Warsaw is one of the candidates for the location of the new EU Customs Office. In the background, however, there is a political battle and a race against a gigantic technological challenge. At stake are prestige, hundreds of jobs, and influence over how the European Union will protect its economic borders for decades. The office is expected to begin operations this year and reach full functionality within two years.

The list of contenders includes Liège (Belgium), Malaga (Spain), Lille (France), Zagreb (Croatia), Rome (Italy), The Hague (Netherlands), Porto (Portugal), and Bucharest (Romania). Each city is promoting its own advantages. The Hague emphasises links with Europol, while Belgium and France focus on logistics expertise.

Poland is highlighting Warsaw’s strategic and operational strengths. The city already hosts the EU border agency Frontex, and Polish officials argue that customs officers and border guards should work together in the fight against hybrid threats. “Integrated border management and synergy among these institutions are key to security,” said former Finance Minister Magdalena Rzeczkowska.

Małgorzata Krok, Plenipotentiary of the Minister of Finance and Economy for Warsaw’s EU Customs Authority (EUCA) bid, stressed the economic benefits of hosting the new office. “The agency means increased business and tourist traffic, as well as the arrival of EUCA employees with their families. It is expected to eventually employ 250 people, but this number could rise,” she said. Warsaw offers direct flights to EU countries, proximity to border crossings, and experience in large-scale tax and customs IT systems, she added.

The EUCA will not only serve as the administrative hub but also as a technology centre. Central to its operations will be the EU Customs Data Hub, designed to replace 27 separate national systems with a unified database. The hub aims to track goods in real time, detect dangerous products, and improve the collection of customs duties, especially as the European Commission anticipates 5.6 billion parcels entering the Union in 2025, mostly from China.

Experts warn that the system’s success depends on cooperation with private sector partners, including courier and e-commerce companies. Without consultation, technical and operational bottlenecks could disrupt trade and affect consumers. Poland argues that its experience in crisis management and digital operations makes it the most capable host for the ambitious reform.

Behind the scenes, Warsaw is actively lobbying EU decision-makers. “At the end of the day, it will be a political decision,” Rzeczkowska said, noting that the final choice will be made by the EU Council and the European Parliament. The verdict is expected in March 2026, determining whether Brussels prioritises traditional Western trade hubs or a digitally focused centre on Europe’s eastern flank.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio drew significant attention at the Munich Security Summit on Saturday, as European leaders awaited his address with a mix of curiosity and caution. While Rubio’s speech did not completely ease all worries, it reassured allies that despite strains under Donald Trump, US-Europe relations remain intact.

Rubio was not the only American political figure present at the summit. Even if his remarks had not landed so well, other US politicians offered messages of steadiness and continuity. California Governor Gavin Newsom, speaking at a Friday conference event, reminded attendees, “If there’s nothing else I can communicate today, Donald Trump is temporary. He’ll be gone in three years.” Newsom was among a large contingent of American legislators and governors, including Democrats who may contend for their party’s 2028 presidential nomination.

Several US officials emphasised the continued strength of the US partnership with Europe. Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire said, “The reason we’re here is to provide reassurance that we understand how important our European allies are.” Republican Senator Thom Tillis echoed her sentiment, stressing that the US and Europe are not in a “civil war” and advising allies to avoid being swayed by “the rhetoric of American politics.”

Such reassurance comes after years of tension. During the Trump administration, the US imposed steep tariffs on multiple trading partners and adopted policies that reshaped foreign relations, including a focus on the western hemisphere. Trump’s proposals regarding Greenland, reiterated before a weekend trip to Florida, exemplify this shift.

Domestic concerns also featured prominently at the summit. Virginia Senator Mark Warner warned that Trump’s talk of nationalising elections and introducing strict voter ID requirements through executive action could threaten the integrity of November’s midterm congressional elections. “I never thought I would say that in 2026 America,” he added. Trump defended these measures and the SAVE Act, which would establish a national voter identification system, arguing they are widely supported and necessary to prevent voter impersonation.

Senators Mark Kelly and Elissa Slotkin, recently targeted in an unsuccessful Department of Justice indictment for urging US soldiers to disregard “illegal” orders in a video, shared their perspectives on the heightened political climate. Slotkin described the moment as a profound period for the nation, adding, “We’ll get through it.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was the centre of attention at the Munich Security Summit, as European leaders wondered apprehensively what tone he would strike in his remarks on Saturday. While his speech did not fully allay their concerns, it has been viewed as a reassurance to allies that while US relations may have frayed under Donald Trump, they will not break.

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Russia has attempted to fully block access to WhatsApp, the Meta-owned messaging app, as the Kremlin seeks tighter control over its internet space. WhatsApp described the move as an effort to isolate over 100 million users from private and secure communication, calling it a “backwards step” that could reduce safety for people in Russia.

The push for greater control comes amid a broader crackdown on dissent during the ongoing war in Ukraine. Meta platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, have been officially banned in Russia, accessible only through virtual private networks (VPNs). Reports about the Kremlin targeting WhatsApp have circulated for years, with speculation dating back to the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

The Russian government has also promoted its own messaging app, Max, which WhatsApp called “a state-owned surveillance app.” Moscow has mandated that Max be pre-installed on all new devices sold in the country since 2025, and public sector employees, teachers, and students are required to use the platform.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told state-controlled media that Meta is being blamed for failing to comply with Russian regulations governing WhatsApp. He said the company could reach an agreement by negotiating with authorities, but added that if it refuses to comply, access to its services would remain blocked.

Earlier this week, Russia also began restricting Telegram, another popular messaging service. Pavel Durov, Telegram’s founder, said the restrictions are intended to push users toward a state-controlled platform designed for surveillance and political censorship. Durov compared Russia’s approach to Iran’s attempt eight years ago to ban Telegram, which ultimately failed.

Durov, who left Russia for Dubai in 2014 after refusing Kremlin demands to close opposition groups on his VK platform, has a complicated relationship with the Russian government. Investigations show he visited Russia more than 50 times between 2015 and 2021, and he was detained in France in August 2024 over a probe into criminal activity on Telegram, raising questions about his neutrality.

Moscow has cited foreign tech firms’ refusal to store Russian users’ data domestically as a key concern. The country’s Data Localisation Law, introduced in 2015, requires all personal data of Russian users to be stored on servers within Russia. Regulations tightened after the invasion of Ukraine, and from 1 January 2026, all internet services operating in Russia must store user messages—including audio, video, text, and metadata—for three years and provide them to security agencies upon request, even if users have deleted them.

Critics and rights groups argue that these measures are part of a broader effort to expand surveillance and control over internet use, suppress dissent, and monitor public communications. They warn that forcing millions of users onto state-controlled platforms will erode digital privacy and limit access to independent channels of information.

The attempt to block WhatsApp and restrict Telegram marks the latest step in Russia’s increasingly stringent regulation of online communications, raising concerns about the future of digital freedom in the country.