News Brief

Sunak’s £75 billion defence boost: Fact or fiction?

— PM Rishi Sunak’s defence spending announcement has sparked debate, with experts challenging the £75 billion figure as inflated and misleading, and criticising potential job cuts and lack of transparency in funding.

European Union

Mounting tension and instability in the Western Balkans is playing into Russia’s hands

— Tension in the Western Balkans, which has been troubled by ethnic tensions since the wars of the 1990s, is becoming an increasing concern for the EU and NATO.

War in Ukraine

Ukraine war: Why many NATO countries are thinking of introducing conscription and the issues that involves

— Amid global conflicts and political debates, several European nations, including new NATO members, are reconsidering or reintroducing conscription to enhance military and civic preparedness.

Foreign Policy

Waiting for Trump to be re-elected is wrong – Nato leaders need to Trump-proof their policies now

— The potential re-election of Trump could disrupt global stability. Leaders must not wait but proactively fortify foreign policies and alliances like NATO to mitigate unpredictable actions.

War in Ukraine

Russia’s Baltic neighbours to create massive border defences as Trump continues undermining Nato

— Donald Trump’s remarks on NATO, Ukraine aid, and Article 5 concern the Baltic States, fearing Russian aggression. Despite bolstering defences, their small populations make them vulnerable to Russian expansion, especially with potential US disengagement.

War in Ukraine

Macron won’t rule out using Western ground troops in Ukraine – but is NATO prepared for war with Russia?

— French President Macron doesn’t exclude the possibility of deploying Western troops to Ukraine following a meeting with European leaders. However, the question remains: could the deployment of ground troops to Ukraine provoke a broader and more dangerous conflict with Russia?

Long-Read

Brexit, Brexitism, and the Trump and Russian threats

— Brexit fractures the UK’s geopolitical strategy, hindering cooperation with the EU on security. Amidst the Russian threat and potential European conflict, deeper UK-EU security ties are crucial for stability.

2024 US Presidential Election

Donald Trump is already flustering foreign leaders who are trying to prepare for a possible presidency

— Donald Trump’s influence on the 2024 US presidential race is unprecedented, shaping both domestic and foreign agendas, prompting policy changes, and causing global uncertainty, even without an official candidacy.

OPINION

My Trump-supporting friends, please take a step back

— B. Jay Cooper tells his friends supporting Donald Trump to reflect on his character and actions, especially his silence on Putin’s actions, including the death of Navalny, and his disregard for NATO solidarity, risking alliances.

COMMENT

NATO’s biggest exercise since Cold War could poke Russian bear

— The start of 2024 witnesses escalating global threats: the ongoing conflicts in Gaza, Iran-Pakistan exchanges, China’s tensions with Taiwan, North Korea’s strategic shift, and a concerning prospect of Russia using nuclear weapons to deter NATO.

Slovakia Elections

Slovakia may be about to elect a government which plans to halt aid to Kyiv

— Slovakia has steadfastly supported Ukraine in the war, but there are signs this may change after the election.

COMMENT

Ukraine war re-positions ‘the heart of Europe’ more eastwards... in Poland

— Poland’s importance in Europe is evolving due to its strong stance against Russian aggression in Ukraine, having hosted Ukrainian refugees, provided aid and supplies, and pushed for Ukraine’s NATO and EU integration.

Geopolitics

Finland joins Nato in a major blow to Putin which doubles the length of the alliance’s border with Russia

— Finland has gone from neutral to a Nato member in 30 years, in a move that effectively doubles the length of the border between Nato and Russia, and Sweden could be set to follow.

War in Ukraine

War in Ukraine: Beijing’s peace initiative offers glimpse at how China plans to win the war

— Beijing’s 12-point proposal is a broad-brush plan for an end to hostilities which positions China as a key power broker.

War in Ukraine

Russia announces its suspension from the last nuclear arms agreement with the US, escalating nuclear tension

— Putin’s announcement that Russia will no longer participate in the New START pauses the last remaining nuclear weapons agreement between the U.S. and Russia.

War in Ukraine

Why Germany dragged its feet over supplying Leopard tanks to Ukraine

— Why Germany needed US tanks to be offered to Ukraine and other intra-NATO issues around the decision to send tanks to Ukraine.