Russia’s ruling party would have benefited from Putin appearing as its distant patron, but as an active frontman imposing his views on the public, he has done nothing but harm both the party’s election campaign and the ruling system overall.
Europe · Global politics
China is weathering the Hormuz energy crisis. But copying its model comes with risks Expert comment thilton.drupal 17 September 2026 China absorbed the shock by drawing on stockpiles and a decade of electrification. Europe needs electrification for security, but it needs to decide which parts of the system it is willing to buy from Beijing. Resources are no longer ‘king’ when it comes to energy, wrote Zhao Hongtu and Chen Wenlin in the 1 September 2026 edition of Qiushi , the Chinese Communist Party’s flagship theoretical journal. Mineral-rich economies may have some leverage, but the countries that control ‘transition-related technology, finance and rules’ will gain more influence as the world sees the rise of the ‘electrostate’, with ‘China, India and Brazil becoming the main force of new energy development.’ As a result of the US-Israeli war on Iran, argue Zhao and Chen, energy security has become a priority in national policymaking: ‘clean energy is seen as an important route to security’ and ‘economies that actively embrace the energy transition may occupy more important positions in the future global energy landscape.’ It is unsurprising that a CCP journal would commend China’s efforts in building renewable energy and managing the fallout of the Iran war. But the numbers support their conclusions. The oil importer most exposed to the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz – China imports 70 per cent of its oil, around half of it from the Gulf – has also been the least disrupted. Weathering the storm China’s strength in weathering the Hormuz crisis so far stands in contrast to
Europe · West & Central Asia · East Asia · Oil & energy
The European agenda and UK–EU relations: a French perspective on a changing world 24 September 2026 — 11:30 TO 12:30 BST Anonymous (not verified) 16 September 2026 Chatham House and Online How France views the current state of European affairs and the next phase of cooperation between the EU and the UK under the new Burnham government. How France views the next phase of cooperation between the EU and the UK under the new Burnham government As part of the UK in the World Programme’s new UK–EU series, join France’s Minister for Europe, Benjamin Haddad to examine the EU agenda and the future of UK–EU relations. The discussion will explore how Europe can strengthen cooperation, security and competitiveness in a changing geopolitical environment. This event will discuss: What is France’s perspective on the European agenda? How does the EU-UK relation fit into that agenda? What opportunities exist to deepen UK–EU cooperation a decade after Brexit? How does France view the future of the relationship between London and Brussels What major political, economic and security challenges remain? How can the UK and EU work more closely on European security and defence? What role can France and the UK play in strengthening Europe’s competitiveness and influence? What outcomes are realistic in the near term for UK–EU relations?
Europe · Global politics
Turkey is neither drifting away from the West nor is it coming home. It has become an embedded outsider: a middle power that has learned to build strategic autonomy from inside the Western system rather than by leaving it.
Europe · West & Central Asia · Defense · Global politics
Interwar periods are inherently challenging for militaries, who must balance lessons from previous wars with emergent technologies and tactics being tested in observable wars. Much of future warfighting is being […]
Europe · Defense
Putin is far from isolated. Europe must play him at the long game Expert comment jon.wallace 15 September 2026 The SCO and BRICS summits indicate Russia retains sufficient value to China, India and other non-Western powers to pursue its war objectives. Europe needs to adjust to that reality. The past fortnight has seen President Vladimir Putin undertake plenty of summit diplomacy. Throughout he has shown no sign he is open to compromise on Russia’s war aims in Ukraine. On the contrary, escalation has accelerated. Europe seems inclined to read this increased aggression as a sign of desperation on Moscow’s part. But that is a miscalculation. In reality, the Kremlin’s strategy of blended diplomatic impassivity and calibrated escalation may be stronger than it looks. No backing down US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner spent more than three hours with Putin in Moscow on 5 September, discussing how to end the war. The Kremlin hailed the discussions as ‘highly useful’ but gave no indication that it was ready to relax its demands: Ukrainian territorial concessions and restrictions on Kyiv’s future security alignment. Days later, an offer by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to meet Putin at December’s G20 summit in Miami was rebuffed. Meanwhile, Russian attacks have intensified. On 13 September, a Russian drone struck railway infrastructure near Yahodyn, shortly after a train carrying Boris Johnson, former CIA director David Petraeus and others had passed through the area. Whether they were deliberately targeted remains unknown. What is certain is that the strike was part of Russ
Europe · Global politics
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is about to give her annual address on the state of the EU. Here’s what she won’t—but should—say.
Europe · Defense · Global politics
Depleted financial reserves and a shrinking tax base mean it is no longer possible to simultaneously deliver high defense spending, price stability, and economic growth.
Europe
ECFR founding member and co-chair emerita Emma Bonino has died at the age of 78. A towering figure in European foreign policy, she was an inspiration to millions across the continent. She left a deep mark on European and Italian politics, and on ECFR
Europe · Global politics
Montenegro and Albania are moving closer to EU membership. But Brussels should not forget its responsibility towards the Western Balkans as a whole
Europe · Global politics
Blurring the line between humans and animals is a long-standing tradition in social utopian prose. In his latest novel, Leonid Bershidsky reminds us that in social experiments, people are often treated no differently than animals.
Europe
The Kremlin is promoting Ukraine war veterans–cultivating a proto-elite who could reinforce Russia’s militarised course.
Europe · Defense · Global politics
The aftermath of the Ceuta crisis shows Europe has drawn the wrong lessons. Rather than doubling down on failed migration policies, the EU needs to address the underlying roots of such episodes.
Europe · West Africa · Global politics
While France and Australia are seeking to establish the legal obligations of messaging apps like Telegram, Russia wants total subordination.
Europe · Cybersecurity · Global politics
Trump is pushing Canada—a quiet military powerhouse—away from America. The EU should seize the chance and fold it into its own defence
Europe · North America · Defense · Global politics
The US Army currently has fifteen Patriot battalions and eight THAAD batteries—finite resources that are badly needed across the service’s global operational footprint. EUCOM needs them to deter an ever-encroaching […]
Europe · West & Central Asia · East Asia · North America · Defense
The recent uncovering of Dmitry Donskoy’s relics in the Cathedral of the Archangel is yet another attempt by the Russian Orthodox Church to help the state solve its problems. However, parroting the state’s version of Russian history leaves the Church with no message except “patriotism.”
Europe · Global politics
The far-right AfD’s win in a small German state calls for dynamism in Berlin and hedging in Brussels
Europe · Global politics
Why has Russia’s senior military leadership been so bad at their jobs? The question is not an idle one, even if it is somewhat boldly stated. General Staff decision-makers and […]
Europe · Defense
Three features of today’s unordered world are converging to create a devastating food crisis. Russia’s war in Ukraine is disrupting agricultural exports from both countries. The enduring blockage of the Strait of Hormuz is restricting fertiliser shipments. And this year’s El Niño (a sporadic warming of the Pacific Ocean generating widespread knock-on effects elsewhere) could […]
Europe · West & Central Asia · Global politics
