
Highlights
Featured

From coal to consensus: Poland’s energy transition and its European future
- Szymon Kardaś
- Policy Brief
Poland has the potential for an ambitious energy transition – which it should treat comparably to its accession to the EU and NATO

House in disorder: How Europeans can help Palestinians fix their political system
- Hugh Lovatt
- Policy Brief
Europeans should leverage their relationships with the Palestinian Authority to revive Palestinian institutions and reverse the PA’s slide towards authoritarianism

Alone together: How the war in Ukraine shapes the Russian-Iranian relationship
- Ellie Geranmayeh, Nicole Grajewski
- Policy Brief
The war in Ukraine has led to unprecedented levels of cooperation between Russia and Iran. This new relationship poses a significant threat to European countries, whose governments should seek to mitigate the potential damage

Star tech enterprise: Emerging technologies in Russia’s war on Ukraine
- Ulrike Franke, Jenny Söderström
- Policy Brief
Russia’s war on Ukraine has featured many of the technological advances the world has made over the past decades. If Europeans are serious about their defence capabilities, they need to learn from this use of emerging technology on both sides of the war
Podcasts
The end of Germany’s China illusion with Janka Oertel
Mark Leonard welcomes Janka Oertel to discuss her new book “End of the China illusion” and the West’s biggest misconceptions about China
Featured projects
Charting The Long War
For seven decades, European integration has been driven by the quest for peace. The Russian invasion of Ukraine marks a turning point.

The power of control: How the EU can shape the new era of strategic export restrictions
- Tobias Gehrke, Julian Ringhof
Re:shape Global Europe
The project strives to engage citizens across Europe and generate a wide debate about the purpose of European power in the twenty-first century

Shapes of Multilateralisms Collection
- Anthony Dworkin, Rafael Loss, Jana Puglierin
Public opinion polling
Through polling in EU member states, ECFR’s analysis seeks to unlock shifting coalitions in Europe that favour a more internationally engaged union

Keeping America close, Russia down, and China far away: How Europeans navigate a competitive world
- Jana Puglierin, Pawel Zerka
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Latest

All-weather allies: Ukraine’s counteroffensive and the coming winter
- Margaryta Khvostova, Dmytro Kryvosheiev
- Commentary
- 4 minute read
With less than two months remaining until winter begins, Ukrainian forces are working to secure better positions for the 2024 campaign. Western allies can help them prepare

Loud complicity: Why Russian officials are breaking their silence on Ukraine
- Mikhail Komin
- Commentary
- 5 minute read
Russian officials are becoming increasingly vocal about their support for the war in Ukraine. This is likely to continue unless the EU ramps up personal sanctions against such individuals

Operational hazard: A better way to support peace and security missions in Africa
- Ameer Chughtai
- Commentary
- 4 minute read
The UN rightly wishes to devolve responsibility for peace support operations to regional partners. But it should draw up novel ways to achieve this in Africa

Propaganda in holy orders: Africa, Ukraine, and the Russian Orthodox Church
- Ksenia Luchenko
- Commentary
- 5 minute read
The Russian Orthodox Church’s expansion into Africa is a reminder that Western policymakers should treat the church as an arm of the Russian state

Arbitrary detention: The US-Iranian prisoner swap as a catalyst for a new approach
- Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, Ellie Geranmayeh
- Commentary
- 5 minute read
The Biden administration has secured the release of five US citizens from unjust detention in Iran. European countries should now coordinate with the US to tackle the use of arbitrary detention as diplomatic leverage in Iran and beyond

