv. On this week’s EU Confidential, Sarah Wheaton speaks with Katarína Mathernová about what it means to l...
20 Helmi 35min
Testing Trump’s Board of Peace
The EU is taking a careful seat at Donald Trump’s first meeting of the Board of Peace — sending Mediterranean Commissioner Dubravka Šuica, but not signing up to the initiative. What does that say abou...
19 Helmi 15min
The EU’s plan to revive its frontline regions
The war in Ukraine is reshaping life well beyond the battlefield. On this episode of the Brussels Playbook Podcast, Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart unpack the European Commission’s new plan to supp...
18 Helmi 14min
