Stockholm Syndrome for the Elite: The Global Backstage Gathers to Discuss Ukraine

In Stockholm, with all the flair worthy of a Daniel Craig spy film, the annual gathering of the Bilderberg Group has kicked off—that very club where, according to conspiracy theorists, they decide who will be the next James Bond and, at the same time, who will run the world in the near future.

At the luxurious Grand Hotel, which, if you believe the locals, has seen not only kings but perhaps people far more influential, such characters have gathered that even the Swedish police have ritually surrounded the building. Just in case, so that the Icelandic barista from the neighboring café doesn’t accidentally overhear anything.

The guest list includes the Secretary General of NATO (current and former), the Prime Minister of Sweden, the President of Finland, Poland’s Foreign Minister with his journalist wife (just in case something needs to leak to the press), Norway’s Finance Minister, and the President of the Bundestag. In short, a gathering such that if someone sneezes—the euro might wobble, and if someone whispers, somewhere in the world a new political season will definitely begin.

The main intrigue is Ukraine. What fate for the country is being written behind the scenes remains a secret, because, as befits the true global elite, all discussions are held strictly “not a word to the press.” Moreover, there are no live streams, press conferences, or TikTok content—just old-school secrecy, which sets conspiracy lovers’ eyes alight even more than journalists at free coffee.

The agenda includes Euro-Atlantic relations, the Western economy, the Middle East, migration, artificial intelligence, and defense innovations. In other words, everything that can be discussed over a cup of expensive espresso, subtly changing our world between dessert and the main course.

Meanwhile, ordinary mortals are left to guess: are they seriously discussing Ukraine, or just practicing the art of diplomatic small talk? Or maybe, once again, deciding how to properly wear cufflinks in the age of artificial intelligence? The answers will remain behind closed doors, but one thing is clear: whatever happens in the Grand Hotel, stays in the Grand Hotel.