Recent coordinated attacks by jihadist and separatist groups in Mali, unprecedented in their scale and coordination, have placed the state’s security apparatus under strain and reinforced concerns over instability across the wider region, despite the reconfiguration of Bamako’s external partnerships. More broadly, the Sahel and West Africa are facing a complex set of interlinked political,…
Europe’s battery dependence on China is clear, but closing the gap alone will be difficult. Partnering with South Korea, the world’s second-largest manufacturer, offers a faster and more realistic route
Trump’s troop cut in Germany punishes Merz and halts America’s missile plans. Now Europe needs to accelerate its sovereign long-range strike capabilities and forge new defence partnerships
Europe and Japan seek deeper defence-industrial cooperation; but the fragmented EU system is creating challenges. As a first step, Tokyo should establish stronger bilateral partnerships, particularly with Germany and Poland
Brussels should set clear conditions for Hungary’s European comeback—and use its moment of leverage to incentivise a geopolitical shift
Jessica Hendrick is joined by Sophie Gueudet and Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze to explore how geopolitical shocks are reshaping eastern Europe’s future
Europe has a China problem and pretending otherwise is making it worse. Chinese cheap exports and a monopoly on rare earths are not just economic irritants, but leverage wielded deliberately. Europeans can no longer just de-risk. They need a deterrence strategy with teeth
The international system is no longer held together by a single dominant vision of order. While the US is retreating from its dominant role, China and Russia are advancing competing models of order. In this context, middle powers are actively pursuing new strategies to secure their autonomy and expand their influence. They are challenging established hierarchies, reshaping economic and connectivity networks, and building alternative forms of cooperation that do…
Mark Leonard welcomes Piotr Buras, Carla Hobbs, Camille Lons, Jana Puglierin and Arturo Varvelli to discuss how Europe is responding to the war in Iran
Russia is backing China’s claims to Taiwan in return for economic and trade support. Europeans need to understand the real cost of Beijing-Moscow cooperation