Read more about the article Indian Ocean Strategic Relevance to Europe: Collaboration, Challenges and Competition
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Indian Ocean Strategic Relevance to Europe: Collaboration, Challenges and Competition

The Indian Ocean plays a crucial role in global geopolitics, trade, and security. Serving as a vital link between Europe, Asia and Africa, it facilitates the flow of commerce and energy supplies, making a key strategic corridor. The region’s importance is underscored by critical chokepoints that are both essential for global trade and vulnerable to disruption. For European nations, ensuring the stability of these maritime routes is vital for economic and energy security. The strategic landscape of the Indian Ocean is increasingly shaped by geopolitical competition, particularly with the growing influence of China through infrastructure investments and military expansion. In response, European countries have sought closer security and economic ties with India, a dominant regional player, through military cooperation and strategic engagement. However, the challenge remains in balancing partnerships while addressing the broader implications of China’s presence. This paper explores the Indian Ocean’s strategic significance to Europe, analysing the key drivers of collaboration, competition, and security challenges. As geopolitical rivalries intensify, European nations must adopt a proactive approach to safeguard their interests and maintain influence in this critical maritime domain.

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3 February 2025
Read more about the article European Troops for Ukraine? Evolving Perspectives and Strategic Debates on the Deployment of European Ground Troops to Ukraine
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European Troops for Ukraine? Evolving Perspectives and Strategic Debates on the Deployment of European Ground Troops to Ukraine

In February 2024, French President Emmanuel Macron sparked an intense debate by suggesting the deployment of European ground troops to Ukraine. However, other NATO and EU leaders quickly dismissed such an idea. French authorities rushed to frame it as part of a strategic ambiguity policy, emphasising non-combat roles to avoid a public outburst. Although the idea faded, reports in December 2024 revealed renewed Franco-British discussions on deploying Western troops to prevent another Russian aggression in the context of a potential US shift in European priorities under the new Trump administration and announced peace talks. Analysing European leaders’ reactions and future scenarios for possible deployment, this article finds that the suggestion mainly served to signal to other actors that European states are preparing to assume responsibility for guaranteeing Ukraine’s security when a peace agreement is reached. Although such a project is likely to remain in the discussion stage, the existence of the debate itself may help shape European geopolitical actorness at a time of increasing instability throughout the continent.

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17 January 2025
Read more about the article The Downfall of Wagner and the Rise of Redut: The Growing Challenge of Russian PMCs for European Security
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The Downfall of Wagner and the Rise of Redut: The Growing Challenge of Russian PMCs for European Security

The collapse of the Wagner Group has paved the way for Redut, a GRU-backed private military company (PMC), to emerge as a key Kremlin tool for hybrid warfare. Operating in Ukraine, Africa, and Eastern Europe, the shadowy operational capabilities of Redut pose significant challenges to European Union (EU) missions and international stability. This report examines Redut’s structure, strategic objectives, and the broader implications of Russian PMC activities on global security and geopolitics. This paper discovers how Redut symbolises Russia’s evolving strategy in leveraging private military influence in conflict zones. Read the full analysis:

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3 December 2024
Read more about the article  Kursk Operation: Legal Perspectives of a Counter Offensive
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 Kursk Operation: Legal Perspectives of a Counter Offensive

The ‘Kursk Operation’ marks a pivotal moment in the War in Ukraine, shifting the dynamics of this conflict and raising some legal questions regarding the Ukrainian incursion into Russian Territory. This paper will examine the context that prompts what might be the third phase of the Ukrainian counteroffensive, examining the legal arguments that make this act lawful and compliant with Article 51 of the UN Charter, which grants States the right to self-defence. By analysing the right to self-defence, alongside the principles of proportionality and necessity, this paper argues that the Kursk Operation can be lawfully considered an act of self-defence. Lastly, it examines the definition of "occupation" to clarify the legal distinctions relevant to this operation.

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3 October 2024
Read more about the article The Evolution of Ukraine’s Defence Industry and Lessons for the European Union 
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The Evolution of Ukraine’s Defence Industry and Lessons for the European Union 

The Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine is entering its third year, and the debate around aiding the war-torn country is increasingly shifting towards empowering Ukraine’s domestic defence industry, to make it more autonomous against a larger and more resourceful opponent. At the same time, in 2023 the former Ukrainian Minister of Strategic Industries Oleksandr Kamyshin suggested that the EU could also benefit from this process by learning from the evolution of Ukraine’s defence industry (EDA, 2023). This paper will thus give a brief overview of the condition of the country’s industry before and after the war with Russia and summarise the main lessons that the EU can incorporate from the Ukrainian experience.

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2 October 2024