More Integration, Less Autonomy: The EU in Europe’s New Order
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has not just shattered what was left of Europe’s post-Cold War order. It has also defined the broad contours of Europe’s future order and consequently of the kind of peace such an order will be able to sustain. An armed peace, again The war has no foregone conclusion. It may result […]
Europe’s Post-Cold War Order Is No More
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to recognise the independence of the self-styled separatist republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in the Donbas[1] may very well be the beginning of the end of Ukraine as an independent nation. For Ukraine, a nation of almost 44 million people, catastrophe looms large on the horizon. For Europe, these events […]
Biden’s Foreign Policy Casts a Long Shadow
Upon taking office as US president, Joseph R. Biden vowed he would bring the United States back to the centre of the international stage[1] after the erratic course followed by Donald Trump. One year later, it can hardly be said that he has been successful. Governance hurdles Under Biden, the United States has again become […]
The Return of US Leadership in Europe: Biden and the Russia Crisis
In dealing with Russia’s aggressive policies towards Ukraine, US President Joe Biden has put up a powerful display of competent crisis management. While it may not be enough to stop President Vladimir Putin from escalating, Biden’s policy has nonetheless re-affirmed US leadership in Europe. Communication strategy Starting last autumn, the Biden administration kept warning its […]
Four Scenarios for the Iran Nuclear Deal
After a hiatus of over five months, negotiations to restore the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA),[1] commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, have finally resumed in Vienna. Struck in July 2015 by Iran and a group of six powers – France, Germany and the UK plus China, Russia and the US, as well […]
European Reactions to AUKUS and Implications for EU Strategic Autonomy
On 15 September 2021, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States announced AUKUS, a trilateral deal aimed at intensifying security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific area ostensibly to counterbalance Chinese influence. While AUKUS foresees cooperation in a number of policy areas, its core element is the provision of US-made nuclear-powered submarines to Australia. This has […]
Afghanistan, AUKUS and European Strategic Autonomy
Security and defence are increasingly grabbing the spotlight in European public debates. In just a few weeks, the withdrawal of Western forces from Afghanistan and the deal between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States (AUKUS) to share nuclear submarine technology and step up their security partnership in the Indo-Pacific have reinvigorated the debate […]