Intelligence

Does Europe have a place in the military space race? According to Josef Aschbacher, Director General of the European Space Agency, the Old Continent must ensure it increases its autonomy and not rely solely on the two major giants – China and the United States.

The opposition leader has been waging a determined battle against Alexander Lukashenko's regime since 2020. She warns of the risks to Europe posed by the growing connection between Moscow and Minsk.

A modification to Finnish law would lift the ban on nuclear weapons on its territory – opening the way, in the event of war, to the “advanced deterrence” proposed by France

Destabilised by Washington’s contradictory statements about the number of American troops in Europe, Europeans are now increasingly calling for strategic autonomy. However, the Old Continent remains divided between those who imagine a future without the United States, and those determined to go on without it.

In retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine, around 2,600 individuals and entities deemed close to Russia have been placed under European sanctions. L'Express reveals how their assets are being frozen.

Four years later, former Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov recounts how Kyiv was warned in advance of the Russian invasion. A war that almost no one wanted to believe in – until the very last moment.

Polish leaders breathed a sigh of relief after the US president finally announced the deployment of 5,000 additional troops to the country. But several questions remain unresolved.

By seeking to impose a toll on maritime traffic, Iran is contravening international law and intends to revert to a forgotten practice from the 16th century.

Since February 2022, Moscow has been recruiting low-level operatives to carry out destabilisation actions in Europe. Paid around €1,000, they often do not know the identity of their handler.

The Harakat al-Yamin (HAYI) group is claiming responsibility for a number of operations against American or Jewish interests in Europe. According to Matthew Hedger, a former CIA and NSA officer specialising in financial crime, this organisation bears a striking resemblance to structures used for years by the Iranian regime abroad.

Pressed by Donald Trump to increase their military spending and worried about the risk of conflict with Russia, Europeans are investing heavily in their defence, but not everyone is going at the same pace.

In an investigative book, Bojan Pancevski, chief political correspondent for Europe at the Wall Street Journal, provides the testimonies of former Ukrainian intelligence agents and divers responsible for the attack on the gas pipeline in 2022.

Fuelled by the entertainment market, the civilian drone industry innovates faster than the armed forces can respond. From the Red Sea to the Paris Olympics, France is experimenting with countermeasures: laser, data fusion, drone catchers.

Despite the end-of-reign atmosphere within the Kingdom, Rabat is preparing... for a possible conflict with Algiers. Both powers have significantly increased their military spending over the past five years.

The Moroccan journalist delivers an explosive behind-the-scenes account of royal power in Rabat, where clans are tearing each other apart in the shadow of the monarch's illness.

Sean Wiswesser, a former CIA field officer, is releasing an authoritative book in the United States on the espionage techniques of Russian intelligence services, which are being increasingly overseen by Vladimir Putin.

The Bundeswehr continues to face serious personnel challenges that are holding back its build-up.

Buffeted by the Trump administration, Switzerland finds itself mired in a fighter jet order with colossal cost overruns. The Federal Council will only purchase 30 F-35s instead of the 36 initially planned.

The unpredictability of the Trump administration is forcing Europeans into a new equation: increasing their military spending while gradually distancing themselves from Washington. The operation is perilous.

The Pope, like his predecessors, must navigate the world of espionage, which is omnipresent in the Vatican.

Manufactured by the Franco-German group KNDS, this howitzer has proven to be formidable on the battlefield in Ukraine.

The former NATO Secretary General urges Europe to prepare for war by the end of the decade – and to make substantial investments in defence, despite European divisions.

The United States and Israel are increasing their targeted killings of senior Iranian officials. This is a strategy already tested by both countries to target the leaders of terrorist organisations, but rarely applied to a state.

A simple jog recorded on Strava was enough to locate the Charles-de-Gaulle. This incident is a persistent vulnerability. Despite the rules, the armed forces struggle to contain the use of connected devices, even at the cost of tensions with recruitment imperatives.

The French Navy has several mine-clearing units, while the United States... has just dismantled its specialised equipment.

Gina Bennett, a counterterrorism analyst at the CIA for 34 years, is concerned about the unclear goals of Operation Epic Fury.

French intelligence would take many years to recruit a source within the inner circle of Iran's Supreme Leader. Paris could have participated in a coalition, but not waged war alone.

Drone overflights of sensitive and military sites are becoming more frequent. The government is seeking to close this gap which still leaves the authorities ill-equipped.

Tehran has systematised the use of terrorist attacks in Western countries. Its targets include Jews, Americans and persons critical of the regime.

Bernard Barbier, former technical director of the DGSE, explains in L’Express how the elimination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reveals the transformation of American intelligence, which has become not merely a tool of observation but an integrated real-time strike system.

During a war game whose results were published at the beginning of February, Russia seized several territories in Lithuania. Organised by the German newspaper "Die Welt" (The World), it depicts a NATO whose disorganisation benefits Vladimir Putin. Interview with Alexander Gabuev, who portrayed the Russian leader for the exercise.

