Highlights
Featured
Electric collective: Europe’s clean energy future without Russia
The EU and member states must agree a high-level energy diplomacy framework and complete the phase-out of Russian fossil fuels
Iran nuclear monitor: Month by month
America and Israel have bombed Iran since 2025 to block Tehran’s path to nuclear weapons. ECFR’s interactive dashboard, updated monthly, assesses current evidence about Iran’s nuclear activities to determine which of six possible scenarios is most likely
Rescuing the Gaza ceasefire: What to do with Hamas’s weapons
A Northern Ireland-style approach to decommissioning could help unblock the path to peace in Gaza
Bypassing the straits: The India-Middle East-Europe corridor needs a wartime redesign
The Iran war has exposed the limits of an economic corridor built for peacetime. Europeans should rethink the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor for a region where trade routes are now strategic targets
Mark Leonard's World in 30 minutes
The rise of populism
Mark Leonard speaks to Liam Byrne about populism across Europe and the failure of mainstream politics to respond
ECFR on air
Moldova: The EU frontrunner outrunning Russia
Jessica Hendrick is joined by Dumitru Alaiba and Maia Machavariani to explore why Moldova is one of Europe’s most closely watched test cases—and what the country’s latest developments reveal about its political direction
Views from the Council
This is how to defeat Vladimir Putin
The Russian dictator’s dreams of greatness threaten NATO and the EU, not just Ukraine. Here are eight ways in which he can be thwarted
In a joyful Budapest, with the populists routed, I saw the chance of an unprecedented transition
With the ejection of Trumpian hero Viktor Orban, Hungarians demanded a restored democracy. Now, Europe must support them
In the Media - Council
Jonathan Nelson and Alejandro Romero on Europe’s unpreparedness for cognitive warfare and the three moves needed to respond to Russia and China
Carl Bildt on Trump administration, tariffs, military strategies, wars in Ukraine and Middle East
Interview with Patrycja Sasnal on the war in Iran
Featured and flagship projects
The Data Collection
Explore our open-access data platform for unparalleled access to ECFR’s public opinion polls—empowering research and insight on today’s key foreign policy issues.
Featured
Re:Engage
This project helps the EU in refining its foreign policy, re-engaging neighbours post-Russia's invasion of Ukraine to bolster regional resilience and advance enlargement policies.
Featured
Re:Order
Re:Order project explores emerging visions of the global order, as well as the interplay between economic might and geopolitical influence.
Featured
Latest
Code, clouds, satellite: The defence layer Europe should not outsource
As Europe rearms, the real vulnerability is not on tanks or missiles but the software and networks behind them. The union can import weapons. It cannot afford to outsource the digital systems that make modern military power possible
This is how to defeat Vladimir Putin
The Russian dictator’s dreams of greatness threaten NATO and the EU, not just Ukraine. Here are eight ways in which he can be thwarted
As the US midterms loom, the Republican choice is surrender—or lose
A loyal voter base is allowing Trump to dominate the Republican Party and strengthen his control before the midterms. Now his sidelining of Congress is weakening the traditional checks on presidential power
How China’s silent coercion has Europe sanctioning itself
Beijing no longer needs to actively deploy economic coercion to shape Europe’s economic agenda in its interest
The postwar UAE and the remaking of Gulf politics
Iran’s attacks on the Gulf have convinced Abu Dhabi that accommodation with Tehran has failed. Leaving OPEC reflects the UAE’s turn towards strategic autonomy, harder security alliances and a regional order less constrained by old consensuses
Trump in Beijing: Why the game stays the same for Europe
Donald Trump is in Beijing, but Europeans should not expect decisive guidance or a grand bargain with Xi Jinping. They should instead focus on managing their own exposure to Chinese risks
Cinzia Bianco on rethinking IMEC in light of the Hormuz crisis and the new balance of power in the Gulf
Angel Melguizo and Victor Muñoz on the importance of digital systems in the defence sector and what the EU should do to retain control over them
Maddalena Procopio on why Africa is the third way Europe needs to break free from China’s grip on critical minerals
More on Africa
The ammonia age: How Europe and Africa can steer global shipping to net zero
The IMO’s Net-Zero Framework is critical for EU competitiveness and the clearest path to decarbonise shipping. African backing may prove decisive as American and Gulf pressure stalls progress
More on Asia
Borrowed mouths and laundered messages: China’s influence playbook in Europe
Chinese foreign manipulation and interference are rising in Europe. Five techniques feature in Beijing’s playbook, communicating messages about China’s place in the world and support for Russian positions.
More on European Power
Beijing hold’em: European cards against Chinese coercion
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
More on European Security
Fast energy: How Europe can power the AI revolution and stay competitive
Europeans must urgently implement a “fast energy” programme to speed up access to energy to power AI—and remain competitive in the world
More on Middle East and North Africa
The full monty: Why the Mediterranean pact needs to offer the works
Europe’s energy, industrial and migration interests all converge in its southern neighbourhood, where rivals are eroding its influence. The new Pact for the Mediterranean can reverse this, but only if Brussels puts grand bargains on the table
More on United States
One battle after another: Factional struggles and the making of Trump’s foreign policy
Trump’s foreign and security policy is the product of factional competition in the White House and a president fixated on short-term wins. Here’s how Europeans should come to terms with this new reality