The border that vanished overnight

Summary

Brussels Playbook Podcast — Episode Summary
Episode: “The border that vanished overnight”
Date: July 15, 2026
Host: Zoya Sheftalovich (POLITICO’s chief EU correspondent)
Co-host/Guest: Ian Wishart (Senior Politics Editor)

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Overview

In this episode, Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart dissect a busy day in Brussels, covering:

• EU leaders’ surprise visit to Kyiv to advance defense initiatives and support Ukraine.
• The historic removal of border checks between Spain and the British territory of Gibraltar.
• The potential arrival of elite French university Sciences Po to Brussels.

The discussion is as punchy and conversational as ever, blending first-hand reporting, political insight, and touches of humor.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. EU Leaders Push Defense Deal in Kyiv (00:30–06:50)

• Surprise Trip & Symbolism:
  Ursula von der Leyen, EU Commission President, travels from the Bastille Day celebrations in Paris to Kyiv, accompanied by other European leaders, on Ukrainian Statehood Day.
  “Today is Ukrainian Statehood Day, so it’s a really important day in Ukraine, and obviously, this is a big kind of package that will help support Ukraine’s ability to maintain its statehood.” — Zoya (02:16)

• The Kyiv Declaration:

  • Purpose: Formal pledge for continued EU support and call for more military aid.
  • Participants: Signed by leaders from Greece, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, among others.
  • Financial Commitment: Anticipated €2 billion package, with about half the funds earmarked for joint ventures between Ukrainian and European defense companies, particularly focusing on drones and missiles (02:25–02:56).
    • “The biggest problem Ukraine has now is that it has a shortage of interceptors … ways of taking down Russian strikes. And obviously we know winter is coming and the Russians will target Ukrainian energy infrastructure.” — Zoya (02:56)

• Economic Impact:

  • “Half of the money is actually for Ukrainian companies to make dual use equipment and infrastructure … it’s also about boosting the Ukrainian economy.” — Ian (03:26)
  • Emphasizes integration of Ukraine into the European defense industry, benefitting both sides.

• Reported Insights from Officials:

  • From Ukrainian Ambassador to the EU, Sevylo Chensov: Importance of building EU-Ukrainian defense cooperation.
  • From Ukrainian Deputy PM for Euro Integration, Taras Kachka: Ukraine is “currently ahead of Russia” in defense production, but warns the lead is fragile.

• Current Mood in Ukraine:
  Zoya describes “cautious optimism, but also a lot of concern,” as another harsh winter and intensified Russian attacks loom (04:45–06:01).

  • “They are staring down the barrel of the worst winter they have had. And that’s saying something, because the last winter…” — Zoya (05:17)

• Political Upheaval:

  • Ukraine’s Prime Minister Julia Sverodenko has resigned—reportedly to become ambassador to the US, following an embezzlement scandal involving her predecessor (06:07–06:50).

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2. The Gibraltar Border Disappears (06:50–10:57)

• Background:
  Gibraltar, a British territory on the southern tip of Spain, has been a flashpoint since Brexit, with 96% of locals voting to remain in the EU.

• New Border Deal:

  • As of July 15th, border checks between Spain and Gibraltar have ended.
  • The main fence has been dismantled, allowing people and goods to move freely—hugely significant for the 15,000 cross-border workers (09:11–09:20).
    • “As of today, you can also cross from Spain into Gibraltar or from Gibraltar [without border checks].” — Zoya (08:45)

• Implications:

  • Flights from the UK to Gibraltar now require passports, treating Gibraltar as a Schengen external border, while the land border with Spain is open.
  • Ian connects the move to deep sensitivities in British and Spanish politics over sovereignty (07:16–07:43).

• Economic Side:

  • Gibraltar’s low-tax status changes: a 15% VAT-like tax on imports will come into effect.
  • “That’s all part of it, that people are going to see the repercussions of this, but it’s going to stop people coming over there and buying cheap goods and getting attacked by monkeys.” — Zoya (10:44)

• Personal Anecdotes:

  • Humorous discussion about Gibraltar’s famous Barbary macaques and incidents of food-snatching; prompts a listener call-out for “monkey anecdotes” (11:03–12:09).

