Foreign policy & defence

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Transatlantic turmoil is not over

Megan Ferrando, Luigi Scazzieri
24 January 2022
The US might be ‘back’, but sources of friction with Europe persist. And in 2022, Europeans should expect an inward-looking America as Biden focuses on domestic issues prior to the mid-term elections.

Britain needs a new Russia policy

Ian Bond, Duncan Allan
24 January 2022
The British government, once naively optimistic about Russia, has become more hard-nosed in its analysis. It should now do more to pursue a coherent Russia strategy with like-minded countries. 

Is the European Peace Facility really about peace?

Megan Ferrando
17 December 2021
The European Peace Facility (EPF) is a new pot of money intended to make the EU a stronger military actor in crises. But the ability to spend more will not in itself make the Union better able to resolve conflicts.

Reviving European policy towards the Western Balkans

15 December 2021
The EU sought to stabilise the Western Balkans through enlargement, but this process has now stalled.

Why the West should deter a Russian attack on Ukraine

30 November 2021
Russian forces are massing near Ukraine’s border again. Putin hopes to win concessions from Kyiv without fighting, but more concessions will not bring peace. The West should focus on deterring Russia.

An isolated China is a more dangerous China

Pascal Lamy
29 November 2021
China is becoming a more difficult partner for Europe. Isolating it would only strengthen nationalist forces in Beijing, however. While standing up for its principles, Europe should help China’s outward-looking forces. 

Britain and France should stand together

29 November 2021
UK-French relations are fractious across the board. The two countries must not lose sight of their common international security interests. As Europe’s pre-eminent military powers, they need each other.

Bridging the Channel: The UK's nuclear deterrent and its role in European security

18 November 2021
The UK’s nuclear deterrent is intended to defend its NATO allies as well as itself. The UK must do a better job of persuading allies that its commitment to them is real.

Europe and the transition to a post-American Middle East

05 November 2021
The US's preoccupation with China is reducing Washington's focus on the Middle East, while Russian and Chinese influence is growing. Europeans need to step up their efforts to stabilise the region.

Bridging the Channel: How Europeans and the UK can work together on defence capability development

Sophia Besch
15 October 2021
Despite the UK's unwillingness to work with the EU on developing military capabilities, co-operation between London and its European partners need not stall.

After Afghanistan and AUKUS: What next for European defence?

Sophia Besch, Luigi Scazzieri
07 October 2021
The US retreat from Afghanistan and the AUKUS deal have strengthened calls for greater ‘European strategic autonomy’.

‘Europe after September 11th’ revisited

30 September 2021
The attacks of 9/11 brought the major powers together. But that unity did not endure, and the world now risks division between the West and the authoritarian powers. 

Transatlantic relations after Afghanistan and AUKUS

30 September 2021
America’s relations with its European allies have survived worse crises than the row over whose submarines Australia will buy, or even the Afghanistan debacle. The US should not be complacent, however.

You can leave Afghanistan, but will Afghanistan leave you?

19 August 2021
The Taliban’s victory is a disaster for Western policy, but it is not the end of the story. The West must now work hard to mitigate the fallout.

The Moscow coup(s) of 1991: Who won and why does it still matter?

17 August 2021
Thirty years after the coup that triggered the Soviet Union’s collapse, Russia is ruled by the heirs of the plotters, not their democratic opponents. Why?

Europe can't ignore Libya

02 August 2021
Libya has a new unity government, but the country could easily slip back into conflict. In order to avoid this happening, Europeans should increase their stabilisation efforts.

From partners to rivals? The future of EU-Turkey relations

23 June 2021
EU-Turkey tensions have cooled since last summer. Relations are unlikely to improve as long as Ankara's domestic and foreign policies continue to cause friction with many member-states.