Policy area: International relations

Reports

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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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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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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Gender-responsive approaches to countering state threats: a policy brief

This report from UK think tank RUSI explores how intersectional gender analysis strengthens understanding of and defence against state threats. This paper demonstrates how integrating intersectional gender analysis enhances defence and security strategies against state threats by exploring why it has been absent and the basis for including it. Key Recommendations: Build the evidence base...

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Algorithms of evasion: The rise of AI-enabled proliferation financing

This report from UK think tank RUSI explores how AI is revolutionising proliferation financing and sanctions evasion. This paper explores how AI is revolutionising proliferation financing (PF) and sanctions evasion, particularly by states such as North Korea and Iran. The report warns that a shift from AI-assisted to autonomous, 'AI-enabled' evasion tactics, including the mass...

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The UK and the future of Artic and High North security

This report from UK think tank RUSI is a pivotal analysis of the evolving security landscape in the Arctic and High North. This paper is a pivotal analysis of the evolving security landscape in the Arctic and High North, highlighting the urgent need for UK and NATO leadership as geopolitical tensions rise due to increased...

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Iran nuclear monitor

This report from UK think tank the ECFR monitors Iran's nuclear programme. This regularly updated Iran nuclear monitor is developed in consultation with nuclear security experts, drawing on open-source intelligence, IAEA statements and satellite imagery analysis. Indicators track distinct, observable activities or declarations of intent—for example, diplomacy, enrichment or official nuclear policy—that collectively allow readers...

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The DPRK’s chemical facilities: Kanggye area: site profile 5

This report from UK think tank RUSI delivers a critical assessment of North Korea's chemical weapons (CW) infrastructure in Kanggye. This paper delivers a critical assessment of North Korea's chemical weapons (CW) infrastructure in Kanggye, offering new insights through satellite imagery and open-source intelligence. Its impact lies in providing a clearer, evidence-based foundation for understanding...

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Evaluating Russian support for North Korea’s nuclear weapons

This report from UK think tank RUSI contributes to a greater understanding of the evolving Russia–North Korea nexus of nuclear proliferation. Overview Russia’s deepening defence partnership with North Korea is reshaping the global security landscape, with potentially significant implications for nuclear non-proliferation efforts. This paper analyses how Russian technical and financial support might be advancing...

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Gender and identity analysis for hybrid threats

This report from UK think tank RUSI presents a framework for integrating gender and identity analysis into the assessment of and response to hybrid threats. RUSI's project on Enhancing NATO Counter Hybrid Threats Strategies with Gender Analysis examines how adversarial actors weaponise gender and identity as part of hybrid threat strategies aimed at weakening social...

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Strengthening Belgium’s financial response to organised crime

This report from UK think tank RUSI explores how Belgium could break the criminal business model through a finance-led approach. This paper highlights the importance of Belgium taking a finance-led approach to dismantling criminal networks that operate in the country and across Europe. ​It examines systemic challenges, such as resource constraints, fragmented coordination and legal...

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Related Events

13 July 2026

Location: Palace of Westminster

Think tank: The Henry Jackson Society

China’s ‘no limits’ partnership with Russia in Ukraine

This event from UK think tank the Henry Jackson Society how the relationship has expanded over the past four years and assesses the future of the 'no limits'”' partnership. In late February 2022, just three weeks after Beijing and Moscow declared a bilateral partnership with 'no limits' in scope, Russia launched its full-scale invasion of...

14 July 2026

Location: Online

Think tank: The Henry Jackson Society

Russian sabotage in Europe

This event hosted by UK think tank the Henry Jackson Society explores how Russia has carried out sabotage in Europe and how the West could and should respond. Russia has been carrying out sabotage attacks across Europe. From arson attacks on warehouses in London to drone incursions in European airports, Russia has become increasingly willing...

15 July 2026

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

Think tank: Chatham House

US at 250: Trade vs. Protectionism – America’s enduring economic debate

This event from UK think tank Chatham House assesses America’s struggle to balance independence, openness, and strategic competition in the global economy. As the United States marks its 250th year, the debate over trade, protectionism, and America’s economic role in the world remains as alive as it was at the founding. The argument over whether...

21 July 2026

Location: Online

Think tank: Chatham House

Can Iraq’s new government survive Middle East instability?

This event hosted by UK think tank Chatham House discusses how the new administration is navigating regional tensions and internal divisions under a fragile political settlement. Iraq’s new government enters office after months of paralysis, shaped by domestic rivalry and external pressure. The incoming administration faces early challenges, as conflict involving Iran, Israel and the...

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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