Brussels: Europe and the Arabs

The current rotating presidency of the European Union, held by Denmark for the second half of this year, ends on Wednesday. Under the headline "Defense, Preparedness, and Action in Neutrality," Playbook, the European edition of Politico, stated that "2026 will see two neutral countries, Cyprus and Ireland, assume the presidency of the Council of the European Union at a time when the bloc faces unprecedented legal threats. But officials in both Brussels and Nicosia insist that the momentum for strengthening resilience and rearmament will not stop when Denmark takes over at the end of the year." Defense Commissioner Andrios Koupilios told Politico, "I hope that these commitments to developing our defense capabilities will continue regardless of who holds the presidency." Cyprus appears to support this project, with the country's Deputy Minister for EU Affairs, Marilena Rauna, stating that "defense and security, in addition to supporting Ukraine, will be among the top priorities of the Cypriot presidency." Under the subheading "No Security Retreat," Playbook quoted several officials as saying... The Irish have been saying in recent months that their country, despite its official neutrality, is a key pillar of European foreign and security policy initiatives. Ireland even intends to use its presidency in the second half of next year to further these priorities. Dublin has increased its military spending in recent years and plans a comprehensive overhaul of its historically under-resourced capabilities. The European Union is increasingly concerned about its satellites being targeted in orbit by hybrid campaigns from hostile states and is investing in new technologies to ensure secure data transmission and reduce reliance on foreign technology. Antonietta Rossi, senior cybersecurity and intelligence correspondent, provides an in-depth report on the new space race ignited by these threats.