Brussels and Kyiv have been at loggerheads for over a year and the recent EU-Ukraine summit has not broken the deadlock. Will the fling between the EU and Ukraine that is now a decade old end bitterly or will it finally mature into a real partnership?
Vladimir Putin is set to reassume the reins of power in the Kremlin. But what will Russia's foreign policy be, and how should the European Union and its member states react?
As the EU and Russia hold their latest summit neither side can boast that they are in the best of health. But the summit is important for symbolic reasons – and there are several practical issues that they can address at the same time.
Russia in 2010 was as corrupt as Papua New Guinea, had the property rights of Kenya and was as competitive as Sri Lanka. As Putin readies himself to retake the presidency he must also work out how to deal with a country that is now firmly post-BRIC.
The atmosphere between the EU and Russia has improved remarkably over the last couple of years; but – ahead of this week's summit with Russia – the EU is struggling to turn good atmospherics into tangible progress in areas that really matter.
NATO leaders are meeting in Lisbon to approve a new strategic blueprint aimed at enhancing the security of Europe. But what about managing security within Europe? Who is responsible for that, and how should it be organised?