Publications

As the upcoming EU-China summit in Beijing approaches, China shows little willingness to make significant concessions to the EU. Clearly Beijing does not see the EU as a priority partner – even less so today than in the past. It is wooing the 'Global South', with a clear and...

The launch of negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement between the EU and the UAE in April 2025 marks a shift in the EU's approach to engagement with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and its member states. After over three decades of stalled bloc-to-bloc talks, and in a climate...

Europe faces a security and competitiveness crisis. Increased defence spending offers an opportunity to address both challenges, unleashing a dual-use technology boom. Both the EU and its Member States have key roles to play in this effort.

In the wake of the NATO summit at The Hague, doubts over America’s commitment to European security will persist. Ultimately, this is what US disengagement looks like. Europeans must adapt to this new reality and take greater responsibility for their own defence.

European militaries are facing the twin challenges of a hostile geopolitical environment and the global energy transition. There are solutions to fuel and electricity dependencies: prioritising biofuels and infrastructure in the short term while developing synthetic fuels, and...

Persistent scepticism in some EU Member States highlights that the main challenges to enlargement now lie within the Union itself. EU leaders could generate broader public and political support for enlargement by presenting it as a shared security imperative.

With Trump as a volatile factor who openly flirts with Russia, the future of the G7 is at stake.

The EU’s new International Digital Strategy provides a coherent and timely framework to coordinate the EU’s various external digital initiatives but falls short of articulating a broader geopolitical vision. This lack of clarity may be interpreted as indecision by partners and...

Europeans need to adapt to a new strategic reality where the US provides minimal assistance to Ukraine – or potentially none. To mitigate the impact of reduced US support, European countries can pursue a range of strategies, including boosting defence production both in Ukraine...

Critical materials are the backbone of modern defence. For Europe's rearmament to succeed, the EU defence ministers must break Beijing's chokehold on these essential resources.