Defence and security Archives

Another Western army is leaving a fragile, landlocked region. But whereas the United States has pulled its troops out of one country, Afghanistan, France is walking away from five, argues Faisal Al Yafai

The existence of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons  - and its entry into force on 22 January 2021 - rang as an earthquake among states possessing or supporting a nuclear deterrence policy, write Jean-Marie Collin, Susi Snyder, and Tuva Widskjold.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday (30 June) that Russia could have sunk a British warship that, according to Moscow, had illegally entered its territorial waters.

The European Commission has formally launched an €8 billion European Defence Fund (EDF), a new instrument designed to co-finance collaborative defence research and development projects across the bloc.

President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday (30 June) that Russia could have sunk a British warship that it accused of illegally entering its territorial waters without starting World War Three and accused Washington of a role in the "provocation".

German and UK foreign ministers on Wednesday (30 June) pledged to cooperate more closely on foreign and security policy issues, reaffirming their commitment to the “strategic unity of Europe”.

Russia tested the readiness of its air defence systems in Crimea, the peninsula it annexed from Ukraine in 2014, as Ukraine and NATO countries held military drills in the Black Sea, the Interfax news agency reported on Tuesday (29 June).

On the eve of his bilateral meeting with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, US President Joe Biden told NATO allies he would tell Moscow he was not looking for conflict with Russia, but that NATO would respond if Russia continued its …

Allowing the US to focus its military resources in the Pacific requires a division of labor within NATO that requires the Europeans to take responsibility for the defense of their continent, writes Antonia Colibasanu.

The leaders of the NATO countries are performing a delicate balancing act over China at the summit on Monday (14 June), in an effort to show firmness, but avoid language that would antagonise a such a huge world economic power.

The West’s recent pivot towards Asia has heightened tensions in the Indo-Pacific. As NATO leaders are looking to update the alliance's official master strategy document, its “Strategic Concept”, a more global role for the alliance seems to be emerging.

Allegations of a cooling relationship between Montenegro and NATO is disinformation and fake news, defence minister Olivera Injac told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.

After an identity crisis over the past years, NATO leaders will gather in Brussels on Monday (14 June), for a summit to re-orient the alliance, sandwiched between the G7 summit in Britain and an EU-US summit right after. EURACTIV looked …

Growing political and military cooperation between Russia and China poses "new dangers" for NATO and threatens multilateralism, the head of the military alliance said in an interview published Tuesday (8 June).

Shortly before a crucial summit on 14 June in Brussels, NATO members remain divided about a proposal for higher community spending. At the summit, touted as an opportunity to revive the alliance and a reset when US President Joe Biden visits …

Ukrainian authorities on Wednesday (26 May) condemned NATO reluctance to speed up Kyiv's membership in the alliance following tensions with Moscow over a buildup of Russian troops along the ex-Soviet country's borders.

Defence is one of the most important policy areas for governments around the world, but related decision-making is rarely as transparent and fair as it should be and lawmakers must shine a light on lobbying by the arms industry, argues Charlie Linney.

The leader of Germany's Christian Democrats (CDU) Armin Laschet, who hopes to succeed Angela Merkel as Chancellor, is largely expected to keep his predecessor's diplomatic line, with little nuance on foreign and security policy. 

The EU action plan on linking space and defence is a step forward. But much more needs to be done if Europe is to develop the next generation of critical defence capabilities, writes Simon Hoey.

France, Germany and Spain said on Monday (17 May) they had reached a deal over the next steps of the development of a new fighter jet, Europe's largest defence project at an estimated cost of more than €100 billion. France in …

NATO member Turkey has submitted an application to participate in one of the EU's Dutch-led military project on military mobility, despite tense relations with Greece and Cyprus. While the request is being reviewed, EU diplomats are split over Ankara's possible participation.

EU member states on Monday (10 May) approved a strengthened EU Civil Protection Mechanism, with new rules to better prepare for emergencies like forest fires, and more resources allowing a faster response to new threats such as pandemics.

There is 'clarity of understanding' that circumstances for European defence have changed and there is an increased recognition Europe cannot be geopolitically relevant without having a military dimension, Portugal's defence minister, João Gomes Cravinho, told EURACTIV in an interview. According to …

German federal elections are rarely fought on foreign policy. But if they were to be, the Greens - we now know - could be more than a safe contender. Knowing that Germany's incumbent chancellor is stepping down for good in September, …