Policy area: Foreign policy

Reports

The European archipelago: Building bridges in a post-Western Europe 

This report from UK think tank ECFR looks at levels of pessimism in most Europeans about their country and the world's future. One year into the second Trump presidency, a major ECFR poll, including the UK, finds that most Europeans are pessimistic about their countries’ and the world’s future. Many are realistic, as well: majorities and...

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Terrorist financing in the age of large language models

This report from UK think tank RUSI examines how advances in AI and LLMs could be exploited to support terrorist financing activity. This research briefing by Jason Blazakis examines how advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models (LLMs) could be exploited to support terrorist financing activity. The report argues that LLMs could act...

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Air manoeuvre forces in European large-scale combat operations

This report from UK think tank RUSI examines how European armies can best prepare air manoeuvre forces to maximise their effectiveness. The density and complexity of the emerging battlefield is making it harder for military units to manoeuvre. Air Manoeuvre - the movement of troops by air for advantage - offers a means of rapidly...

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Rebooting the UK’s cyber strategy

This report from UK think tank RUSI outlines six key priorities for the upcoming National Cyber Action Plan. This paper highlights the urgent need to revamp the UK's cyber strategy to address systemic vulnerabilities that threaten national security and economic growth. With cyber attacks costing UK businesses billions annually and high-profile incidents such as the...

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EU-UK relations: Will 2026 be the year to reset the reset?

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform discusses whether 2026 will be the year to reset EU-UK relations. The world of 2026 is very different from the world of 2016, when the UK voted for Brexit. Neither the UK nor the EU seems to appreciate the scale of the changes, however....

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Nuclear deterrence in shifting Euro-Atlantic security architecture

This report from UK think tank RUSI highlights the critical importance of maintaining credible deterrence to prevent escalation and safeguard European security. This paper explores the evolving role of nuclear deterrence in Euro-Atlantic security amidst challenges such as Russian aggression, US disengagement, and growing Chinese assertiveness. It highlights the critical importance of maintaining credible deterrence...

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Prototype warfare in the maritime domain: Opportunities and approaches

This report from UK think tank RUSI explores the transformative concept of prototype warfare in the maritime domain. This research paper discusses the concept of maritime prototype warfare, emphasising its potential to address the Royal Navy’s strategic challenge of managing increasing demands with limited resources. By advocating for operational and commercial innovation, a shift in...

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Understanding the UK’s transition to warfighting readiness

This report from UK think tank Civitas resets the narrative by setting out the imperative for moving to warfighting readiness. This report argues that the West now faces a truly existential threat from a loose but strengthening alliance of autocracies which the war in Ukraine has exposed. This is an urgent and drastic threat which...

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Leveraging partnerships and technology to tackle money mules

This report from UK think tank RUSI underscores the importance of coordinated efforts and innovative solutions to disrupt money mule schemes. Public–private partnerships can play a key role in both tackling and preventing money muling in Ukraine and beyond. This paper highlights the critical role of public–private partnerships and technology in addressing the growing threat...

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A roadmap for security and governance reform in Haiti

This report from UK think tank Chatham House proposes a three-year roadmap for security sector and governance reforms. Haiti’s security crisis continues unabated, with a combination of gang violence, a weak state and underfunded multilateral intervention prolonging instability. To compound the political challenges, the expiry of the Transitional Presidential Council’s mandate in February 2026 could...

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Resilient by design: Building secure clean energy supply chains

This report from UK think tank IPPR analyses clean energy supply chains and makes policy recommendations for how to make them more resilient. The UK must become more resilient to succeed in a more turbulent world. Supply chains – the networks of people and businesses we rely on to make and move the goods we...

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Transforming Belarus from a Russian asset to a buffer state for European security

This report from UK think tank Chatham House explores how the West should engage with Minsk. Western discussions of Belarus’s role in regional security have largely considered Minsk as part of broader approaches towards Moscow, rather than as a policy strand in its own right. However, in 2025, the US under President Donald Trump disrupted...

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Responding to Russian sabotage financing

This report from UK think tank RUSI discusses how public and private sectors can leverage finance to address the sabotage challenge. Europe faces a rising threat from sabotage that leverages social media, cryptocurrencies and a supply of disposable agents who are willing to take on a range of disruptive tasks in return for payment. While...

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Peace with teeth: What Britain and France’s troop commitment means for Ukraine

This report from UK think tank ECFR looks at the first step to France and Britain providing robust security guarantees to Ukraine. Britain and France have committed to deploying their armies on the ground in Ukraine. This is one step towards providing the robust security guarantees the country needs to deter future Russian aggression.

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The evolution of Russian and Chinese air power threats

This report from UK think tank RUSI discusses the evolution of Russian and Chinese air power threats. This Insights Paper demonstrates that in 2025, Chinese air power in particular poses a fundamentally different level of threat to traditional US dominance in the air domain than it did in 2020. Russian air power has evolved in...

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