In this week’s Focus, we turn to the tense frontier between Russia and Finland. The rapport between these neighbouring nations has soured significantly in the wake of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine. Historically, their mutual border has been a theatre of confrontation and conflict. Currently, Finland is taking drastic measures by erecting a formidable barbed wire fence along this boundary. According to authorities in Helsinki, the intention behind this undertaking is twofold: ensuring the nation’s protection and enhancing scrutiny over entries from Russia.

NATO launches its largest-ever aerial drill in Europe on Monday, coordinated by Germany, in a show of unity from the military alliance against potential threats – notably from Russia. Ukraine said on Sunday it had made territorial advances on three villages in its southeast, marking the first liberated settlements since its military launched a counteroffensive this past week. Follow our live blog for the latest updates on the war in Ukraine. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) last month announced it would lay off nearly 10 percent of its global staff and roll back dozens of its operations across the world. Although the ICRC’s crisis can partly be blamed on the war in Ukraine and resulting inflation, it also reflects a much more worrying problem plaguing the world’s humanitarian aid groups: with the world more in need of humanitarian action than ever before, donations are failing to keep up with demand.

Scotland’s former leader Nicola Sturgeon insisted on Sunday that she had done nothing wrong after police arrested her as part of an investigation into the finances of the country’s ruling party.

Hundreds of residents of the French town of Annecy gathered Sunday to honour the people who rushed to stop a man accused of stabbing six people, including four toddlers, at a playground last week.

Montenegro was holding an early parliamentary election Sunday, a vote that could put an end to deep political divisions and years of instability that have hampered the small NATO-member country on its route to joining the European Union.