Defence Cooperation

Hague Summit Series: The EU-NATO Relationship

The return of great power competition and the weakening of the international order have produced significant threats to Europe’s security. Most urgently, Russia’s aggression has brought large-scale war to Ukraine and Russia into a hybrid confrontation with Ukraine’s western allies. At the same time, the US seems ready to reduce its commitment to Europe’s security and even to be hostile towards its long-standing partners and the values they defend.[1] This deteriorating geopolitical situation should encourage greater synergies between NATO and the EU, the two main organisations that deal with security and defence in Europe.

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Toward a Europeanised NATO

Europeanisation is necessary to sustain NATO’s deterrence of Russia at a time when US leadership is agnostic at best and failing at worst. The task is neither impossible, nor quick, nor easy. Europeanisation should be pursued as a matter of urgency.

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Defending Europe’s Skies: Challenges and Prospects

Russia’s war in Ukraine has underscored the importance of effective air and missile defence for the protection of both units on the battlefield and infrastructure behind the front lines. The war has also served as a reminder that while Europe’s air and missile defence has long been recognised as a critical capability shortfall, NATO Allies and EU Member States have not acted with sufficient resolve to rectify this situation.

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British Power in Baltic Weather: The UK’s Role in Nordic-Baltic Security and UK-Estonia Defence Cooperation

For many decades, the United Kingdom has been an important player in the Nordic-Baltic region, and today it aims to increase its contribution to security and stability of the region. The UK has long been an attractive partner for countries in the region that seek to maintain strong relations with the geopolitical heavyweight possessing a similar outlook on the security environment, transatlantic relations, utility of military force, and the threat from Russia. Given London’s interest for global engagement and its limited means, ensuring continuous and reliable British involvement in the region is a priority for Nordic-Baltic states.

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France’s Nuclear-Weapons Policy: What’s in It for Europe?

French president Emmanuel Macron caused quite a stir with his recent statement¹ that France would not retaliate with nuclear weapons against Russia if the Kremlin launched a nuclear strike on Ukraine. A follow-on tweet² from his official Twitter account saying “we do not want a world war” only added to the backlash on social media. While this messaging was in line with that from other allies—and did not express any intention to abandon Ukraine for the sake of avoiding a nuclear war—it was widely interpreted as, at the very least, undermining deterrence³. Although some of the harsher reactions are quite misguided, the episode raises a legitimate question about whether the French nuclear deterrent carries much weight in protecting Europe as a whole from rogue nuclear regimes.

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10 Briefs on Russia’s War in Ukraine

Russia’s war in Ukraine has undoubtedly been game-changing for Europe’s security, challenging the long-held beliefs and assumptions of many Western nations and prompting dramatic shifts in policy, for example, in Germany, Finland, and Sweden. The war’s conduct has also produced significant surprises, not least the unexpectedly poor performance of Russia’s supposedly reformed military.

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