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3. Sciences Po’s Potential Brussels Campus (12:31–13:49)

• Breaking News:

  • Reports that Sciences Po (France’s elite university) is considering opening a campus in Brussels, citing a lack of top-tier academic options in EU affairs in the city.
    • “Brussels lacks elite schools and so they should open a Brussels campus which would specialize in both EU level research and training the next generation of Eurocrats.” — Zoya (13:01)

• Reaction:

  • ULB (Brussels’ own university) not impressed:
    • “We have already seen projects of this type and many have failed. I think that’s academia for off.” — Zoya, quoting Jean Benoit Pillay (13:40)

• What’s Next:
  Ian doesn’t sound enthralled, but both acknowledge it will be a trend to watch.

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4. Listener Reviews & Community Buzz (13:58–15:01)

• Listener Messages:
  • Jack from Ireland gives high praise for POLITICO’s "voracious appetite for scoops" and "maniacal punning ability."
  • Hubert from Warsaw calls for a contest for "the most EU bubble style review."
    • “If you love the show and you’re listening, help us out by writing us a little review… The algorithm. I don’t know how they work, but it’s something.” — Zoya (14:46)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I always imagined that I was a big fat man by my voice… I’m not a big fat man.” — Ian (01:16–01:27)
• “Classic.” — Zoya deadpanning Ian’s academic debate story about Gibraltar (07:42)
• “I actually had a juice box … and this monkey, like, raced up to me and just plucked it out of my hand. And I had a straw in it and it chucked the straw and chugged it right in front of me.” — Zoya (11:49)
• Listener call-out: “Tell us about your monkey related anecdotes. … genuinely, the highlight of my day will be reading all the monkey anecdotes.” — Zoya (11:18)
• Semi-serious aside: “This is not just charity. This is about getting European defense industry up to scratch.” — Zoya (04:11)

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Timestamps For Key Segments

• 00:30 — Episode theme and today’s Brussels agenda
• 01:55 — EU leaders’ trip to Kyiv, the Kyiv Declaration, and defense aid for Ukraine
• 04:45 — Ukraine’s mood: cautious optimism & winter security fears
• 06:07 — Ukrainian government shakeup
• 06:50 — Gibraltar: Why the new border deal is a political milestone
• 10:22 — Economic effects of new rules in Gibraltar
• 11:03 — Anecdotes about Gibraltar’s monkeys; listener call-out
• 12:31 — Scoop: Sciences Po may open in Brussels; academic rivalries
• 13:58 — Listeners weigh in with show reviews

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Tone & Style

Conversational, sharp, and infused with wit, the hosts maintain a brisk pace and embrace a friendly rivalry dynamic. EU politics are made accessible, urgent, and—when Gibraltar monkeys are involved—delightfully quirky.

Transcript

[A]

And we're live from the living room as Doug eyes up the match. Say spread. He's reaching for the buffalo wing. Perfect. Hang on, what's this? Oh, he's gone for a can of Pepsi, too. Incredible. What a finish. Sensational combination. Look at the delight on his face. There's no doubt about it. It just tastes better. Match days deserve Pepsi. Food deserves Pepsi. Grab a pack of Pepsi. Zero sugar. For today's match, it's poetry in motion.

[B]

Good morning. It's Wednesday, July 15, and this is the Brussels Playbook podcast. The vibe in Brussels today is battle ready as Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and a group of EU leaders make a surprise trip to Kyiv to push through a string of new defence initiatives. Also on the pod, people can now cross from Spain into the British territory of Gibraltar without border checks. And could elite French university Sciences po be coming to Brussels?

[C]

Sciences po.

[B]

Oh, thank you, Ian. Well, that is the dulcet tone of senior politics editor Ian Wishart. Finally, you're back with me.

[C]

Yeah. Zoya, this is our first one together, or my first one at all since our live podcast.

[B]

Where have you been?

[C]

Do you remember that woman, after the recording, came up to us and said, I always imagined that I was a big fat man by my voice.

[B]

I do remember. Do you want to set the record straight?

[C]

I'm not a big fat man.

[B]

No, you're just a man.

[C]

Big fat woman

[B]

that goes. We're taping it. Oh, my God. We're about to get canceled. All right, Ian. Well, you're back. Let's get straight into it. So Commission President Ursula von de lion was in Paris yesterday for Bastille Day celebrations, and now she, with a group of European leaders, is making a trip to King Kiev.

