SWP

The member states of the European Union are once again arguing about money. More specifically, they are arguing about how much they want to spend on defence, where this money should come from and whether they should spend it jointly. That Europe needs to defend itself better is not in dispute in Brussels or the national capitals. However, despite many discussions, summit decisions, documents and initiatives, it is still unclear what goals the EU should pursue or how it should spend money to improve European defence capabilities. In addition to fresh funding, what is needed above all is agreement on shared European objectives. This would enable the continuation and strengthening of military support for Ukraine, the creation of a single mar­ket for armaments and services and the financing of these from the EU budget.

Die existentielle Not der Menschen im Gazastreifen prägt derzeit außen- und sicher­heitspolitische Debatten. Dort ist die Lage der Zivilbevölkerung besonders dramatisch. Doch auch anderswo – von der Ukraine über Sudan und Myanmar bis zur Demokratischen Republik Kongo und Haiti – haben Kriege und gewaltsame Konflikte verheerende Folgen für die Bevölkerung. In dieser Hinsicht zeichnet auch der Gene­ral­sekretär der Vereinten Nationen (VN) in seinem im Mai veröffentlichten jährlichen Bericht ein düsteres Bild. Zugleich greifen die gängigen internationalen Mittel der Konfliktbeilegung immer weniger. Daher ist es dringend geboten, wichtige Veränderungen im Konfliktgeschehen syste­matisch zu erfassen und Ansätze zum Schutz der Zivilbevölkerung auf dieser Grundlage neu zu justieren.

Auch wenn Israel als Sieger aus der jüng­sten Auseinandersetzung mit dem Iran hervorgegangen ist, herrscht langfristig ein Patt im Kräftemessen der vier großen Regionalmächte. Das ist gefährlich.

Donald Trump ist es gelungen, Indiens Vertrauen in die USA im Eiltempo zu zerstören. Ein Vasall Washingtons will Neu Delhi nicht werden, analysiert ein Südasienwissenschaftler.

Russia apparently aims to be capable of attacking targets in the Baltic Sea region from Lake Ladoga, which is located north of Saint Petersburg and only 40 kilometres from the Finnish border. Since 2023, Russia has been evaluating the deployment of corvettes equipped with cruise missiles there. Such warships have already carried out strikes deep into Syria and Ukraine. Their recent deployments to Lake Ladoga could complicate the defence of NATO’s north-eastern allies. Simulated launches were reportedly conducted for the first time in autumn 2024. However, NATO still lacks information about Lake Ladoga. Developments there underscore the need for con­ventional long-range fire capabilities into Russia’s strategic depth to deter Moscow effectively.

Warum Austausch, praktische Erfahrung und Flexibilität für eine moderne Diplomatie wichtig sind, die sich gegen martialische Tendenzen behaupten will. Außenpolitische Denkanstöße des ehemaligen Spitzendiplomaten Volker Stanzel anlässlich der ersten 100 Tage der neuen Bundesregierung

Peter Lintl zu den Plänen des israelischen Sicherheitskabinetts, die Stadt Gaza zu besetzen

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine marked the start of a prolonged confrontation between Moscow and Europe – one that is fundamentally reshaping the parameters of European security. The return of Donald Trump to the White House and his stated intent to quickly end the war in Ukraine and put pressure on the European allies including Ukraine to assume greater responsibility for their security is a second criti­cal inflection point. In this rapidly evolving security landscape, Europe faces the dual challenge of ensuring the long-term security of Ukraine, the Baltic states and the Black Sea region and strengthening the European Union’s defence and military capa­bil­ities. Turkey has a strategically significant, albeit politically contentious role to play within both contexts. What kind of an alignment might there be between the EU and Turkey, given that Ankara is simultaneously a partner, competitor, rival and even threat to EU member states? For its part, the European Union should adopt a gradual, pragmatic and interest driven approach to Turkey’s integration into the changing European security architecture. It should aim to reinforce the role of Europe – in­clud­ing Turkey – as a strategic and capable security actor while making clear that enhanced defence cooperation with Ankara and Turkey’s stalled EU accession process are two separate issues.

IISD’s Stefan Jungcurt has interviewed Marianne Beisheim, Senior Associate, Global Affairs, at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP). Beisheim shares her perspectives on connecting science and policy for SDG implementation, UN reform, and keeping the momentum in an increasingly fragmented world.

Strengthening the Indo-German developmental agenda through AI