Foreign policy & defence
Europe needs a China strategy
30 May 2022
The attention of Europe’s foreign and defence policy establishment is rightly focused on Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. But it should not lose sight of the immense challenge that China poses.
State of the Union: The EU, three months into Putin's war
24 May 2022
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shifted priorities and frayed alliances in the EU. It has also created winners and losers in Brussels.
Turbulence ahead for Turkey and the West
20 May 2022
Turkey's objections to Finland and Sweden joining NATO have put the spotlight on Ankara’s role in the alliance. Even if a compromise is found, Turkey’s relations with Europe and the US will remain fractious.
Boiling dry: How the EU can help prevent instability in the water-scarce Maghreb
20 April 2022
Water scarcity is increasingly threatening the security of societies and environment in the Maghreb. The EU should step up its work on water to prevent conflicts in the region.
Russia's assault on Ukraine and European security
30 March 2022
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will require NATO to greatly strengthen deterrence. Europeans will have to shoulder a larger share of the security burden, acting through both NATO and the EU.
Bulletin issue 143 - April/May 2022
30 March 2022
- Can the West stay united on Ukraine – and what will China do?, Charles Grant
- Europe must stop paying for Russia's war, Ian Bond, Zach Meyers, Elisabetta Cornago
- Russia's assault on Ukraine and European security, Luigi Scazzieri
Can the West stay united on Ukraine – and what will China do?
30 March 2022
The longer the war in Ukraine continues, the greater the risk that Western unity will fracture. Meanwhile the choices that China makes will determine the future shape of geopolitics.
Europe must stop paying for Russia's war
30 March 2022
Putin wants Europe to pay for gas in roubles, forcing it to deal with Russia’s central bank. Europe should respond by ending Russian hydrocarbon imports sooner than planned.
Does the Strategic Compass herald a stronger EU in security and defence?
25 March 2022
The EU Strategic Compass sets out a realistic vision for EU security policy. It is now up to member-states to live up to their promises.
Russia's war on Ukraine: There is worse to come (for the West as well)
17 March 2022
The EU has reacted robustly to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. But it must now mitigate the economic, social and political consequences, which will hit ordinary citizens and challenge Western cohesion.
Russia-Ukraine: The West needs a sanctions strategy
10 March 2022
After the initial flurry of sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine, Western leaders now need to take a more strategic approach.
Four questions on how the Russian assault on Ukraine will affect Europe
01 March 2022
CER experts provide answers on the off-ramp for Putin, Germany’s defence spending, how to deal with refugees, the internal battle over the rule of law and the impact on the EU’s neighbourhood.
Stronger sanctions on Russia: Essential, but not a strategy
25 February 2022
The West is rightly responding to Putin’s all-out attack on Ukraine’s territorial integrity with sanctions. But they need to be part of a wider strategy to ensure that he cannot win.
Could EU-endorsed 'coalitions of the willing' strengthen EU security policy?
09 February 2022
The EU could be a more effective security provider if it mandated operations by coalitions of willing member-states, but that requires consensus.
How the world has changed in 25 years: Annual report 2021
07 February 2022
The CER has been in business for about a quarter of a century – we published our first pamphlets in 1996 and opened our London office in 1998.
Bulletin issue 142 - February/March 2022
24 January 2022
- Britain needs a new Russia policy, Ian Bond, Duncan Allan
- How the Digital Markets Act will challenge consumers, Zach Meyers
- Transatlantic turmoil is not over, Megan Ferrando, Luigi Scazzieri
Britain needs a new Russia policy
24 January 2022
The British government, once naively optimistic about Russia, has become more hard-nosed in its analysis. It should now do more to pursue a coherent Russia strategy with like-minded countries.
Transatlantic turmoil is not over
24 January 2022
The US might be ‘back’, but sources of friction with Europe persist. And in 2022, Europeans should expect an inward-looking America as Biden focuses on domestic issues prior to the mid-term elections.
Is the European Peace Facility really about peace?
17 December 2021
The European Peace Facility (EPF) is a new pot of money intended to make the EU a stronger military actor in crises. But the ability to spend more will not in itself make the Union better able to resolve conflicts.
Reviving European policy towards the Western Balkans
15 December 2021
The EU sought to stabilise the Western Balkans through enlargement, but this process has now stalled.