The war in Ukraine is reshaping life well beyond the battlefield.

On this episode of the Brussels Playbook Podcast, Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart unpack the European Commission’s new plan to support EU regions bordering Russia, Belarus and Ukraine — from eastern Poland to the Baltics and Finland — where investment has slowed, trade has shifted and security concerns are weighing on local economies.

They also look at Germany’s move to expand the powers and budget of its foreign intelligence agency, as Berlin reassesses how much it can rely on Washington in a more uncertain transatlantic climate.

And finally, a new poll suggests about one in five Europeans believe a dictatorship can be preferable in certain cases. Is this democratic decline — or frustration with how democracy works in practice?

Plus: the coffee saga continues. After discovering that some Brussels lattes now cost more than €5, we heard from listeners with recommendations for better (and cheaper) spots. Keep them coming — you can reach us on our WhatsApp at +32 491 05 06 29.

**A message from Amazon: Across Europe, businesses are growing with the AWS Cloud to build innovative, scalable products. From Europe’s largest enterprises and government agencies to the continent’s fastest growing startups, learn more about how AWS Cloud is helping businesses across Europe grow at AWS.eu.**

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