Read more about the article Will Modi’s Recent State Visit to Washington Impact India’s Foreign Policy Ahead of the SCO?
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Will Modi’s Recent State Visit to Washington Impact India’s Foreign Policy Ahead of the SCO?

The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended a four-day state visit in the United States from the 21st to the 24th of June (Chatterjee-Miller, 2023;Pandey, 2023). The leaders reached numerous agreements on tariffs, manufacturing and green energy targets (Chatterjee Miller 2023). However, the most significant agreements discussed regarded defence and security. The US company General Electric will provide fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force.

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12 July 2023
Read more about the article Italy & Saudi Arabia: From Arms Embargo to Enhanced Diplomatic Ties
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Italy & Saudi Arabia: From Arms Embargo to Enhanced Diplomatic Ties

On 31 May 2023, the Italian government announced an end to the embargo on the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia (Armellini & Adler, 2023). Italy maintained the ban between 2019 and 2020 following the escalation of Saudi Arabia’s violence against the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group in Yemen (Middle East Monitor, 2023)

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4 July 2023
Read more about the article Germany Prepares Permanent Force in Lithuania
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Germany Prepares Permanent Force in Lithuania

Germany is preparing to permanently station 4,000 troops in Lithuania to strengthen NATO’s Eastern Flank. This was announced by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius during a visit to the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on Monday (The Associated Press, 2023). “We explicitly acknowledge our responsibility and our obligation as a NATO member state, as the largest economy in Europe, to stand up for the protection of the eastern flank”, Pistorius stated (Pitel & Foy, 2023). Pistorius was accompanied by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who welcomed this announcement and praised Germany for its dedication to NATO’s collective defence strategy (The Associated Press, 2023).

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28 June 2023
Read more about the article France says yes to Ukraine’s Acession to NATO
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France says yes to Ukraine’s Acession to NATO

On the 12 June 2023, a French Defence Council examined the possibility of an accession of Ukraine to NATO once the war is over (Pietralunga & Ricard, 2023). Paris used to be reluctant, alongside Berlin and Washington (Pietralunga & Ricard, 2023; Smolar, 2023). France now regards Kiev’s membership as a viable option to guarantee security in Europe in the coming years (Pietralunga & Ricard, 2023). This recent change of mind also expresses a determination to increase pressure on Moscow to halt its war in Ukraine. It further conveys France’s support to Kiev at a time when its counter-offensive is facing difficulties (Pietralunga & Ricard, 2023)

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27 June 2023
Read more about the article Belgium Officially Joins The FCAS Project
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Belgium Officially Joins The FCAS Project

Belgium announced its desire to join the largest European arms project. On Friday 16 June 2023, the Council of Ministers agreed to propose the country to join the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) (Payne, 2023; Roberfroid, 2023). Belgium will be first granted an “observer” status for at least months to a year before fully integrating the programme (Pugnet, 2023). During the next year, the Belgian defence industries will be assessed to determine which firms will participate in the industrial development phase of the programme.

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26 June 2023