Policy area: Security & defence

Reports

Cybersecurity of the civil nuclear sector

This report from UK think tank Chatham House considers the evolving cyberthreats that the civil nuclear sector faces both in peacetime and during conflict. A combination of factors – from energy security and decarbonization agendas to the emergence of small modular reactors (SMRs) that potentially make nuclear energy more accessible – are prompting many countries...

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A methodology for degrading the arms of the Russian federation

This report from UK think tank RUSI examines a methodology for degrading the arms of the Russian federation. Ukraine’s international partners have been seeking to curtail Russian defence production through the sanctioning of Russian-affiliated individuals and entities and the disruption of Russian sanctions circumvention and covert procurement of military components on the international market since...

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A principles-based approach to cyber capacity-building (CCB)

This report from UK think tank Chatham House illustrates how a principles-based approach may inform the design, implementation and evaluation of a cyber capacity-building project. In 2021, members of the UN Open-ended Working Group (OEWG) agreed 10 principles for cyber capacity-building (CCB). However, to date, the principles have not had the impact that was expected...

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From the ballot to the bullet

This report from UK think tank the Henry Jackson Society explains how political violence works and why it poses such a threat to our democracy. Democracy is under attack. The culprit: political violence. In recent years, politicians in the UK and other Western democracies have been the target of acts of violence. These have ranged...

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Ukraine’s wartime recovery and the role of civil society: Chatham House survey of Ukrainian CSOs – 2024 update.

This report from UK think tank Chatham House examines how government, citizens and donors can work together to embed trust in reconstruction. Over the past decade, Ukraine has shown that successful cooperation between state and citizens can deliver highly effective structural reforms. Building on this record, the country’s government and international partners now need to...

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EU strategic communications to support sanctions against Russia

This report from UK think tank RUSI offers a data-driven analysis of the EU’s strategic communications on sanctions against Russia. This paper examines the question: How does the EU use strategic communications to persuade third countries to cooperate on sanctions? The paper analyses how the EU is using arguments linked to upholding values and appealing...

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Beyond deadlock: opportunities for Western engagement with the Taliban

This report from UK think tank RUSI highlights the Taliban’s agendas and modes of operation in order to gain a better understanding of how to move forward. While international media attention is currently diverted to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, the question of whether to engage with the Taliban’s de facto government remains a...

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Restoring deterrence: destablising the Iranian regime

This report from UK think tank the Henry Jackson Society makes the case for why the US and Israel need to adopt a broader strategy towards Iran and its proxies. The time has come for a new policy towards Iran. The US-led policy of deterrence has failed spectacularly. Its two goals were to prevent Iran...

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Countermeasures in international law and their role in cyberspace

This report from UK think tank Chatham House explores the conditions under which countermeasures may be taken in cyberspace in line with customary international law. The emergence of information and communications technologies has reignited debates about how and when countermeasures can be used in cyberspace. Countermeasures are a well-established response mechanism available to states against...

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The implementation of P/CVE in conflicts: lessons from STRIVE Afghanistan

This report from UK think tank RUSI outlines recommendations for the effective implementation of P/CVE programmes in conflict settings. Terrorism continues to take place primarily in contexts of violent conflict. According to the 2023 Global Terrorism Index, in 2022, more than 88% of terrorism-related attacks and 98% of terrorism deaths occurred in countries experiencing conflict....

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Working hand in hand?

This report from UK think tank the Centre for European Reform makes recommendations on how the UK and its European allies could better co-ordinate their support to Ukraine.. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a watershed moment in European security. So far, Britain, Germany and other European countries have worked closely to support Ukraine. But Russia...

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Three foreign policy priorities for the next UK government

This report from UK think tank Chatham House examines how the next government could use its foreign policy assets to best effect. With a general election imminent, it is already clear that the next UK government will take office in an immensely challenging environment for foreign policy. From wars in Gaza and Ukraine to concerns...

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Challenges for counter-proliferation finance and sanctions control in banking

This report from UK think tank RUSI focuses on international and unilateral sanctions frameworks regarding the proliferation of WMDs. This report focuses on international and unilateral sanctions frameworks regarding the proliferation of WMDs in North Korea, Iran and Russia, identifying the challenges of implementing counter-proliferation finance and sanctions controls.

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The Indo-Pacific in Indian foreign policy

This report from UK think tank RUSI examines the Indo-Pacific in Indian foreign policy. This Policy Brief examines India’s initial caution in embracing the role of the Indo-Pacific in India’s strategic outlook, the changing geopolitical circumstances that led New Delhi to adopt a more proactive approach, and how India’s Indo-Pacific strategy is impacting relationships with...

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Combating kleptocracy: lessons from the response to Russia’s war in Ukraine

This report from UK think tank RUSI explores the state of efforts to combat modern kleptocracy before February 2022. Two years on from the invasion of Ukraine, this paper explores the state of efforts to combat modern kleptocracy before February 2022 and assesses how the Kremlin’s war has catalysed a range of responses from Western...

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