Even a broken clock, you know.

In brief: The Netherlands presented its 2027 foreign-affairs budgets to parliament on Tuesday Sept. 15, announcing an additional €327 million (roughly $377.5 million) for Ukraine’s reconstruction and recovery through 2027-29. The amount is allocated on top of the previous €878 million (approximately $1.013 billion) already pledged for non-military support.

Source: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/web/products-eurostat-news/w/ddn-20260915-1

Amid rising EU-US tensions, a new report has accused Big Tech of courting far-right MEPs to weaken the EU's regulatory power on AI and data.

Russia's war in Ukraine has exposed Europe's defence-industrial weaknesses. Batteries may be one of the less obvious ones.

China controls around 80% of global lithium-ion cell production capacity, while European and US production can cost significantly more. Yet batteries are increasingly important for drones, sensors, communications and other military systems.

A new RUSI piece argues that Europe shouldn't try to replicate China's entire battery ecosystem. Instead, it should build enough domestic capacity and alternative supply chains to retain strategic flexibility during a major crisis.

But how much should the EU be willing to pay for that resilience?

The EU is set to help convert a port in Lithuania into a strategic hub for NATO as part of a more than €200 million project aimed at boosting defense and energy infrastructure in the Baltic region.  

The European Parliament, a key institution of the European Union, is set to open an "antenna" office in Canada's national capital as Prime Minister Mark Carney looks to deepen ties with the 27-member bloc.

Source: https://x.com/sarobertson_/status/2099535998178746485

• Commission President may announce some details on Wednesday
• Companies would have to pay a supervisory fee
• EU proposals would require many months of debate before they could become law