Foreign policy & defence
TRT World: Russia attacks Ukraine - Three explosions reported on Monday and Tuesday in Transnistria
28 April 2022
Ian Bond tells TRT World that whilst it is Putin's interests to keep Transnistria destabilised, (region in Moldova that Russia uses as a base for some intelligence operations), with just 1,500 Russian troops there, it's unlikely he'd launch a full-scale attack on Ukraine from that side.
CER podcast: Water scarcity: Libya's forgotten issue
22 April 2022
Megan Ferrando spoke to Malak Altaeb about water scarcity in Libya.
Can the EU’s Strategic Compass guide EU security policy?
04 April 2022
Encompass
Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine marks the start of a more dangerous era in European security. The more threatening international environment created by Russia’s invasion gives the EU’s newly-released Strategic Compass additional significance, as the Compass sets out the EU’s ambitions in security and defence for the next decade.
Ask CER - Episode 4: Phasing out Russian gas, UK-EU relations and Hungary's response to the war
30 March 2022
You asked, we answered: the fourth episode of our ‘Ask CER’ podcast series.
TRT World: NATO leaders meet in Brussels to discuss conflict response
24 March 2022
An emergency summit of NATO leaders is taking place in Brussels. They’re expected to discuss ways of bolstering the alliance’s support for Ukraine, while also looking to put more pressure on Russia. Ian Bond, director of foreign policy at the CER weighs in on possible outcomes.
Necesitamos balas. Y un plan para no usarlas
24 March 2022
El Periodico
A medida que la guerra se alarga, nosotros, los europeos, vamos entendiendo cada vez menos. Sin apoyo social, no hay unidad europea.
Sanctioning Russia: A co-operative endeavour, not a competitive sport
22 March 2022
Encompass
The West surprised many with its decisive response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, imposing an unprecedented set of economic sanctions on Russia.
Waking a sleeping giant: What's next for German security policy?
09 March 2022
War on the rocks
“If the world changes, our politics must change,” said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock three days after Russia started a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Interview with Ian Bond: 'First Invasion in Europe since 1974'
06 March 2022
Ekathimerini
We haven’t seen anything like this in Europe since the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus. The Russian invasion of Ukraine will force Europe’s leaders to think much more seriously about national defense.
The EU's geopolitical awakening?
03 March 2022
UK in a changing Europe
The EU’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine took many observers by surprise. For once, the Union exceeded expectations, and by a large margin.
TRT World: Moscow cracks down on protestors as economic sanctions hit
01 March 2022
The first round of ceasefire talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials ended with no agreements. Another round could happen within days. Ian Bond, director of foreign policy at the CER, joined us from London to discuss further on the Ukraine crisis.
BBC World News: Russian invasion of Ukraine
27 February 2022
Ian Bond spoke to BBC World News on EU sanctions and the big step of paying for lethal equipment to Ukraine and sanctions on Russian banks via SWIFT.
BBC World News: Russia vetoes UN resolution deploring invasion of Ukraine
26 February 2022
Zach Meyers spoke to BBC World News and explained that UK/US were prepared to cut off Russian banks from USD/GBP clearing, devastating Russia's ability to trade internationally - but EU sanctions still allow much trade with Russia.
Newstalk: Reaction on the Russian invasion of Ukraine
25 February 2022
Sobering analysis from Ian Bond on why we have to be honest about the prospects for a Ukrainian insurgency. "The Russians have a record of extraordinary brutality in suppressing insurgencies in Chechnya & Syria - bombing everything that moves and intimidating."
iNews 24: EU agrees to freeze assets linked to Putin
25 February 2022
Camino Mortera-Martinez says the EU is preparing to welcome an influx of refugees from Ukraine. She emphasises that Poland not asking for COVID passports or even ID cards shows this crisis is truly unprecedented
Sky News: President of Ukraine says the country will remove sanctions from all citizens who are "ready to defend our state with weapons in their hands"
24 February 2022
Ian Bond says the layout of Russian forces and attacks across Ukraine show Putin's plan to control the whole country.
La guerra de Putin: lo idiotas que fuimos
24 February 2022
El Periodico
Lo mejor que nos puede pasar es que los ucranios se defiendan y haya los menores muertos posibles, pero la toma de Kiev y la derrota del gobierno pro-europeo de Zelensky es inevitable.
Newstalk: The latest on what’s been happening with the crisis in Ukraine
23 February 2022
The breaking news overnight as The White House says President Biden will no longer be holding a summit with Vladimir Putin The summit had been mooted last weekend in an attempt to deescalate tensions in the region. Ian Bond is director of foreign policy at the Centre for European Reform and spoke to Shane this morning with more on this breaking story. Listen here.
The west knows the cost of appeasement. We can’t rule out any option for stopping Putin
22 February 2022
The Guardian
The Russian leader has shown he cares enough about Ukraine to shed blood over it. He needs to know the gain won’t be worth the pain.
LBC: Ex-Diplomat warns of danger of Russian false flag operations
22 February 2022
Ex-Diplomat Ian Bond warns ordering troops into rebel-held regions of Ukraine is 'the latest and another dangerous step' from Putin. Watch here.