30 Nov
Uninterrupted support: What Ukraine needs from the EU in the Long War
Ahead of the European Council in December where accession talks with Ukraine are expected to be opened, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) is…
Security and Defence
Star tech enterprise: Emerging technologies in Russia’s war on Ukraine
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
Spirit of ambition: The Ukraine war and European defence integration
Europeans should look to the success of the automotive sector for inspiration on uniting their defence efforts across the whole continent
NATO’s Vilnius summit: The highlights and the future challenges
Mark Leonard is joined by Alex Stubb, Lykke Friis, and Camille Grand, to discuss the outcomes of the NATO summit in Vilnius.
In Ukraine I saw a brave but ravaged land in limbo. It needs a future – it needs NATO
Joe Biden must be bold at this week’s summit, and help to give Kyiv the security that would allow it to rebuild
Wheels up for Vilnius: Three lessons Germany’s NATO partners should draw from its new national security strategy
Germany’s first ever national security strategy contained few big surprises – but the country’s NATO partners can still draw three key lessons from the document
On the outside looking in: Why NATO should invite Ukraine to join the alliance at the Vilnius summit
NATO should offer an invitation to Ukraine to join to create the conditions for a lasting peace
A summit of substance: How NATO can prove itself in Vilnius
NATO’s Vilnius summit has four main deliverables. The results will serve as a stress test for the alliance’s unity
Compromise at Vilnius: Ukraine’s path to NATO membership
A form of membership offer to Ukraine at NATO’s Vilnius summit will acquire an inexorable momentum of its own
Multilateral nuclear disorder: Let’s rock till we explode
The global nuclear order has so far proven resilient in the face of Russia’s war on Ukraine. European engagement through the EU and NATO can help shore up this uneasy equilibrium
Publications
Star tech enterprise: Emerging technologies in Russia’s war on Ukraine
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
In Europe’s defence: Why the EU needs a security compact with Ukraine
The EU should conclude a security compact with Ukraine. Such an agreement would help the country defend itself against Russia and maximise the effectiveness of European military support.
The fall of the Afghan government and what it means for Europe
ECFR’s policy experts examine what the Taliban takeover means for countries and regions around the world: Europe, the US, the Middle East, Russia, China, Iran, Turkey, and the Sahel
Ambiguous alliance: Neutrality, opt-outs, and European defence
The EU’s work on its Strategic Compass should include debates on the special status states’ future role in European defence
The big engine that might: How France and Germany can build a geopolitical Europe
The EU Coalition Explorer survey reveals the importance of Germany and France within the EU, and the impact they can have when they cooperate with each other
Machine politics: Europe and the AI revolution
The EU appears to be largely uninterested in AI’s geopolitical importance, but its member states can only influence the global development of AI if they act tog
Divided at the centre: Germany, Poland, and the troubles of the Trump era
Introduction For most Europeans, it is now obvious that the foreign policy of US President Donald Trump threatens the global liberal order. Trump’s hostility towards…
Under the gun: Rearmament for arms control in Europe
Introduction During the cold war, arms control and disarmament agreements helped create a stable equilibrium between NATO and the Warsaw Pact, reducing the…
No middle ground: Moving on from the crypto wars
The ‘second crypto war’ is in full swing; European governments need to stop trying to defeat encryption and get more sophisticated themselves instead
Poland and European Defence Integration
Introduction After decades of relying on the United States for protection, the European Union’s member states are finally moving towards greater defence integration with…
Articles
Spirit of ambition: The Ukraine war and European defence integration
Europeans should look to the success of the automotive sector for inspiration on uniting their defence efforts across the whole continent
In Ukraine I saw a brave but ravaged land in limbo. It needs a future – it needs NATO
Joe Biden must be bold at this week’s summit, and help to give Kyiv the security that would allow it to rebuild
Wheels up for Vilnius: Three lessons Germany’s NATO partners should draw from its new national security strategy
Germany’s first ever national security strategy contained few big surprises – but the country’s NATO partners can still draw three key lessons from the document
On the outside looking in: Why NATO should invite Ukraine to join the alliance at the Vilnius summit
NATO should offer an invitation to Ukraine to join to create the conditions for a lasting peace
A summit of substance: How NATO can prove itself in Vilnius
NATO’s Vilnius summit has four main deliverables. The results will serve as a stress test for the alliance’s unity
Compromise at Vilnius: Ukraine’s path to NATO membership
A form of membership offer to Ukraine at NATO’s Vilnius summit will acquire an inexorable momentum of its own
Multilateral nuclear disorder: Let’s rock till we explode
The global nuclear order has so far proven resilient in the face of Russia’s war on Ukraine. European engagement through the EU and NATO can help shore up this uneasy equilibrium
Repair, replace, reimburse: Sustaining a European tank coalition for Ukraine
Military help for Ukraine is moving towards serious questions of logistics – but more countries still need to step forward. Here is how the next-stage coalition could look.
