Development cooperation is a tool of soft power for states that enables them to promote their values, build relationships with partner states, and reduce global poverty. Since development cooperation is impacted by changes in the norms and power dynamics of international politics, it is essential to analyse Estonia’s use of...
The Case of the European Defense Community
Since World War II, Europe’s security has essentially been “outsourced” to the United States within the broader framework of NATO, relegating European countries to a position of total subordination to the external line dictated by Washington. The Trump administration has changed all this. And now, amid the potential collapse of...
Russia’s Gray Zone Warfare Campaign in Europe
According to the head of MI5, Russia is on a mission to ‘generate sustained mayhem on British and European streets.’ The statement refers to a string of high-profile sabotage and arson events that have occurred in Europe since the outbreak of the Ukraine war, ranging from the destruction of undersea...
A Case for Strengthening Europe’s Nuclear Deterrence
Political Will, Not Just Military Capabilities Nuclear weapons in Europe are, and will remain, the sovereign responsibility of two individual states, France and the United Kingdom. It is common knowledge that the United Kingdom contributes to NATO’s deterrence and defence as a member of the Nuclear Planning Group, while France...
Romania’s New President Must Update His Black Sea Playbook
In the last decade, the Romanian government has centered its Black Sea security policy on the country’s strategic partnership with the United States. However, since President Trump was elected for a second term, US interest in Europe has drastically diminished. Romania’s new president, Nicușor Dan, needs to update his playbook...
The Weaponization of Migrants Is Undermining the EU and its Allies
At the start of July, Poland announced that it would be implementing temporary controls along its borders with Germany and Lithuania, threatening the viability of the increasingly fragile Schengen zone. The move follows recent efforts by the government of Donald Tusk to tighten migration laws, including affording authorities the power...
China deployes former dissidents as spies to infiltrate overseas activist groups
Jian took notes as Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, speaker for the Tibetan parliament-in-exile, met with pro-democracy activists in 2017 in Dharamshala, India, and discussed China’s repressive policies against the Tibetan minority. A naturalized German, Guo, then 36, wearing glasses and a traditional white khata scarf, his hair in a buzz cut,...
The France-Turkey relationship
Since the start of 2024, France and Turkey, two NATO allies with a long history of both partnership and rivalry have found themselves navigating a complex web of tensions and pragmatic cooperation. Their relationship, shaped by divergent interests in Libya, disputes over visas, evolving trade dynamics, and recurring religious controversies,...
Canada-EU Security and Defence Partnership
In June 2025, Canada and the European Union formalized the Security and Defence Partnership (SDF), a pact that binds Canada more closely to Europe’s rapidly evolving defense architecture. The agreement represents a concrete response to changing security dynamics, namely the belief that the United States can no longer be counted...
Russia’s Shadow Fleet: A Masterclass in Sanctions Evasion
In the wake of Western sanctions surrounding the Ukraine war, Russia developed a network of clandestine oil tankers to ensure the continuity of its energy exports – the so-called “shadow fleet.” This system of tanker ships, through various deceptive practices, has been successful in evading international monitoring and restrictions. The...