[C]

There's this thing called the Kiev Declaration, isn't there? Is she signing this?

[A]

What?

[C]

What's this about?

[B]

She's not technically signing it, she's just going to witness it. But it is going to be signed by leaders from Greece, Romania, Slovenia, Croatia and a few others. And it's a pledge to keep supporting Ukraine, and it's a call for more military aid.

[C]

And there's a bit of symbolism here, because it's. What? Ukrainian Statehood Day? Is that what it's called?

[B]

That's right. Today is Ukrainian Statehood Day, so it's a really important day in Ukraine, and obviously, this is a big kind of package that will help support Ukraine's ability to maintain its statehood.

[C]

So there's quite a huge amount of money that comes with this. It's 2 billion euros now.

[B]

It's not 100% confirmed that they're going to be signing up to this 2 billion today. It might take a little bit of time, but we hear that it's pretty close to a done deal. So, you know, expectations are that it will happen. And it's joint ventures between Ukrainian and European defense companies, as well as some ventures that are just for Ukrainian companies.

[C]

And I was reading that half the money is for the production of drones and missiles and that kind of thing together jointly between Ukraine and the eu.

[B]

Yeah, and it's super, super important because this is something that I've been reporting out over the past few weeks, months. The biggest problem Ukraine has now is that it has a shortage of interceptors, of Patriot missile interceptors, ways of taking down Russian strikes. And obviously we know winter is coming and the Russians will target Ukrainian energy infrastructure. And so Zelensky, the Ukrainian president, is really keen to beef up the supplies that, that Ukraine has of these missile interceptors.

[C]

Yeah, and I notice in, in what we're reading here up to 1 billion of this, so half of the money is actually for Ukrainian companies to make dual use equipment and infrastructure. So again, this is not just about first aid for defense, but it's also about boosting the Ukrainian economy. And, you know, that comes hand in hand, doesn't it?

[B]

Yeah, yeah. And look, I spoke with the Ukrainian ambassador to the EU yesterday, Sevylo Chensov, and he actually said to me, look, it's important, important that some of these projects, or half of these projects are designed for Ukrainian and European companies to work together. Because the point of this is basically so that European companies also develop this expertise and know how and are able to make use of some of those Ukrainian.

[C]

Well, it really brings, it really brings Ukraine into the, into the European defense industry, doesn't it?

[B]

It does, yeah. And it helps the European defense industry as well. You know, this is not just charity. This is about getting European defense industry up to scratch. And it is undoubtable right now that Ukraine is at the vanguard of development when it comes to things like dr, like technology, missiles, all sorts of stuff. So it's really important for European companies to be involved too.

[C]

Unlike you, Zoya, I'm not an expert in, in Ukraine, you follow it far more closely than I do. But I get a sense that there's some positivity in Ukraine at the moment. Is there at least a feeling that there's momentum building to something a bit more successful?

[B]

I would say there is cautious optimism, but also a lot of concern. So for sure there is A sense when you talk to Ukrainian politicians. I mean, I spoke with Taras Kachk the other day. He is the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister for Euro integration. And he was saying, yes, we're currently ahead of Russia in this defense kind of industry production cycle, but that kind of lead never lasts because the Russians catch up.

[C]

That's the impression that I get as an outsider reading about this. The momentum seems to swing back and forward quite a lot.

[B]

It does. And I think that's why Ukraine has managed to fend off this invasion for so long. But one of the things that Kachka told me is he said, they are staring down the barrel of the worst winter they have had. And that's saying something, because the last winter.

[C]

I was going to say last winter they said the same.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But this is. They reckon it's going to be even worse because. No, not temperature, just in terms of the Russians having. Their expectation is that the Russians have been building up their supplies and their ability to strike Ukrainian energy infrastructure even more so than last time, and they're really going to be targeting the things that hurt. So Ukraine is very aware of the fact that even if, you know, they currently feel like they're ahead of the game, they need to make sure that they're securing supplies of things like patriots so that they don't lose that advantage.

[C]

Okay, now, Ursula von der Leyen arriving in Kiev at a time of quite big political upheaval.

