In today’s transatlantic relationship, Europe’s every concession on policy plays into Trump’s culture war—feeding an image of European weakness| European Council on Foreign Relations
The rising prominence of veterans of the war in Ukraine will widen Russia’s elite coalition pushing for continued confrontation with the West| European Council on Foreign Relations
Mark Leonard welcomes Jana Kobzova to break down the summer’s key developments in Russia’s war on Ukraine| European Council on Foreign Relations
The Israeli attacks on Doha, and America’s support of them, has caused Gulf leaders to majorly rethink their security. This could lead to a new Gulf-led security format| European Council on Foreign Relations
I never thought I’d see fear spread so far and fast. Next year’s midterm elections are now crucial for the Democratic party—and for democrats everywhere| European Council on Foreign Relations
Ursula von der Leyen’s 2025 State of the Union speech stressed that Europe faces mounting threats from Russia, instability in the Middle East and reliance on the US. To become a true geopolitical power, the EU must deliver on defence, preparedness and unity| European Council on Foreign Relations
The US president is throwing the EU lots of economic curveballs. Brussels should not be distracted by these; instead, it should double down on adopting measures that will benefit the bloc long after Donald Trump leaves the White House| European Council on Foreign Relations
Europeans must recalibrate their China policy—to recognise the country’s role effectively supporting Russia in its war on Ukraine.| European Council on Foreign Relations
The return-to-work pitches of European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and British prime minister Keir Starmer sketch two very different pictures: one was full of ambition and strength, the other was sorely lacking| European Council on Foreign Relations
Mark Leonard wraps up ECFR’s summer special series on the “new right” at the National Conservatism Conference in Washington| European Council on Foreign Relations
Zapad 2025 is not only a show of force; it is Lukashenko’s bid to play a role in the emergent European security order as it bargains with Washington over sanctions and prisoners| European Council on Foreign Relations
The NATO response to Russia’s latest violation of Poland airspace shows what collective defence can achieve and is the kind of resolute action the new threat environment demands| European Council on Foreign Relations
The Doha strike risks deepening regional scepticism of Western security partnerships in the Middle East. Europe needs to do much more to pressure Israel into ending the war in Gaza and curbing its regional belligerence.| European Council on Foreign Relations
As the French prime minister tends his resignation following a no confidence vote, options remain for President Emmanuel Macron to keep French international activism alive| European Council on Foreign Relations
Tensions with Trump will prompt India to seek rapprochement with Beijing, but the underlying competitive dynamics in China-India relations are unlikely to change. Against this backdrop, Europe offers a promising alternative to balance risks.| European Council on Foreign Relations
Poland should be at the forefront in deterring Russia’s aggression in Ukraine. Instead, its government is hindered by political infighting and an unclear position towards Ukrainians in Poland.| ECFR
With a two-state solution at risk, Europeans must work closely with Arab states to bring the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to an end.| ECFR
Albania has begun talks to become an EU member state. Successful accession could restore credibility in the enlargement process for Western Balkan and eastern European candidate countries – while offering enhanced political and economic stability for Albania| ECFR
As Russia’s war on Ukraine approaches its second anniversary, European leaders need to prevent Vladimir Putin from capitalising on war fatigue in the West. To maintain public support for backing Kyiv…| ECFR
Mark Leonard welcomes Balázs Orbán to unpack the ideological background of Viktor Orbán’s politics and the roots of national conservatism in Europe| European Council on Foreign Relations
The Mujahideen Movement was founded in October 2000, drawing together defectors from Fatah and Palestinian Authority security forces who rejected the Oslo peace process. It has an armed wing, the Mujahideen Brigades, though in practice there seems to be little distinction between the group’s military and political wings. The group operates in both Gaza and […]| European Council on Foreign Relations
The EU needs to go beyond its AI Continent Action Plan and—like the US—develop an AI foreign policy. This is vital to allow the EU to amplify its existing AI efforts while insuring it against AI disruption in the economic and security spheres| European Council on Foreign Relations
Gulf powers are rapidly expanding their investments across Africa while Europe remains slow and risk averse. To remain competitive, the EU should focus on achieving what the Gulf cannot: industrial development in Africa that serves both African and European interests| European Council on Foreign Relations
Mark Leonard welcomes Hélène De Lauzun to unpack the diverse strands of French conservatism and its role in contemporary politics| European Council on Foreign Relations
After decades of extractive mining, the industrialisation of resource-rich African countries has fallen short of expectations. To change this—and give Europe a secure, diversified source of minerals—European and African countries should work together to keep more stages of mineral processing and manufacturing in Africa| European Council on Foreign Relations
Mark Leonard is joined by Gladden Pappin to explore the liberal international order and the recent shift in EU-US relations…| ECFR
The US-Russia meeting did not produce a deal, but the direction of travel it indicated should alarm Europeans. They must redouble efforts to support Ukraine and bolster their own defences| European Council on Foreign Relations
Mark Leonard welcomes Rod Dreher to discuss which factors are behind recent major shifts in the global political landscape| European Council on Foreign Relations
As Russia accelerates its annexation of “frozen conflict” regions, the EU must enhance its policy to counter Moscow’s influence.| ECFR
A new ECFR poll points to Europeans’ widespread (but not universal) reassessment of the transatlantic relationship, and extensive opportunities for the new US president to divide them if they do not…| ECFR
Friedrich Merz is likely to be the next chancellor of Germany. But the CDU leader will usher in a generational shift, moving the country away from its Europe-first approach and towards new intergovernmental alliances| ECFR
Voters in both the UK and major EU states are open to compromise. Leaders on both sides of the Channel should use this political space for an ambitious reset.| ECFR
A new global opinion poll for ECFR reveals that many people outside the West want Europe and the US in their lives for all they have to offer – but that does not translate into full political…| ECFR
Mark Leonard is co-founder and director of the ECFR. His topics of focus include geopolitics and geoeconomics, China, EU politics and institutions.| ECFR
China’s ideas could become the country’s next big export. The Idea of China examines Chinese thinking about global order, AI, demographic change, and more – and considers how these ideas could…| ECFR
The 2024 European Parliament elections will see a shift to the right in many countries and could mean that a populist right coalition emerges with a majority for the first time…| ECFR
Based on the idea that Russia’s and China’s increasingly aggressive foreign policies are interrelated, Taipei is strengthening ties with central and eastern Europe| ECFR
Iran’s unprecedented direct attack on Israel risks further escalation in the Middle East. European leaders should join the US in pressing Israel not to retaliate with strikes on Iran – or the region could end up embroiled in an all-consuming war| ECFR
ECFR’s podcasts examine the events, policies, and ideas that will shape the world.| ECFR
A majority of European citizens believe a new cold war with both China and Russia is under way – but they mostly do not think that their own country is involved…| ECFR