Our defence capabilities are still under development. However, the risks of aggression are increasing. A race against time has begun.

In order to ensure that Europe’s trading power matches its military credibility, the time has come to place economic analysis back at the heart of the debate, argues the president of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.

Ajit Doval, the National Security Advisor to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, wields considerable influence when it comes to defence and foreign policy.

Dozens of kilometres of "grey zone", drones everywhere, older fighters... The war in Ukraine, which has lasted for four years, is unprecedented in more ways than one.

On the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, Pirro Vengu answered questions from L'Express. French-speaking and educated in Paris, he particularly advocates for his country's integration into the European Union.

The European defence AI unicorn, which announced a record €600 million fundraising round in June last year, is making inroads across Europe but is encountering strong resistance in France.

The French president would like to declare Europe's independence from the United States. The German chancellor feels that it is more urgent to prepare for it.

For technical reasons, countries operating the American fighter jet will not be able to fall out with the United States, according to the defence specialist.

Former Air Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Edward Stringer, appeared before the Defence Committee of the House of Commons this week. Speaking to L'Express, he emphasises the need for Europeans to break free from American military dependence.

Specialising in kamikaze and interceptor drones, this Dutch start-up has opened a new factory in Spain to ramp up production. Report.

Images of a futuristic aircraft capable of launching fighter jets from the upper atmosphere were broadcast on Chinese national television. Considered utopian by experts, such a project is intended to leave a lasting impression—on the Chinese, but above all on the Americans.

A businessman at heart, the billionaire uses his intelligence service to make a lasting impression, as in the capture of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela. Fears of the politicisation of intelligence are stirring unrest within the organisation.

Emmanuel Macron's efforts to re-establish a channel of communication with Moscow are meeting with opposition from all sides. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov described them as "pathetic diplomacy".

Emmanuel Bonne travelled to the Russian capital to negotiate directly with the Kremlin. A low-key cooperation continues between France and Russia.

Accustomed to operating with a steady flow of information provided by the powerful American intelligence agency, European spies are trying to escape the trap set by Donald Trump. The CIA is still very much present in Ukraine.

Allies or Enemies? Accustomed to operating with a steady flow of information provided by the powerful American intelligence agency, European spies are trying to escape the trap set by Donald Trump.

The French army can rely on globally respected cold-weather specialists. The training of its commandos is similar to that of special forces.

More than a millennium before the creation of the CIA, Rome was already using spies, but certain pitfalls exposed the city to internal plots and severe military setbacks.

This former CIA clandestine service officer, who was stationed in Moscow and Eastern Europe for several years, analyses Vladimir Putin's strategy.

Starting this year, the aircraft manufacturer could deliver three aircraft per month. This is unprecedented for the Rafale.

Cocaine travelling along Venezuelan routes is flowing into French ports. France’s operations in the area depend on US support, which has contributed to the unease after the Venezuelan president’s abduction.

The conservative Karol Nawrocki took office on 6 August 2025. An inauguration closely watched by the Élysée, as the Treaty of Nancy in May had accelerated the rapprochement between the two countries.

In the face of the Russian threat, the armed forces are seriously considering reinstating conscription and recruiting reservists.

Journalist Charlie English reveals how the CIA smuggled 10 million books into the Eastern Bloc over several decades in order to fight communism.

With drone overflights, sabotage and parcel bombs, Moscow has been testing the waters for months, while building up its arsenal and forces. Is this the prelude to a large-scale attack?

Five months after the annulment of the Romanian presidential election amid suspicions of Russian influence, Warsaw was seeking to fortify itself against similar operations during its own presidential election campaign.

Against the backdrop of increasing Russian threats, the Elysée harbours strong ambitions for its relationship with Poland, as stated by the former ambassador Pierre Buhler at the signing of the Treaty of Nancy.

Three years on from the invasion of Ukraine, the author of the best-seller "Prisoners of Geography" explained how Russia's geographical weaknesses contributed to Vladimir Putin's decision to invade the country.

The invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops has prompted NATO to reconsider its plans and its military capabilities. But the Trump danger looms.

In February 2025, a fascinating report from the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri) provided an in-depth analysis of the unprecedented armament programme that Poland had embarked on following the Russian invasion of its Ukrainian neighbour.

One year after the invasion of Ukraine, Warsaw had already donated most of its Soviet-made equipment and intended to prioritise its own rearmament in the face of the Russian threat.

One year after the invasion of Ukraine, Poland and Slovakia have provided 17 fighter jets to Kyiv. An unprecedented move.

In 2023, Warsaw was already making massive investments in its defence, with the ambition of becoming Europe’s leading army.

Only 65 kilometres separate Belarus from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. A month after the invasion of Ukraine, L’Express went to report from the Suwalki Corridor, a region eyed hungrily by Putin.