[B]

Yeah, that's right. So we've just had this announcement earlier this week that the government under the Prime Minister, Julia Sverodenko.

[C]

She's gone.

[B]

She's gone. She's gone. She has resigned. She's not gone entirely. The kind of reported fact is that she's going to be going to Washington and she's going to be the new Ukrainian ambassador to the us and our colleague Veronica Melchizedek, who is in Kiev, she's our reporter on the ground. She reported just yesterday that there's a looming embezzlement charge against the current Ukrainian ambassador to the us, August Stepanishina, which has actually precipitated this change in the government.

[C]

Zoya, we're going to talk about Gibraltar now, which I know a little bit more about than Ukraine, but probably not as much as you know about Ukraine, because I've never actually been there. But it's a British territory. The Mediterranean just connected. It's a rock basically just off the Spanish mainland. I've only ever seen it on the ferry from Spain to Morocco, but it's a Very interesting place, very sensitive place in British politics.

[B]

And why is that?

[C]

When I was at university and the Spanish ambassador to the UK did a big speech and he did this big explanation of Spanish politics and history and the relationship between the UK and Spain. And at the end he said, but we want Gibraltar back. And all these British students were like, you will never have Gibraltar back. It's a really big, sensitive topic.

[B]

Wow.

[C]

Did they fight more or less. In a very academic way? Yeah.

[B]

Classic.

[C]

So it's really sensitive. It's been sensitive for centuries. It was sensitive during the Brexit negotiations. It's geographically very important because it's the gateway to the Mediterranean, but also symbolically, it's pretty much the last bit of the British Empire that's left.

[B]

And it was basically forced to Brexit with the rest of Britain, despite the fact that it voted 96% to remain in the EU, is my memory from the Brexit vote.

[C]

But it's very complicated because a lot of people in Spain particularly want to go to Gibraltar and back very easily, with no friction and no border. But to be able to do that, Gibraltar had to be in the European Union, Customs Union and Schengen and that kind of thing, which, if it did, that would mean the border would be. If you get a flight from the UK to Gibraltar, you have to show a passport when you land in Gibraltar, which is really weird for British people because Gibraltar is technically British. That's now what's happened. So now if you fly from Britain to Gibraltar, you'll have to show your passport as of this week when you land in Gibraltar, despite still being a British territory.

[B]

But as of today, you can also cross from Spain into Gibraltar or from Gibraltar.

[C]

Yes. Because you've already shown your passport flying from Britain or the rest of the world to Gibraltar.

[B]

I see. So they've taken down all the border posts and barriers. Apparently the main fence has been dismantled. So if you having a little walk, recycle or dry, there will be people

[C]

in Britain saying, well, this is just the start of giving up Gibraltar and handing it to Spain.

[B]

Yeah. But on the other hand, it's probably going to be quite good for the. Quite convenient. Quite convenient. Well, there are apparently 15,000 people who cross from Spain to work in Gibraltar every day.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So that would have been a pain in the proverbial to have to show your passport every time.

[C]

I like you to say a word like proverbial instead of the.

[B]

Well, I'm now censoring myself.

[C]

Have you been censored?

[A]

Yeah.

[C]

Have you?

[B]

Yeah, I Have been, actually. Yeah. Well, the man tells me that I'm not allowed to swear. The man is Ben Reninga, our boss in the us. He's very sensitive to my swears. So this one's for you, Ben.

[C]

This is good news. According to people living in Spain. A lot of people in Gibraltar say this is great for the economy because it means people can work and live and travel between those places without any friction, without going through borders.

[B]

Yeah. But this deal, this was just signed in Brussels by the European Trade Commissioner, Mar Shefkovic, and the UK Europe Minister, Stephen Doughty. So this is, like, hot off the presses.

[C]

It's been something they've been wrangling over for years, ever since the Brexit referendum in 2016. It was very clear that Gibraltar would be a massive sticking point and they never managed to solve it. And Brexit happened in 2021 and they're only solving it now.

[B]

And what's gonna happen to Gibraltar's, like, no VAT thing.

[C]

This is another thing, isn't it, that Gibraltar has traditionally been so cheap? A lot of companies base themselves there because they don't have to pay any tax. But there's gonna be a new trans on goods now, a bit like VAT. 15% on transactions coming into Gibraltar. So, you know, that's all part of it, that people are going to see the repercussions of this, but it's going

[B]

to stop people coming over there and buying cheap goods and getting attacked by monkeys.

