Can UK-French Nuclear Cooperation Substitute for US Extended Deterrence?
Washington’s 2026 National Defence Strategy rests conspicuously silent on the future of its nuclear umbrella over Europe. Growing Anglo-French cooperation is being framed as the continent’s most plausible fallback, though its doctrinal limits mean it still falls short of a genuine substitute.
The Procurement Mentality Undermining European Defence
Europe’s defence spending surge has a clear winner: American suppliers. National procurement decisions are undermining strategic autonomy before Brussels has finished debating it.
Europe’s Improvised Autonomy on Ransomware, Without Washington
In July 2026, the EU and Britain sanctioned Russian hackers without waiting for Washington to act first, proving that the Union can already impose costs on its adversaries. The next step is turning that proven capability into a lasting, repeatable policy.
How Russia’s NATO Grievance Became a Grievance Against Europe
For twenty years, Russia cast NATO as an existential threat to justify its aggression. Now, as Washington pulls back, that same grievance is being pointed at Europe itself.
Ireland’s Balancing Act on Russia, Big Tech, and the Limits of EU Neutrality
The rotating presidency of the Council of the EU is designed to serve the collective interest of the Union. Ireland’s six months in the chair may prove the design leaves room to defect.
Resilience Building Against Hybrid Threats: A Baltic Self-Help Guide
With NATO losing reliability, and in spite of Europe’s promises to step up security, should we be concerned about Baltic hybrid resilience, or should we learn from it? Here is what we know so far.
Good Italian, Evil German: Two Fascist Pasts, Two Far-Right Futures
Two far-right parties, but two very different political situations. What does history have to do with it?
The Human Faces Behind Russia’s War
Five years into Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, the world has grown accustomed to a relentless stream of headlines: another missile strike, another apartment building destroyed, another death toll announced before the next story takes its place.
Italy’s Border Controls Over the Ceuta Crisis: A Familiar Tool, an Unfamiliar Storm
A migrant crisis in Ceuta. A border closure with no shared border. A word, “suspension,” that is hardly legally possible. Untangling Europe’s strangest border story of the summer.
The EU Is Ceding Influence and Running Out of Time in the South Caucasus
How can the EU project real influence in a region where China, Russia, and Turkey move faster? Can Brussels balance its need for Azerbaijani gas with its own democratic principles? And what will it take for Europe to secure Armenia’s pivot to the West while preventing Georgia’s descent into authoritarian isolation?
From Shia Ascendancy to Sunni Resurgence: The Emerging Middle East Europe Has Little Role In
The Shia Crescent built by Iran over two decades has fractured with startling speed. What is emerging in its place is a contested Sunni resurgence, and Europe has been absent from every pivotal moment of this transformation.
Made in Ukraine, Sold in Europe: A Test for the Continent’s Arms Producers
Eurosatory 2026 closed in Paris on 19 June after a record turnout of roughly 2,000 exhibitors and 43,000 visitors. Yet the real story was Ukraine, whose delegation grew from just 10 companies in 2024 to 80 this year.