Strategy, capabilities, technology: A manifesto for new European defence
To develop a new approach to defence, European states need to bury their longstanding disputes and learn from Ukrainians’ experiences on the battlefield
Test drive: How Ukraine could strengthen Europe’s Sky Shield Initiative
Ukraine’s experience of defending itself against Russian aerial attacks could make it an important future member of Europe’s Sky Shield Initiative
Podcasts
NATO’s Vilnius summit: The highlights and the future challenges
Mark Leonard is joined by Alex Stubb, Lykke Friis, and Camille Grand, to discuss the outcomes of the NATO summit in Vilnius.
Live from the Munich Security Conference: Where is world politics turning?
Mark Leonard reports live from the Munich Security Conference
The Leopards are free!
Mark Leonard, Camille Grand, Gustav Gressel, Jana Puglierin, and Jeremy Shapiro discuss what the Leopard 2 decision means for the war in Ukraine
The NATO Summit and the future of European Defence
Mark Leonard is joined by Nick Witney, Jana Puglierin, and Tara Varma, to evaluate the outcomes of the NATO Summit in Madrid, especially regarding European defence
New era, new alliance: NATO, Sweden, and Finland
What can Sweden and Finland offer NATO? And are they worried about the Kremlin’s threats to attack their countries?
European defence reloaded
What are the biggest challenges in building greater European sovereignty in defence? And how will this effort be funded?
Will Western unity on Russia hold? Reporting from Munich Security Conference
Live from the Munich Security Conference (MSC)!
The crisis of European security: What Europeans think about the war in Ukraine
Mark Leonard and Jeremy Shapiro discuss our latest polling results on the Ukraine crisis and how European policymakers might adjust their policies to reflect the public mood it reveals
Europe’s role in tackling the Russia-Ukraine crisis
What are European and American interests in the Russia-Ukraine crisis? What are possible ways to avert a calamity?
The transatlantic meaning of AUKUS
What does AUKUS mean for the future of transatlantic relations?
Events
30 Nov
Uninterrupted support: What Ukraine needs from the EU in the Long War
Ahead of the European Council in December where accession talks with Ukraine are expected to be opened, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) is…
22 May
European defence: Expectations and demands of non-EU partners
This event is part of the German Forum on Security Policy, organised by the Federal Academy for Security Policy (BAKS).
6 Apr
Invasione russa dell’Ucraina: Ruolo dell’UE nel contesto regionale e globale
Gli europei richiedono maggiore cooperazione a lungo termine su diversi dossier, in particolare in materia di sicurezza e difesa
10 Mar
A new era for Europe: Do Europeans trust France on Russia?
Our panel will discuss insights from new public opinion polling of 15,000 citizens across 12 EU member states, captured in the upcoming report by Susi Dennison and Tara Varma.
13 Jan
Deutsch-französische Zusammenarbeit im Bereich der europäischen Verteidigungsindustrie || La coopération franco-allemande dans le domaine de l’industrie européenne de la défense
Deutsch-französische Debatte zu Rüstungskooperation im Kontext strategischer Autonomie | Un évènement franco-allemand dans le domaine de l’industrie de défense, pour la construction d’une autonomie stratégique
9 Dec
Annual Council Meeting 2021
ECFR’s Council Members – Europe’s leading decision-makers, opinion-shapers, and public intellectuals – gathered together on 9-10 December in Berlin for ECFR’s Annual Council Meeting to connect and discuss the myriad issues facing Europe and the European Union today
6 Dec
Defence of Europe: How much autonomy can the EU afford?
Introductory remarks: Michał Kuź, Foreign Policy Expert, Jagiellonian Club There is a growing awareness that the EU should do more on defence given the strategic…
5 Oct
Waves of ambition: Russia’s military build-up in the Black Sea
What can the EU and NATO do to reduce the risk of escalation in the region?
1 Jun
EU defence: Looking for a Strategic Compass
How do Europeans see the future of EU crisis management? What are the EU military capabilities? How does the EU’s defence initiatives complement those of NATO?
19 Nov
European Defence and NATO: towards Mutual Reinforcement
The current Covid19 crisis has reanimated the debate on defence, bringing to light new concerns, insights, and considerations about our future shared security. The objective of this initiative is to have an informative and innovative discussion on the future of European Defence and of NATO to drive toward mutual reinforcement.
In the media
Qatar’s position as a major mediator has its roots in the early 2000s-then the country developed relations with all Islamists linked to the Muslim Brotherhood
Europeans must oppose the expansion of Israel’s land offensive into densely populated southern Gaza, currently home to hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons
As much as 100 Billion sounds, there are voices saying we need double or triple that to fight the underinvestment
The release of videos of attacks on civilians has made massive retaliation inevitable, which is precisely what Hamas wants in order to inflame Arab public opinion
Arturo Varvelli comments on Hamas mediatic strategy in the conflict with Israel
The phone call between Saudi Arabia and Iran can be explained by looking at the reaction of Arab, Muslim and Saudi public opinion to the escalation between Israel and Hamas
Cinzia Bianco comments the historic phone call between the leaders of Saudi Arabia and Iran following the Hamas attack on Israel