[C]

Barbarima cac. Yeah, they have these. These wild monkeys in Gibraltar.

[B]

I heard that our producer Dionis, got attacked by one that has a core childhood memory of Jonas.

[C]

Tell us about it. I went there once with my cousin and she was having a muffin and

[B]

one of those monkeys just jumped on

[C]

her and snatched the muffin out of her hand, giving her almost a heart attack.

[B]

Oof.

[C]

See, that's how British it is. You wouldn't be having a muffin if you're on the Spanish mainland, would you? You'd have something much more refined, but you wouldn't get attacked by a monkey.

[B]

The monkeys are very British here. And I've never heard of a monkey in Britain, except you just lob it up and throw it in. I don't know. Should we do a call out about the monkeys here? Why don't people tell us about their monkey related anecdotes? Yeah, I would love that. Genuinely, the highlight of my day will be reading all the monkey anecdotes.

[C]

Have you ever shaken hands with a monkey? Have you ever Cuddled a monkey, had something stolen from.

[B]

I actually had a juice box. So I was drinking a little juice when I was in Malaysia, in Kuala Lumpur, and I went up to this mountain shrine and. And I was drinking a little can of juice and this monkey, like raced up to me and just plucked it out of my hand. And I had a straw in it and it chucked the straw and chugged it right in front of me.

[C]

They don't have good manners, do they? You know, in India, the criminals train the monkeys to climb up the drainpipes, go into people's bedrooms and steal something and come back down and give it back to the criminal.

[B]

What's in it for the monkey?

[C]

Just the laughs, Zoya. Should we talk about something else now?

[B]

All right, I guess we can. Actually, this is kind of a fun one. Did you know that Brussels is apparently so in need of a new academic institution that the French university Science po is considering opening a campus? Oh, my God. Jesus. I'm going to say it Australian style. Science poor.

[C]

Good. I like that.

[B]

They're not actually. Well, then they're not confirming it, but there's an interesting idea that our colleague Jacob Parry has found out about because he's got this 18 page internal report that the uni has kind of put together. And basically this report argues that Brussels lacks elite schools and so they should open a Brussels campus which would specialize in both EU level research and training. The next generation of Eurocrats, kind of to compete with the LSE and the College of Europe and Bruges.

[C]

Not very good sign for the current Brussels universities though, is it?

[B]

Well, yeah, the ULB Political Science department wasn't too keen on. On this solution. Yeah, Jean Benoit Pillay, the dean of ULB's Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences, he said, we have already seen projects of this type and many have failed. I think that's academia for off anyway. So, Ian, that's gonna be a fun one to watch. Whether that happens.

[C]

I can think of more fun things to watch, to be honest.

[B]

Ian. You know, we tell listeners to send in their reviews at the end of this podcast sometimes, and some of them are finally doing it. We've been pestering them and finally they're carrying it out. So Jack from Ireland on Apple Podcasts said this. Five stars, by the way. Thanks, Jack. That's. You're a ledge. Yeah. He said that our voracious appetite for scoops and our hard won access to insiders is pretty great. And he.

[C]

Oh, I'm glad that's how it sounds.

[B]

Yeah, well, he wasn't listening to our Gibraltar section today. He also said he enjoys our maniacal punning ability, which I'm pretty sure is just about me. And yeah, I'm not sure that you're a punner. Anyway, we also got Hubert from Warsaw who wrote that after weeks of persuasions, I wrote a review on Apple Podcasts. And if I were you, I would call a contest test for the most EU bubble style review on Apple Podcasts.

[C]

What a horrible thought.

[B]

I think it's great. I think Hubert is giving us free ideas. Take that to the bank, folks out there. If you love the show and you're listening, help us out by writing us a little review. That's how people find out about the show. That is really, really important. The algorithm. I don't know how they work, but it's something.

[C]

Something doesn't stop talking about it though.

[B]

Nothing ever does. Anyway, leave us a review and if you want to, you could do a little video and you might get yourself some merch. So do that. That's about it for us today.

[C]

Good. I'm going to get on with my day.

[B]

See you tomorrow.

[C]

By.