The Newsletters I Read to Understand Central and Eastern Europe

A curated list of the writers and outlets helping me make sense of politics, security, and power across the region

In this time when traditional journalism is under pressure all over the world, newsletters are having a real moment. Today I’m sharing with you my roundup of the must-read newsletters from across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Some cover specific countries like I do while others look at the region or part of it through a thematic lens. All of them represent excellent journalism and analysis that I rely on to form my picture of what’s going on in the wider neighborhood.

Most of the following newsletters are on Substack but not all.

Days Until the Hungarian Elections

Journalists Veronika Munk and Zoltán Szalay write this excellent newsletter counting down to Hungary’s April 12 parliamentary elections. Europe is holding its collective breath as Viktor Orban’s Fidesz faces opposition challenger Péter Magyar and his Tisza Party. This vote has the potential to shape issues related to Moldova and Ukraine’s EU accession as well as the geopolitical direction of the bloc as a whole. Munk and Szalay take you through the twists and turns of the extremely dirty campaign, highlighting Russian hybrid attacks and the increasing number of threats against journalists in Hungary.

Following the elections the newsletter will continue following government formation and covering the country’s major news developments.

You can read and subscribe at this link.

The Power Vertical (Newsletter / Podcast)

Brian Whitmore’s Power Vertical Podcast is one of the original great podcasts looking at Russia and its role in the former Soviet space. I was thrilled to join Brian as a guest in an episode right before Moldova’s 2025 parliamentary elections to discuss Russia’s hybrid attacks and election interference. Now the Power Vertical is on Substack as well, where you can get episodes and follow updates from the Power Vertical team.

You can read and subscribe at this link.

Ukraine’s Arms Monitor

Written by Olena Kryzhanivska, a Ukrainian defense analyst based in Canada, Ukraine’s Arms Monitor is a go-to resource for tracking military developments in the war in Ukraine. It combines detailed reporting on weapons and technology with sharp analysis of how the conflict is driving rapid innovation - particularly in areas like drone warfare. As Ukraine and Russia adapt in real time, this newsletter offers one of the clearest windows into how modern warfare is evolving.

You can read and subscribe at this link.

Goulash (VSquare)

Goulash is a newsletter from VSquare, an investigative journalism network focused on Central and Eastern Europe. It combines investigative reporting with sharp regional analysis - with a particular strength on Hungary and its wider influence.

You can read and subscribe at this link.

The Eastern Flank

Journalist Michał Kranz publishes this weekly newsletter focused on the top stories in Eastern Europe - which he defines as “all the countries east of Germany, Austria, and Italy, north of Greece and Turkey, and west of Russia, as well as Georgia and Armenia in the South Caucasus.” His newsletter is great for keeping up with the region, but I tune in for his analysis of how Eastern Europe impacts, and is impacted by, wider geopolitical events around the world.

You can read and subscribe at this link.

The Baltic Flank

While we’re on the topic of flanks - I recently discovered the Baltic Flank and have no idea how I missed it before. Written by investigative journalist Holger Roonemaa, the newsletter focuses on European security issues as well as Russia’s hybrid war against the West. While it casts a wide net, the main lens for the reporting and analysis is a focus on NATO and the EU’s eastern flank - Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

You can read and subscribe at this link.

PolandWatch

Written by veteran journalist Stuart Dowell, PolandWatch is both a deep dive into Poland’s internal politics, and an analysis of its place in the wider region. The country’s complex political dynamics have foreshadowed many broader trends in European politics - including populism, democratic backsliding, migration challenges and more. It has also shown how a country can come back from the brink. PolandWatch is great for following these wider trends as they play out in the Polish and regional context.

You can read and subscribe at this link.

Brief Eastern Europe

Brief Eastern Europe is a regional newsletter covering politics and society across Central and Eastern Europe, with a focus on connecting developments across countries. It’s part of the New Eastern Europe family which also has an excellent podcast called “Talk Eastern Europe.” Their newsletter is a great way to track the main stories around the region and also get solid opinion and analysis of key events.

You can read and subscribe at this link.

Balkan Brew

Journalists Rodolfo Toè and Tommaso Siviero write this excellent weekly newsletter looking around the Balkans and picking out some of the most interesting and impactful stories in the region. If you’re like me, the Western Balkans especially can feel hard to get a handle on politically. Balkan Brew helps me catch the most important stories and (often) notice how many countries are facing challenges similar to those we are seeing in Moldova.

You can read and subscribe at this link.

how we cee it

That’s CEE = Central and Eastern Europe. Journalist Tomas Hrivnak covers a range of stories in business, tech, and security facing the region. I’ve recently enjoyed a number of stories looking at defense sector investments and how regional security is being impacted by the war in Iran.

You can read and subscribe at this link.

Did I Miss Something?

If you’ve got some newsletters that help you make sense of the region that didn’t make my list - share them in the comments!