DwayneMon, 12 Oct 2026
Putin wants to make politicians out of Ukraine war veterans. After the recent election, 60 now sit in the Duma. But voters seem less keen than the official vote share suggests, and that could become a problem for the Kremlin
Ahead of the 2027 presidential election, pro-European candidates may find unexpected opportunities among voters of both the radical left and the far right
Europeans should defend their rules on trade, investment and infrastructure—and, in so doing, change the logic that encourages Chinese retaliation
Factional struggles around the US president have left Europe at the mercy of competing foreign policy agendas. But European disunity only undermines European interests
To reduce its dependency on Russia, Armenia is diversifying its foreign policy. Until peace with Azerbaijan is secured, Europeans need to provide Yerevan with extra support
New research shows Russians see little prospect of influencing the war in Ukraine, but expect relations with Europe to improve in the future.
As European leaders hobnob with their counterparts at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, they must think carefully about how to navigate a fast-changing multilateral landscape. The old world belonged to rule-makers and institution-builders, but the current one favours those who can improvise
Britain is the custodian of a global order that no longer exists. Its international approach should now centre innovative cooperation and building strong coalitions with like-minded partners
Houthi advances now threaten Saudi Arabia’s most viable oil-export route. Europeans should strengthen Riyadh’s maritime and air defences, and mobilise a wider diplomatic coalition to end the US-Iran war driving the escalation
The UAE built its power by turning itself into a hub that binds it to every great power at once. The war with Iran has tested this strategy and is forcing a rethink in Abu Dhabi
Canada’s enthusiasm for closer EU ties is real, and so is the EU’s need for allies beyond America. But as long as the EU’s offer of “associate membership” to Canada remains undefined, it risks ending up as empty symbolism
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.
Xi Jinping’s attendance at the BRICS summit in New Delhi underlines the recent normalisation in Sino-Indian relations. This should encourage the EU to speed up its efforts to deepen ties with India
The race for US midterms reveals a rapidly changing Democratic party. Europeans must understand and engage its three camps well before the party could take power
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
Montenegro and Albania are moving closer to EU membership. But Brussels should not forget its responsibility towards the Western Balkans as a whole
The Kremlin is promoting Ukraine war veterans–cultivating a proto-elite who could reinforce Russia’s militarised course.
The world is undergoing a historical and cultural rupture. Just as Hollywood and other American exports once gave the rest of the world a glimpse of modern life and the future that awaited them, China is now doing the same for African, Latin American and even American young people
Trump is pushing Canada—a quiet military powerhouse—away from America. The EU should seize the chance and fold it into its own defence
The far-right AfD’s win in a small German state calls for dynamism in Berlin and hedging in Brussels
