Putin’s Blackmail

Non-EU countries especially vulnerable to Gazprom’s policies of cutting gas supply to Europe. Moldova, under severe strain to make it through a cold winter, has introduced a 30-day state of emergency to allow purchase of gas through alternative means. Initially failing to secure a long-term contract with the Russian gas giant (unlike Hungary), two Moldovan representatives are on their way to Moscow in hopes of brokering a deal by the end of this month. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country is ready to supply additional Russian gas at a discounted transit fee — it is unclear if Moscow will bite until the Nord Stream 2 pipeline is up and running.

Historic moment in Strasbourg as majority of the European Parliament took a harsh stance against Poland’s rule of law troublemaking. European Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen continues to urge Warsaw to comply with the ECJ’s ruling that calls for the dissolution of the disciplinary chamber. David Sassoli and the European Parliament are planning to sue the Commission if the latter does not invoke the conditionality mechanism against Poland by 2 November.

Chris Walker, Vice President for Studies and Analysis at the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), talks with Visegard Insight on the main global challenges facing democracies and the liberal world order. How are authoritarian states re-writing the operating language of key international institutions like the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)? With what degree of success? Tune in to find out.

Read more from Chris Walker here.