Regioner

Germany’s Zeitenwende in foreign and security policy: Domestic developments and alliance dynamics after one year

Days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced a Zeitenwende, a historical turning point to which Germany would respond by reforming its foreign and security policies. In a speech in the Federal Parliament (Bundestag) on 27 February 2022, Chancellor Scholz listed five points for the reform agenda: supporting Ukraine (also militarily), sanctioning Russia, increased German contribution to NATO’s eastern flank, investment in more capable armed forces, and decoupling from Russian energy. The third point included a €100 billion special investment fund, so-called Sondervermögen, that would be used to boost Germany’s military capabilities and especially alleviate the most urgent material shortcomings of the armed forces. Given that Germany had been considered a laggard in European defence due to its restrictive approach on military capability – partly because of the historical legacy of guilt for World War II and partly a condition of Germany’s reunification after the Cold War – the announcement of a turning point raised expectations in Euro-Atlantic defence circles.

Public resistance in Russia: Mobilizational opportunities and the effect of protest on public attitudes

Ever since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 the level of resistance against the Putin regime and the general protest potential in Russian society have been in the limelight. The decade preceding the invasion had witnessed the highest number of mass protests in modern Russian history. This Policy Brief explores one of the most successful of these regional protest movements, the Shiyes movement. How was the movement able to grow, sustain itself, and diffuse under Putin’s authoritarian regime? And what can this tell us about the protest potential in today’s Russia?

Asia-Arctic Diplomacy a Decade Later: What has changed?

Ten years ago, five Asian states – China, India, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea – joined the Arctic Council as observers. This article discusses how the Asia-Arctic Five’s policies policies and priorities have evolved over the past decade and what their hopes are for the incoming Norwegian chairmanship of the Council.

The Russian Arctic Threat: Consequences of the Ukraine War

Solving Europe’s Defense Dilemma: Overcoming the Challenges to European Defense Cooperation

Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine has led to a transformational moment for European defense. However, Europe has a dilemma: it is spending more on defense but cooperating less—all despite three decades of political initiatives designed to improve European defense cooperation.