Policy area: Foreign policy

Reports

UK FATF mutual evaluation taskforce: Second meeting report

This report from UK think tank RUSI analyses the UK's evolving anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing risks ahead of the 2027 FATF mutual evaluation. This paper provides a timely and authoritative analysis of the UK’s evolving anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CFT) risks ahead of the 2027 Financial Action Task Force (FATF) mutual evaluation...

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The Royal Marines in the High North: Shaping the maritime battle

This report from UK think tank RUSI examines how UK and NATO maritime strategy is reshaping the way the Royal Marines contribute to countering Russian threats. The Royal Marines are reshaping UK maritime strategy in the High North, countering Russian threats and advancing NATO objectives for regional security. This entails a close conceptual integration between...

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Rethinking migration 01

This report from UK think tank the Future Governance Forum makes the case for a new progressive deal with Europe. The Rethinking Migration 01 report is written by Senior Policy Associate and former Yvette Cooper advisor, Beth Gardiner-Smith and Policy Associate, Emily Graham. The report sets out fresh ideas for fixing our broken asylum system at home,...

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Masculinities and violence in the Horn of Africa borderlands

This report from UK think tank RUSI reveals how masculinity norms fuel conflict, violent extremism and gender-based violence in the Kenya-Somalia-Ethiopia borderlands. This paper reveals how masculinity norms fuel conflict, violent extremism (VE) and gender-based violence (GBV) in the Kenya-Somalia-Ethiopia borderlands, shaping Al-Shabaab's recruitment and deepening insecurity. It offers actionable recommendations for defence and security...

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Regional roots, global decisions: Andy Burnham’s foreign policy challenge

This report from UK think tank the European Council on Foreign Relations Andy Burnham, Britain’s likely next prime minister, is clear-eyed about his domestic political priorities. But, with the world order in flux, all eyes are on his foreign policy approach.

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Behind the curve: Britain’s defence investment plan in Trump’s world

This report from UK think tank the European Council on Foreign Relations examines Britain's defence investment plan. The new defence investment plan is weighed down by the habits of Britain’s defence establishment. By contrast, the British public appear readier to accept change.

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The EU and Turkiye: Can shared threats overcome mutual suspicion?

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform sets out some steps that the EU and Türkiye can take to reset ties. EU-Türkiye relations are stuck in a mutually detrimental stalemate. Low mutual trust and high transactionalism mean deeper co-operation has effectively stalled for two decades. This comes despite common threats and...

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The price of dependency: Unpicking the People’s Republic of China’s influence and coercion across the Commonwealth.

This report from UK think tank the Coalitiion for Global Prosperity explores China's influence and coercion across the Commonwealth. Consecutive UK governments have underinvested in the UK’s relationships with Commonwealth countries, to the benefit of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), which has become the largest trading partner and, in many cases, the largest bilateral...

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Private capital in UK defence

This report from UK think tank RUSI examines how UK defence sector challenges and policy reforms impact private capital investment. This paper analyses how the UK government can increase private capital investment in the UK defence sector to help finance the development of innovative technologies and scaling up production capacity. The paper finds that, while...

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Brexit isn’t working: British voters are ready for a European future

This report from UK think tank European Council on Foreign Relations sets out both the pro-European turn in British opinion and the new categories of voters revealed by ECFR’s polling. A new ECFR polling shows British voters see Brexit as a disaster. They are strikingly open to reintegration with the EU. Three quarters want a...

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The Columbia-Ecuador organised crime and security nexus

This report from UK think tank RUSI explores how Colombia's evolving criminal landscape has transformed Ecuador into a central hub for global drug trafficking. This paper provides a critical analysis of how Colombia's evolving criminal landscape has transformed Ecuador into a central hub for global drug trafficking, driving unprecedented violence and challenging regional security and...

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FATF greylisting and financial inclusion

This report from UK think tank RUSI offers policy solutions to balance financial integrity with financial inclusion. This paper reveals how FATF greylisting – the designation of countries as ‘jurisdictions under increased monitoring due to strategic deficiencies in their anti‑money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) regimes’ – can unintentionally undermine financial inclusion....

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China and rare earth supply chains

This report from UK think tank RUSI reveals how China's rare earth supply chain dominance and export controls are reshaping global defence and security industries. This paper reveals how China's rare earth supply chain dominance and export controls are reshaping global defence and security industries, directly affecting the UK and its Allies. China's strategic use...

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Rearming Europe for deterrence

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform examines short-term priorities and policy options for rearming Europe for deterrence. As the US withdraws from its commitments to European security, and Russia intensifies its hostile activity across the continent, Europe needs to rapidly improve its deterrence by rearming. A new policy brief from...

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Liberalism liberated

This report from UK think tank Bright Blue discusses revitalising a traditional and richer liberalism for a better Britain. Liberals need to fight their critics and contortionists. But liberalism desperately needs a reset too: in its philosophical foundations, in its policymaking and in the leaders who represent it. In particular, the publication argues that liberals...

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Related Articles

What’s in President Biden’s foreign policy in-tray? (Part 2)

President Biden arrives in office with a full foreign policy in-tray, albeit one that will have to compete for attention with myriad domestic priorities from tackling run-away virus to repairing the foundations of its own democracy. Most of America’s traditional allies will let out a huge sigh of relief that his predecessor has left the...

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What’s in President Biden’s foreign policy in-tray? (Part 1)

The Taiwan Straits maybe the most volatile point in the Asia-Pacific. Even if this thin strip of water, separating Taiwan and China, is not the site of a great power collision this year it nevertheless will be a source of tension between Beijing and Washington. The Communist Party of China claims Taiwan as “an inalienable”...

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