HSF Insight
Sitting on a cliff: How Europe should enhance Ukraine’s security
Over the last year Ukraine’s political and military position has been worsening. Moscow insists on its maximalist objectives and is determined to continue to pursue them through military means. Amid the shifts in the US policy, Europe has to find ways to enhance Ukraine’s support while offsetting the risks of the US further distancing from…
Read MoreA more equal relationship? The new emerging transatlantic security deal
Since the 2014 illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia, Europe and NATO have slowly returned to building conventional deterrence in Europe. The balance in the transatlantic relationship, however, has largely remained intact. While the US has been doing most of the heavy lifting at its own expense, European countries have wasted precious time reminiscing of…
Read MoreNordic military cooperation as an enabler and hedge
Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO memberships have led to increasingly deep military cooperation among the Nordic countries, particularly within the “Fennoscandian trio” of Finland, Sweden, and Norway. NATO’s Nordic enlargement has brought strategic clarity to Northern Europe. Together, the Nordic countries form a uniquely coherent group of states that can serve both as a critical enabler…
Read MoreMud, Tech and Bravery: What Ukraine Teaches About Modern Security
Today in Ukraine, there is a warm early-autumn rain. That means one thing: fewer drones fly along the frontline, but trenches fill with mud up to the knees. This is one of the unexpected cause-and-effect connections you learn when living through a brutal war. Russia’s war against Ukraine has exposed uncomfortable truths about our assumptions…
Read MoreConscription Without Conviction? Rethinking How We Inspire Defence and Rearm Europe
NATO member countries have agreed to increase their defence and security-related spending to 5 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). But increased spending alone without the manpower to back it up could undermine Europe’s military preparedness in the long run. A recent poll of nine European countries published by the European Council on Foreign Relations…
Read MoreA united and innovative Europe: Answering the call of our time
I have emphasised the importance of Europe’s persistence to ensure the sovereignty of Ukraine several times in my previous writings and presentations. Ukraine has taught Europe many lessons, many of which we are still learning. Importantly, we have realised that Europe needs to be more autonomous in its defence. With a global power recalibration, European…
Read MoreThe Hour of Europe – Are we up to the task?
European defence policy today is centred around two topics: strengthening Europe’s own defence capability and supporting Ukraine. While the Russian aggression in Ukraine began in 2014, it took the full-scale war in 2022 to wake up Europeans to the new normal. War is back in Europe, and its expansion cannot be ruled out. By 2025,…
Read MoreA Stronger European Defence Industry, A Safer Europe
The war in Ukraine has highlighted the vulnerabilities of European security. As conflict rages on Europe’s doorstep, it has become clear that relying solely on diplomatic and economic actions is not enough to ensure peace and stability.
Read MoreEurope must quickly ramp up its resilience against hybrid threats
While many of the recent threats aim specifically to undermine European support to Ukraine, Russia’s actions should be perceived as a long-term threat that requires sustainable long-term solutions.
Read MoreEnhancing Europe’s military capabilities
Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine has emphasised how important maintaining a credible deterrence and defence posture is – and how unprepared for this task most European states have long been.
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