International Centre for Defence and Security

NATO's Ankara summit showcased an alliance in transition. The European Allies and Canada are spending more to rebuild military capability and fill gaps left by a declining US role. NATO must now develop the political, military, and institutional arrangements that a genuinely Europeanised Alliance will need.

NATO Allies met in Ankara, Türkiye, where they were expected to present credible plans to reach the spending targets approved at the summit in The Hague last year. According to NATO’s latest figures, Allies were again able to increase their budgets; nevertheless, some still face obstacles to doing so.

Critical undersea infrastructure encompassing various energy and data connections underpins economic cooperation among the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8).

The Baltic Indo-Pacific Forum 2026, organised by the Japan Chair at the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS) will take place on Tuesday, June 16th, 2026 in Tallink Spa & Conference Hotel in Tallinn, Estonia

Russia’s aggression has reignited a debate long thought settled in Europe: whether anti-personnel mines (APMs) still have a place in deterrence and defence. The war in Ukraine demonstrates their continuing military utility, while also exposing the legal constraints and humanitarian repercussions states may face in the event of armed conflict if they remain bound by the Ottawa Convention.

While concentrated on Europe, and especially on Ukraine, Moscow’s drive to challenge the world order has a global dimension. A tool of Russia’s aggressive foreign policy with worldwide impact is information operations.

The 19th annual Lennart Meri Conference will take place on 15-17 May 2026 in Tallinn, Estonia.

Germany has published its first-ever comprehensive military concept, which envisions the Bundeswehr becoming the strongest conventional army in Europe. But Germany's struggles with implementing its Zeitenwende illustrate the difficulty it sometimes has in turning vision into reality.

The world order is undergoing an upheaval at least as radical as the end of the Cold War. Back then, Estonia made crucial choices regarding the restoration of independence and return to the western world, which served the country well for more than three decades.

Europe's energy system is undergoing a profound transformation driven by geopolitics, security concerns, and climate objectives.