Friday, 21. November 2025
Poland’s ambassador to Russia, Krzysztof Krajewski, was reportedly the target of an attempted physical attack on Sunday while on his way to attend a church service in St. Petersburg. According to video footage circulating online and multiple Polish media outlets, a group displaying anti-Polish and anti-Ukrainian symbols surrounded the diplomat, first verbally harassing him and then attempting to assault him. Krajewski’s long-standing security detail intervened quickly, preventing the situation from escalating.
The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the incident sharply, describing it as “the most serious event of its kind in many years.” Ministry spokesperson Maciej Wewiór told Polsat News that only the decisive response of the ambassador’s security team prevented a “beating attack.” Krajewski later told the PAP news agency that the confrontation appeared deliberate and well-organized, and confirmed that a formal protest note had been sent to the Russian authorities.
Despite the severity of the incident, Moscow has not issued a public response. Behind closed doors, however, the issue was addressed when the Russian chargé d’affaires was summoned to the Polish Foreign Ministry earlier this week. During the meeting, Warsaw delivered a formal note concerning both the attack and the planned closure of the last remaining Russian consulate in Poland. According to Wewiór, the Polish side stressed that such an incident must not be repeated.
The assault comes at a time of already heightened tensions between Poland and Russia amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Polish officials say the attack underscores the broader climate of hostility and warn that the safety of diplomats must be guaranteed under international law. As of now, Russia has offered no official explanation or apology, and the situation adds yet another strain to the already fragile diplomatic relationship between the two countries.
Photo Credits: Photo by Sadık Arpacı on Unsplash
Tuesday, November 12, 2025
The Afghan Consulate in Bonn has resumed operations, now under the administration of the Taliban, the group that has ruled Afghanistan since 2021.
The reopening was announced by Afghanistan’s Taliban-led Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the social media platform X. The consulate had been closed for several weeks after the previous consul, Kabiri, stepped down. Kabiri cited concerns over the security of sensitive data of Afghan citizens living abroad, following the official takeover by the Taliban. According to reports, Kabiri has since applied for asylum in Germany.
Although the German government does not officially recognize the Taliban regime, it recently allowed the entry of two diplomats from Kabul to assume control of the consulates in Bonn and Berlin. The move aims to facilitate the deportation of Afghan nationals convicted of crimes in Germany.
This development marks the latest chapter in the complex diplomatic arrangements between Germany and Afghanistan since the Taliban came to power.
Photo by Farid Ershad / Unsplash
November 4, 2025
Peru has officially severed diplomatic relations with Mexico after the Mexican government granted asylum to former Peruvian Prime Minister Betssy Chavez, who is facing charges of rebellion and conspiracy against the state. Peruvian Foreign Minister Hugo de Zela called the decision an “unfriendly act,” accusing Mexico of repeated interference in Peru’s internal affairs. Chavez, who served under former President Pedro Castillo, is accused of participating in his failed 2022 attempt to dissolve Parliament and declare a state of emergency. Castillo, arrested after the alleged coup attempt, remains in custody, while his family resides in Mexico under asylum.
The move marks a sharp escalation in tensions between Lima and Mexico City, underscoring growing divisions in Latin America’s political landscape. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has publicly expressed support for Castillo, describing his ouster as a “coup” and calling for his release. For observers in Europe, particularly Berlin, the diplomatic rift illustrates the fragility of regional governance and the risks of ideological polarization spilling into international relations—an issue with broader implications for trade, migration, and global diplomatic alignments.
Image: „Juramentación de nuevo Gabinete Ministerial 6-22 screenshot – Betssy Chávez“ by Presidencia de la República del Perú, licensed under CC BY 3.0.
Tuesday, November 4, 2025
A newly exposed zero-day vulnerability in the display of LNK files in Microsoft Windows has been actively exploited in cyber-espionage campaigns against European diplomats, according to cybersecurity firm Arctic Wolf.
The flaw, first reported in late August, remains unpatched as Microsoft has not classified it as critical—contrary to assessments by Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative (ZDI). Arctic Wolf researchers observed that a China-linked threat group, UNC6384, leveraged the vulnerability in targeted attacks across several European states, including Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, Serbia, and Hungary, throughout September and October.
The operation began with spear-phishing emails referencing EU Commission meetings, NATO-related workshops, and multilateral coordination events. These messages led victims to malicious URLs, eventually delivering infected LNK files. Once opened, the files exploited the Windows flaw to execute obfuscated PowerShell commands, deploying a multi-stage malware chain that culminated in the installation of PlugX, a well-known remote-access trojan (RAT), through DLL side-loading using legitimate Canon printer utilities.
Arctic Wolf warns that the lack of a Microsoft patch allows this vulnerability to remain exploitable. The firm recommends blocking or restricting the use of .lnk files from unverified sources and disabling automatic shortcut resolution in Windows Explorer across all endpoints.
Security analysts note that the incident highlights the growing sophistication of state-linked cyber espionage targeting diplomatic networks in Europe. If exploitation continues, Microsoft may be forced to reconsider its initial risk assessment.
At present, however, experts argue the situation reflects a worrying trend in what some describe as “security theater”—where acknowledgment outpaces remediation.
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
At the Hertie School in Berlin, a leading European hub for public policy and international affairs, students from over ninety countries explore not only global politics but also one another’s cultures. This October, the Hertie Latin America Club (HeLAC) brought Mexico’s Día de Muertos to campus with a traditional altar, or ofrenda, created by Jocelyne Carrillo Herrera together with Carolina Elías Carrillo, Salma Karen Gómez López, and Itzel Estefania Fimbres Huerta.
Celebrated on 1–2 November, Día de Muertos honors loved ones who have passed away, blending pre-Hispanic and Catholic traditions. The Hertie altar, adorned with marigolds, candles, and photographs, invited students to pause and reflect, while visitors also tasted pan de muerto, the sweet bread baked for the occasion.
The event sparked conversations across nationalities, with students sharing stories of remembrance from their own cultures and finding connections in this Mexican tradition of memory and celebration. For its organizers, it was more than a cultural showcase it was a way of building bridges between the world of the living and the departed, and between Berlin and Mexico.
By transforming part of the Hertie campus into a space of light, color, and reflection, the initiative highlighted the school’s commitment to intercultural exchange and the power of tradition to create community across borders.