In the last decade, it was no secret that Azerbaijan was steadily building up its armed forces. But, despite this, few experts predicted this month’s clear-cut military victory by Azerbaijan over Armenia. Much of this victory is credited to the and financial side of the war: Azerbaijan was able to afford more and it had Turkish and Israeli technology that was simply better than what Armenia had to draw on. But the lessons of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war go deeper and are more complex than just questions of technology. And they hold distinct lessons for how well Europe can defend itself.The...…In the last decade, it was no secret that Azerbaijan was steadily building up its armed forces. But, despite this, few experts predicted this month’s clear-cut military victory by Azerbaijan over Armenia. Much of this victory is credited to the and financial side of the war: Azerbaijan was able to afford more and it had Turkish and Israeli technology that was simply better than what Armenia had to draw on. But the lessons of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war go deeper and are more complex than just questions of technology. And they hold distinct lessons for how well Europe can defend itself.The...WW…

2020 was hard on European unity. The pandemic has forced EU member states to engage in an even more intense dialogue on the direction they want the bloc to take. From the Franco-German proposal for a recovery fund in May to the subsequent opposition to aspects of the EU budget from the so-called ‘frugal four’ (Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden), member states have debated the European Union’s raison d’être at length. And, as recent by the European Council on Foreign Relations shows, France perceives the EU’s greatest benefits differently from other member states.Indeed, 27 per...…2020 was hard on European unity. The pandemic has forced EU member states to engage in an even more intense dialogue on the direction they want the bloc to take. From the Franco-German proposal for a recovery fund in May to the subsequent opposition to aspects of the EU budget from the so-called ‘frugal four’ (Austria, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden), member states have debated the European Union’s raison d’être at length. And, as recent by the European Council on Foreign Relations shows, France perceives the EU’s greatest benefits differently from other member states.Indeed, 27 per...WW…

Summary available inAmericans have a new president but not a new country. While most Europeans rejoiced at Joe Biden’s victory in the November US presidential election, they do not think he can help America make a comeback as the pre-eminent global leader. This is the key finding of a pan-European survey of more than 15,000 people in 11 countries commissioned by the European Council on Foreign Relations, and conducted in November and December by Datapraxis and YouGov.Our survey showed that Europeans’ attitudes towards the United States have undergone a massive change. Majorities in key...…Summary available inAmericans have a new president but not a new country. While most Europeans rejoiced at Joe Biden’s victory in the November US presidential election, they do not think he can help America make a comeback as the pre-eminent global leader. This is the key finding of a pan-European survey of more than 15,000 people in 11 countries commissioned by the European Council on Foreign Relations, and conducted in November and December by Datapraxis and YouGov.Our survey showed that Europeans’ attitudes towards the United States have undergone a massive change. Majorities in key...WW…

As vaccination schemes get under way around the world, Europe’s eastern neighbourhood is caught in a geopolitical dilemma about vaccine procurement. The countries of the region face choices about whether, how, and how vigorously to pursue the Western vaccines made by BioNTech-Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca – or accept offers of Sinovac from China or Sputnik V from Russia. All the countries of the region have a back-up in the shape of the World Health Organization programme COVAX – a multilateral initiative to assist less developed countries by providing vaccines for free. But the wait for...…As vaccination schemes get under way around the world, Europe’s eastern neighbourhood is caught in a geopolitical dilemma about vaccine procurement. The countries of the region face choices about whether, how, and how vigorously to pursue the Western vaccines made by BioNTech-Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca – or accept offers of Sinovac from China or Sputnik V from Russia. All the countries of the region have a back-up in the shape of the World Health Organization programme COVAX – a multilateral initiative to assist less developed countries by providing vaccines for free. But the wait for...WW…