Policy area: International relations

Reports

The UK can and should show leadership to ensure the viability of a Palestinian state. Here’s how to start

This report from UK think tank Chatham House sets out targeted steps that the UK, with like-minded partners, can now take. The UK’s ban on trade with Israeli settlements, announced in September 2026 as part of a reset in Middle East policy, is grounded firmly in international law, and has the stated aim of upholding...

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A centre-right foreign policy for a fragmented world

This report from UK think tank the Coalition for Global Prosperity discusses a framework for a more assertive and proactive foreign policy. This project between the Coalition for Global Prosperity and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung UK & Ireland seeks to develop a framework for a centre-right foreign policy better suited to a more fragmented and contested world....

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High-risk ICT vendors and critical infrastructure: European approaches

This report from UK think tank RUSI compares the strategies used by Germany, Spain and the UK to manage risks from high-risk ICT vendors in critical national infrastructure. This paper provides a critical analysis of how Germany, Spain and the UK manage the risks posed by high-risk ICT vendors in European critical infrastructure, offering essential...

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Middle powerhouse: A new blueprint for British internationalism

This report from UK think tank the European Council on Foreign Relations argues that the UK's policy on cooperation needs to be updated for a radically changed global context. The paper, 'Middle powerhouse: A new blueprint for British internationalism' argues that the UK's policy on cooperation needs to be updated for a radically changed global...

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Modern targeting in European militaries

This report from UK think tank RUSI delivers a critical analysis of modern targeting practices in European militaries. This paper delivers a critical analysis of modern targeting practices in European militaries, highlighting their transformative impact on operational effectiveness, legal compliance and coalition interoperability in the digital age. By examining both technical and human factors, the...

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Collective defence: Women, peace and security in a divided world

This report from UK think tank RUSI provides actionable recommendations for NATO and its Allies to embed gender and identity analysis into core security practices. In today's divided security environment, adversaries exploit social divisions, gendered narratives and identity-based grievances to undermine democratic cohesion and NATO's legitimacy. The Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, if operationalised...

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North Korean crypto-to-fiat activity

This report from UK think tank RUSI offers actionable recommendations for the defence and security sector to mitigate proliferation financing risks. This paper delivers critical insights into how North Korea exploits virtual asset-to-fiat conversion services to launder billions in stolen cryptocurrency, directly supporting its weapons of mass destruction program. By analysing the intersection of blockchain-based...

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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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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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Discussion paper: The 1951 refugee convention and a crisis of credibility

This report from UK think tank the Coalition for Global Prosperity asks why the system now commands so little political legitimacy and what it might take to restore it. In the aftermath of the Second World War, Europe was confronted with a crisis of staggering proportions: 55 million people had been forcibly displaced across the...

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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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Related Events

10 November 2026

Location: Palace of Westminster

Think tank: The Foreign Policy Centre

After the US midterms: What the results mean for America and the world

This event hosted by UK think tank the Foreign Policy Centre and Leiden University discusses what the results may mean for US politics and foreign policy.  The 2026 US midterm elections come at a consequential point in President Donald Trump’s second term. With all seats in the House of Representatives and a third of the...

12 November 2026

Location: Online / Chatham House, 10 St James's Square, London SW1Y 4LE

Think tank: Chatham House

Nigeria’s 2027 elections: Democratic trajectory and regional stability beyond the ballot

This event hosted by UK think tank Chatham House assesses what Nigeria’s 2027 presidential elections may mean for the country’s democratic trajectory. In the run up to Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, the country’s economic and security trajectory has taken on added significance, shaping not only the domestic political contest but Nigeria’s standing as a regional...

17 November 2026

Location: Online

Think tank: Chatham House

What next for Palestinian democracy and politics?

This event hosted by UK think tank Chatham House assesses the future of Palestinian democracy, governance and political representation. The postponement of Palestine’s first legislative elections in two decades has revived debate on what avenues exist for political renewal under occupation. Critical questions of political representation, institutional legitimacy and reform and public participation will need...

17 November 2026

Location: Palace of Westminster, Parliament Square, Westminster, London, SW1A 0AA

Think tank: The Foreign Policy Centre

Europe’s next chapter: What next for the Western Balkans?

This event hosted by UK think tank the Foreign Policy Centre considers how the UK and European countries can support a more integrated Western Balkans. The Western Balkans are entering a particularly consequential period. Russia’s war against Ukraine and renewed momentum around European Union (EU) enlargement, as well as growing concerns about foreign interference, democratic...

23 November 2026

Location: RUSI, 61 Whitehall London SW1A 2ET

Think tank: RUSI

China and the UK economy: The case for risk-managed growth

This event hosted by UK think tank RUSI discusses managing the UK's economic relationship with China. Join us to hear from the Business, Innovation, Science and Trade Committee as they discuss their new report on managing the UK's economic relationship with China. The UK Government has embarked on a policy of ‘pragmatic engagement’ with China,...

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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