Intersections of influence: IMEC and Europe’s role in a multipolar Middle East
- Julien Barnes-Dacey, Cinzia Bianco
- Commentary
- 5 minute read
A new trade corridor linking India to Europe via the Middle East can offer opportunities for Europeans to strengthen their geo-economic influence with the Gulf. It can also be an opportunity for de-risking, but Europe should not expect to dislodge Chinese influence
Our experts are available for media requests. Our work involves many issues relating to Europe and foreign policy, and our programmes focus on Africa, Asia, the Middle East & North Africa, and Wider Europe.
The West finds itself in a position where it cannot conclude agreements with the Kremlin on Iran, but with Tehran there is an opportunity for openness
Ellie Geranmayeh and Nicole Grajewski examine the growing convergence between Russia and Iran, shedding light on the extent of their burgeoning partnership and elucidating the fresh challenges that the Western world confronts as this alliance intensifies
Europe is still thinking about what de-risking is and how to implement it in practice
Russia and Iran can work in areas where there are common interests, but also avoid areas of tension and work more towards where they really have synergies
Ellie Geranmayeh and Nicole Grajewski discuss the extent to which Russia and Iran have come closer together and outline the new risks the West faces as the union deepens
Polish-Ukrainian relations have become hostage to the Polish electoral campaign
Piotr Buras comments on the relationship between Poland’s parliamentary elections and Warsaw’s aid to Ukraine
More on Africa

Tricks of the trade: Strengthening EU-African cooperation on trade in services
- Iza Lejarraga
- Policy Brief
Services play an increasingly important role in international trade. Improving EU-African trade in services would have wide-ranging benefits for both sides
Turning 21: How the EU should engage with the G20’s newest member
- Theodore Murphy
- Policy Alert
- 2 minute read
A necessary trade-off: Why the EU needs to cooperate with Niger’s post-coup government on counter-terrorism
- Ameer Chughtai, Theodore Murphy
- Policy Alert
- 2 minute read
More on Asia

The battle for the Indian Ocean: How the EU and India can strengthen maritime security
- Frédéric Grare, Manisha Reuter
- Policy Brief
China is becoming increasingly assertive in the Indian Ocean. The EU and India should work together to support the smaller states of the region
How tomorrow never comes: Russia’s war against Ukraine and its impact on Taiwan
- Angela Köckritz
- Commentary
- 5 minute read
In balance: How Italy can solve its China problem
- Teresa Coratella
- Policy Alert
- 2 minute read
More on European Power

Democratic defence: How Italy can lead the fight against Russian disinformation
- Gabriele Carrer, Teresa Coratella, Silvia Samorè
- Policy Brief
Italy’s politics and social media remain vulnerable to Russian influence. But opportunities exist to strengthen itself for the future.
Indispensable leverage: How the EU can build its technological edge
- Tobias Gehrke, Julian Ringhof
- Commentary
- 6 minute read
Conflict and interests: Why Sudan’s external mediation is a barrier to peace
- Ameer Chughtai, Theodore Murphy
- Commentary
- 4 minute read
More on Middle East and North Africa

Power couple: How Europe and Algeria can move beyond energy cooperation
- Zine Labidine Ghebouli
- Policy Brief
Europe and Algeria need each other. Their range of overlapping interests creates the opportunity to build a broad and mutually beneficial partnership
The politics of catastrophe: Morocco, Libya, and how Europeans should respond
- Tarek Megerisi
- Policy Alert
- 2 minute read
Quran desecration: How Europeans can ease tensions with Muslim-majority nations
- Ellie Geranmayeh, Hamzeh Hadad
- Policy Alert
- 2 minute read
More on Wider Europe

Feeling the chill: Navigating Arctic governance amid Russia’s war on Ukraine
- Joanna Hosa
- Policy Brief
As Russia’s war on Ukraine highlights the Arctic’s geostrategic importance and disrupts its governance formats, European governments need to prioritise cooperation with each other and with the region’s indigenous peoples
Russia’s regional elections: A prelude to Putin’s future
- Mikhail Komin
- Policy Alert
- 2 minute read
Stuck in the ‘90s: How Russia’s opposition can shape its political future by reconciling with its past
- Ksenia Luchenko
- Commentary
- 4 minute read
Views from the Council

Putin, Pushkin, and the decline of the Russian empire
- Timothy Garton Ash
- View from the Council
- 5 minute read
Behind Ukraine’s rejection of Russia’s revered poet is a much bigger story of imperial decay
In Ukraine I saw a brave but ravaged land in limbo. It needs a future – it needs NATO
- Timothy Garton Ash
- View from the Council
- 4 minute read
Seven years on, the UK and EU are still drifting apart. The public wants a change
- Timothy Garton Ash
- View from the Council
- 4 minute read