Tales from the Crypto: How the Baltic states became the hub of money laundering and fraud
International criminals used Estonia’s deficient cryptocurrency regulation to turn the small country into a hub of financial crime where over a billion euros have been laundered or defrauded from victims. Now the same actors are relocating to other countries who repeat all the same mistakes
How Ukraine and Russia Fight Over Rail Cars in Europe

Hundreds of Russian and Belarusian rail cars stranded near the European Union’s border with Ukraine in countries such as Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland. These wagons, which used to carry all kinds of goods from Russia and Belarus to the EU, were stranded on NATO soil after Russia’s attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Conservative US lobbyists try to get their hooks into the Czech Republic

A robust conservative organization close to Donald Trump is nurturing ties with Czech counterparts who try to lobby politicians and advance anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ+ agenda in the Central European country.
Vicious attacks force journalists to self-censor across the eastern part of the EU

Journalism is under attack worldwide. The trend, worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic and the anger surrounding it, has been amplified by politicians inciting hate against those who criticize them.
How Estonia’s Military Intelligence Secretly Helped Ukraine

If the war were to stop today, it would take Russia between three to five years to restore its military might and capabilities to the level they would need to strike the next neighboring country, says colonel Margo Grosberg, outgoing chief of Estonia’s military intelligence in a rare interview, published in English on VSquare.
Companies linked to Hungarian anti-immigration governing party profit from the recruitment of migrant workers

Recruiters taking advantage of a recent legislation include a business partner of MEP Tamás Deutsch’s brother and the vice-president of the publicly funded cultural organization.
No clean air in sight: Europe’s worst-affected cities

With the EU voting on new air quality rules, satellite data shows 98% of people face pollution above limits recommended by the World Health Organization.
Peter Bárdy: Fico’s Slovakia will go the way of Orbán’s Hungary

Fico heads into elections driven by anger, revenge, and desire for power—and for salvation. If there is one thing for which Robert Fico has real talent, it is perceiving the mood of society and raising issues that resonate and have an immediate political effect. And he does not give up .