State of the Union: Ukraine's incursion in Russia is 'changing the momentum', says US general

One of the stories that kept EU officials busy throughout the summer was Hungary’s anti-immigrant government’s decision to ease the country’s immigration scheme.

That immigration scheme allows foreign workers to stay in Hungary for at least two years and can pave the way towards permanent residency.

Budapest has now relaxed this rule to include nationals from Russia and Belarus.

This week, and not for the first time, Nordic and Baltic countries expressed concern that such a policy could be a serious security risk for the entire EU.

“There was never a Schengen free for Russian diplomats with hostile intentions, and there was never a Schengen free for possible security breaches by certain countries," said Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže.

"This is why we take it very seriously as a security risk (…) and we are currently waiting for the evaluation from the Commission in terms of the legal complications that the Hungarian decision has created.”

The worry, of course, is that Russian spies and saboteurs could infiltrate the EU and commit all sorts of crimes.

Budapest dismissed such concerns saying that the Hungarian scheme was “in accordance with the relevant EU framework”.

All this unfolds against the backdrop of the ongoing war in Ukraine.

This week, Russia intensified its missile and drone strikes, especially targeting energy facilities.

Moscow’s latest attacks are perceived as an effort to regain control of the conflict following Ukraine’s recent territorial gains in Russia’s Kursk region.

The Ukrainian incursion started on August 6 and has been surprisingly sustained.

A Swedish TV crew had access to Ukrainian-held Russian territory and produced a rare interview with Ukrainian soldiers.

“The fighting is non-stop throughout the