Read more about the article A Window of Opportunity for European Defence? Rare Earths and the China – US Trade War
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A Window of Opportunity for European Defence? Rare Earths and the China – US Trade War

This paper explores the implications of China’s April 2025 Rare Earth Element (REE) export restrictions for European defence security. While targeting the US, the measures expose Europe’s reliance on both Chinese REEs and US defence technologies. The paper argues that this disruption presents a strategic opportunity for Europe to reduce critical material dependencies, strengthen its defence industrial base, and advance strategic autonomy. It assesses the role of REEs in military systems, Europe’s current vulnerabilities, and potential responses, including diversification, domestic processing, and innovation. Despite challenges such as environmental constraints and institutional fragmentation, the crisis offers a rare chance for Europe to reinforce defence resilience and redefine its role in an evolving global security landscape.

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30 June 2025
Read more about the article From Resilience to Deterrence: Is the EU Shifting Toward Proactive Cyber Defence?
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From Resilience to Deterrence: Is the EU Shifting Toward Proactive Cyber Defence?

This paper examines the European Union’s evolving cyber defence strategy in response to the growing integration of cyber operations into hybrid warfare. It traces the EU’s doctrinal shift from a reactive, resilience-based posture to one that increasingly embraces proactive deterrence, including the potential use of offensive capabilities. By analysing key strategic documents and highlighting the case of France, the study illustrates both progress and limitations. While conceptual advances are evident, practical implementation remains a national competence. The paper concludes that translating strategic ambition into credible cyber deterrence will require legal clarity, interoperability, and coordinated capability development.

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7 April 2025
Read more about the article The AI War Machine: Chinese State-Conscious Cybernetics and the Evolution of Military Intelligence
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The AI War Machine: Chinese State-Conscious Cybernetics and the Evolution of Military Intelligence

This paper explores the evolving landscape of intelligentised warfare, focusing on the integration of artificial intelligence (AI), cybernetics, and cognitive warfare into modern military strategy. It examines how China and the European Union (EU) approach AI-driven military development, highlighting the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) intelligentised warfare doctrine, its emphasis on autonomous systems, AI-enhanced command structures and information dominance, as well as its strategic implications for Taiwan and future conflicts. Meanwhile, Europe’s perspective is shaped by ethical AI governance, NATO’s military AI strategy, and cognitive warfare countermeasures, reflecting tensions between technological sovereignty and regulatory constraints. The study also investigates the role of cybernetic control loops in AI warfare, the PLA’s cyber transformation, and the impact of AI-enabled disinformation, deepfake propaganda, and automated battlefield logistics on military engagement. Ultimately, the paper argues that intelligentised warfare represents not just an evolution in military technology but a fundamental shift in the nature of conflict, where the lines between physical war, cyber operations, and psychological warfare are increasingly blurred. The findings underscore the need for robust international AI governance to mitigate risks associated with autonomous military escalation and cognitive warfare strategies.

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19 March 2025
Read more about the article Reassessing the Euro-Atlantic Nuclear Umbrella in the 21st Century
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Reassessing the Euro-Atlantic Nuclear Umbrella in the 21st Century

This article assesses the credibility of the current Euro-Atlantic nuclear deterrence in the context of 21st century geopolitical and technological challenges. Russia’s ‘escalate to de-escalate’ strategy and modernisation of its nuclear triad pose significant challenges to NATO’s deterrent credibility. Simultaneously, China’s rapid military advancements and growing strategic alliance with Russia complicate the Euro-Atlantic security picture. The advent of disruptive technologies, such as hypersonic missiles and artificial intelligence (AI), creates new vulnerabilities in nuclear command, control, and communication (NC3) systems, increasing worries about decision-making processes and the possibility of catastrophic mistakes. To meet these developing threats, this paper contends that NATO must modernise its nuclear arsenal, strengthen transatlantic coordination, and pursue strong arms control and diplomatic measures. NATO can adapt to the difficulties of great power rivalry by combining conventional, nuclear, and hybrid response techniques, ensuring its sustained position in global security and stability.

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4 February 2025
Read more about the article Disinformation and EU: The Role of Narrative in Hybrid Warfare within the European Union
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Disinformation and EU: The Role of Narrative in Hybrid Warfare within the European Union

The days of winning battles and wars solely on the battlefield are long gone. Warring parties are gaining a significant advantage in the realm of information warfare. The information domain can bring significant advantages or cause a significant harm to one side, with no regard to the actual happening on the battlefield. As the conflicts become more complex, there is a bigger need to win the war not only on the field but also in the people’s ‘heads and minds’. The main aim of this article is to analyse Russian and Chinese influence operations and provide a comprehensive overview of the EU’s institutional response to disinformation and narrative campaigns. The first part of this paper introduces the conceptual framework for understanding narratives and disinformation in the light of hybrid warfare. Secondly, it discusses the various ways in which state actors, notably Russia and China, are influencing the EU with their own narratives and disinformation campaigns. Finally, the paper analyses the EU’s policies and responses to these information attacks, while critically examining the structures and mechanisms EU is implementing to tackle this issue.

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25 September 2024