Tag: Defence
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Order: the Financing of Alliances and Western Power
Abstract Russia’s war on Ukraine and the rise of China are raising serious questions about order in international politics. If the West is to have a fighting chance at maintaining its military supremacy and upholding global order, it needs to answer some fundamental questions about the United States (US)-led alliance…
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Secuelas y réplicas: Europa tras la guerra
Desde que hace ahora un año Vladimir Putin ordenara invadir su país vecino, la guerra en Ucrania se ha convertido en la cuestión central del panorama estratégico europeo y en uno de los eventos que más ha convulsionado el orden -o el desorden- internacionaldesde el fin de la Guerra Fría.…
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Annus Horribilis: Russia’s War, Ukraine’s Struggle, Europe’s Future
Abstract One year on from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Europe continues to support Kyiv with military equipment and financial and political support. The bravery of Ukrainians is unparalleled, but, to truly support Ukraine, Europe needs to answer serious questions about its defence. Potential future turbulence in the transatlantic relationship means…
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A Stellar Moment? Spain, Strategy and European Space
This analysis looks at the shifting nature of space, security and defence in the EU. It provides an account of the growing geopolitical contest in space and stresses the vital importance of space for Europe’s strategic autonomy. What is more, the analysis looks at Spain’s approach to space, security and…
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Yearbook of European Security 2022
Abstract The 2022 Yearbook of European Security provides an overview of events in 2021 that were significant for European security. The book charts major developments in the EU’s external action and security and defence policy. Divided into region and issue-specific sections, this Yearbook contains entries on the EU’s multilateral efforts…
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Centre of Gravity: Security and Defence in the Indo-Pacific – What Role for the European Union?
The Indo-Pacific region has emerged as the centre of gravity of global military competition, economic growth, and technological innovation. Whatever happens in the Indo-Pacific is likely to have a pervasive impact on the structure and future of international order, and the norms and institutions Europeans hold so dear. Moreover, as…
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The Strategic Compass and EU Space-based Defence Capabilities
The European Union relies on space for its economic sovereignty and security and defence. Without space-based capabilities, the EU could not enjoy any degree of strategic autonomy in security and defence. Since the adoption and endorsement of the Strategic Compass, space has only increased its relevance for the EU in…
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Rethinking the EU’s Approach to Space: The Case of Security and Defence
Russia’s attack on Ukraine has sent shockwaves across Europe and the world. While the current war is a geopolitical turning point, it remains unclear whether it will trigger a quantum leap forward for European defence policies and for the role of the European Union as a security provider. This Report investigates whether we…
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L’Europe doit investir davantage dans la défense collective
Depuis le début de la guerre en Ukraine , la plupart des pays de l’Union européenne ont annoncé l’intention d’augmenter, dans les années à venir, leurs dépenses militaires d’environ 200 milliards d’euros. De telles hausses budgétaires représentent à la fois une opportunité et un défi pour l’UE. Les Echos, 2022 Read more
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Collective Defence Investment: Europe Must do More and at a Faster Pace
If Europeans really intend to build a common defence industry that will allow them to face the new challenges ahead and become a credible player in the international security arena, they must do and spend more together, and they must do it now, a group of ten defence experts write.…
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L’Union européenne et la Boussole stratégique : un moment décisif ?
En pleine guerre de la Russie contre l’Ukraine, l’Union européenne (UE) a publié en mars 2022 sa stratégie de sécurité et de défense tant attendue, appelé Strategic Compass, soit la Boussole stratégique. Ce document est le premier du genre pour l’UE et il peut être assimilé à ce que les États appellent…
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The Strategic Compass: A New Era for EU Defence?
