Like an eVisa or passport, the ID will include a person’s name, date of birth, nationality or residency status, and photo. Subject to forthcoming consultation — timeline TBD — other details, such as address, could also be added to the mix.  

The government said there will be “no requirement for individuals to carry their ID or be asked to produce it.” But given it will be mandatory for anyone wanting to work in the U.K., it will be something millions of people will need to sign up for if they want to make a living. 

While curbing illegal migration is the focus for now, the government has also said that “in time” digital ID will “make it simpler to apply for services like driving licenses, childcare and welfare, while streamlining access to tax records.” 

The government also said the ID “will be available to use” for proving identity when voting in elections, and that it could also be used by private sector organizations, e.g. when setting up a bank account.

The government has said the consultation would consider how digital ID would work for people who don’t have a smartphone. 

What we don’t know

In short, quite a lot.  

Moldovans will go to the polls on Sunday in an election mired in meddling attempts that Western security officials and cyber intelligence firms say originate in Russia. Moldovan President Maia Sandu told the European Parliament on Monday that Russia is spending “hundreds of millions of euros” to subvert the election.

In one of the most recent attacks, hackers hijacked Wi-Fi routers to attempt to overload the servers of Moldova’s Central Electoral Commission, the country’s police chief Viorel Cernăuțeanu told local media on Wednesday, in what is known as a distributed denial-of-service attack.

Like Ukraine, Moldova is a “laboratory” for confronting “some of the most advanced hybrid threats of our times,” Nistor said. “This makes us a natural test bed for Europe, a place where we can test new tools [and] new policies.” 

According to Stanislav Secrieru, national security adviser to Sandu, “The scale of Russian interference today far exceeds what we saw in 2024.”

“We’re seeing unprecedented efforts: more money to buy votes, more AI-driven disinformation amplified by troll networks, and more resources dedicated to orchestrating street violence. Russia is pulling out all the stops to tip this election,” he told POLITICO.

Support for Moldova from the United States has waned, in part when it dismantled its development agency USAID earlier this year, putting more of the burden on Europe. 

He added: “I’m sure there will be some reduction, but by how much we don’t know.”

While some American policymakers have called for reducing U.S. troop numbers, the Pentagon has yet to reveal its plans. Officials in countries that neighbor Russia — which has repeatedly violated European airspace in recent days — are bracing for imminent drawdowns, with Estonian President Alar Karis telling POLITICO earlier this month that front-line nations needed to prepare for this possibility.

The main concern for European NATO allies, per Stubb, was that the U.S. continues to keep “essential equipment,” such as “air carriers” and radar, based on the continent. The U.S. currently has between 70,000 and 90,000 troops stationed in Europe — a number that increased under former President Joe Biden after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

‘Interpreting Zelenskyy’

In Finland — whose border with Russia is more than 1,300 kilometers long — the president is in charge of foreign policy as well as being commander-in-chief of the armed forces. As such, Stubb has been credited with playing an important role in speaking to U.S. President Donald Trump about the war in Ukraine, including during a round of golf in March.

The outing was credited with helping to change Trump’s perspective on Ukraine, as it was shortly afterward that he started to speak and post more critically about Vladimir Putin and Russia’s role in the world — though Stubb was adamant about not claiming too much credit for influencing the American president.

“Under no circumstance do I want to inflame my own role,” he said. “I think Europe and the United States are playing well together under Trump — much better than they did in 2016. There is deep cooperation, especially with the big boys: France, U.K., Germany and Italy. And then I want to stress that President Trump has close relations with Secretary-General [of NATO] Mark Rutte and [European] Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.”