In the midst of Russia’s war on Ukraine, the EU published its long-awaited securityand defence strategy called the “Strategic Compass”. This document is the first of its kind for the EU, and it can be likened to an EU “white book” on defence. The Strategic Compass is certainly the document…
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Solid Foundation, Rocky Future? Assessing Transatlantic Defence and Security Ties after NATO’s Madrid Summit
Russia’s war on Ukraine has raised serious questions about European security, but it has also led to much greater transatlantic unity. This Policy Insights paper argues that the war on Ukraine has given rise to a new consensus among large parts of NATO and the EU to reinvest in collective…
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Gearing up for a Competitive Age: The EU as a Maritime Actor
With the Strategic Compass, the European Union has set itself a high level of ambition for its maritime security. The Compass calls for a higher level of investment in high-end naval capabilities and it underlines the importance of ongoing capability projects such as the European Patrol Corvette. The Strategic Compass…
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The Fog of War: Russia’s War on Ukraine, European Defence Spending and Military Capabilities
When war hits, some degree of analytical humility is required. No one knows how – or when – Russia’s war on Ukraine will end and the effects on European security over the medium to longer term (i.e. the next five to ten years) are unknown. Despite the analytical fog that…
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European Defense and the Security of Strategic Resources
Even before the 25 March endorsement of the EU Strategic Compass, the question of securing strategic resources was foremost on the minds of policymakers and political leaders. The experience of the lack of medical supplies during the Covid-19 pandemic had certainly raised questions about security of supply. In particular, it…
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Rising Risks: Protecting Europe with the Strategic Compass
Abstract The Strategic Compass will guide the direction of EU security and defence until 2030, and it does so by providing a single narrative for how, why and where the EU should act to protect its interests and values. While the document is comprehensive in its understanding of the threats…
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La Brújula Estratégica y la autonomía de la UE
En plena guerra de Rusia contra Ucrania, la Unión Europea publicó en marzo su tan esperada estrategia de seguridad y defensa, denominada Brújula Estratégica. El documento es el primero de este tipo para la Unión, y puede asemejarse a lo que los Estados denominan “libro blanco” de la defensa. En…
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To face the Russian Threat, Europeans Need to Spend Together – not Side by Side
If European states are to make good on their promises to protect their interests and their continent, they will need to stand side by side, but invest together, write a group of scientific advisers to the Armament Industry European Research Group (ARES). Euractiv, 2022 Read more
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The Day After: the EU’s Strategic Compass and the Protection of Europe
The EU has spent the best part of 20 months working on its ‘Strategic Compass’ for security and defence, yet the war in Ukraine and the threat environment around Europe pose serious questions. If the Compass is to move from just another EU document to credible action, EU member states…
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The Failure of the EU’s Mediterranean Policies
Abstract ‘Thank you. This is Miranda Marluppi from Euro Diretta. At the start of the decade the Commission used its “EU Beach Clean-Up” initiative to sell us idyllic pictures of the Med- iterranean Sea, but today — in 2027 — the “Med is Dead”. What is the EU doing to save…
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Strategic Compass: New Bearings for EU Security and Defence?
Abstract Over the past twenty years the European Union has enhanced its role as a security and defence actor. However, in a rapidly changing geopolitical environment, the Union faces new threats and security challenges and this calls for a unified, robust and far-reaching approach from the bloc and its Member…
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Towards a Strategic Compass for the EU
The European Union has made tangible steps forward in security and defence in recent years. he EU Global Strategy put in place a new strategic rationale for the EU and it stressed the importance for member states to invest in security and defence in order to better respond to a…
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Yearbook of European Security, 2021
Abstract The 2021 Yearbook of European Security provides an overview of events in 2020 that were significant for European security and it charts major developments in the EU’s external action and security and defence policy. The 2021 Yearbook of European Security contains region- and issue-specific sections, timelines of key events,…
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European Defence and the Demands of Strategic Autonomy
Fundamental changes in the international system are calling into question the EU’s understanding of itself as a security and defence actor. Challenges such as the rise of China, Russia’s hybrid tactics, questions about the long-term durability of the transatlantic relationship, the risk that terrorist groups may seek to fill strategic…
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Naval Gazing: The Strategic Compass and the EU’s Maritime Presence
Abstract The EU and its member states will find it increasingly difficult to sustain the rules-based order and the Union’s own economic prosperity without a sizeable and consist- ent investment in maritime power. The politics of the EU’s approach to maritime security is conditioned by questions of geographical priorities and…
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European Sovereignty: Strategy and Interdependence
Abstract The notion of European ‘strategic sovereignty’ is increasingly important to debates about the European Union. Given rapidly shifting global geopolitical and technology trends, and the seeming fragmentation of the multilateral order, the EU is being forced to confront its own position in international affairs. A number of concepts have…
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Securing the Heavens: How can Space Support the EU’s Strategic Compass?
Abstract Despite political and industrial divergences between EU member states, space will play an indispensable role in the Strategic Compass. Space is a strategic enabler that can enrich the EU’s approach to crisis management, resilience, capabilities and partnerships, and the Compass is an opportunity to upgrade the status of space…
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The EU’s Strategic Compass for Security and Defence: What Type of Ambition is the Needle Pointing to?
Abstract For the past twenty years, the EU has deployed numerous missions and operations to different parts of the world and it has agreed on a suite of new initiatives to boost capability development, synchronise defence investment plans and enhance operational capacity. However, there is still a fundamental question facing…
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European Defence, Investment and the Covid-19 Pandemic
Introduction “Please answer the question!” proclaimed newly elected Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Klarissa de Jong. Sitting in an almost empty parliamentary committee room, one of the assembled officials from the Euro- pean Commission retorted: “any decision to invest in capability development through the European Defence Fund is taken by national capitals.…
Daniel Fiott 