Energy as a tool of statecraft after Ukraine and Gaza
The wars in Ukraine and Gaza have transformed how energy functions as a tool of statecraft, revealing that contemporary energy-related power extends far beyond the manipulation of commodity trade. Direct targeting of electricity systems, fuel infrastructure, and even nuclear power facilities has become a central feature of warfare, exposing the vulnerability of modern, electrified societies. These attacks, combined with intensified forms of economic coercion such as sanctions, price caps, and market reconfiguration, underscore the inadequacy of the traditional “energy weapon” concept, which focuses narrowly on supply disruptions by exporting states. Instead, the new energy security landscape is shaped by interdependence, infrastructure exposure, cyber risk, and shifts triggered by the global energy transition. As decarbonization advances, vulnerabilities migrate from fuels to technologies, value chains, and critical raw materials, generating new geopolitical asymmetries and strategic dependencies. For European policymakers, these developments demand a reconceptualization of energy security that prioritizes systemic resilience, protection of civilian energy infrastructure, and integrated approaches to economic statecraft, defence planning, and climate policy. Understanding energy as both a strategic asset and a potential target is essential for navigating a future in which energy systems are increasingly central to conflict, coercion, and geopolitical competition.
Krise og krig: Hva gjør Norge?
Akkurat nå føles det som at utenrikspolitikk ikke lenger er noe som “skjer der ute”, men at det angår hver og en av oss. Valgene som tas nå, er he...
Rethinking Red Sea Security: Toward a Cooperative Regional Framework
The Red Sea sits at the intersection of geopolitical rivalry, maritime insecurity, and global trade. What pathways are there toward greater cooperation and stability in the region?
A Norwegian Reflection on Human Security in a Changing Geopolitical Landscape
What insights can we gain from the Human Security tradition to guide how we adapt our understanding and approaches to domestic and global security to a changing geopolitical landscape?
Resilience, Peacebuilding, and Preventing Violent Extremism: A Complex Systems Perspective on Sustaining Peace
How can resilience and peacebuilding help address the root causes of violent extremism? This seminar marks the Norwegian book launch of a new volume exploring this challenge.
Breakfast seminar: Rethinking Red Sea Security: Toward a Cooperative Regional Framework
The Red Sea sits at the intersection of geopolitical rivalry, maritime insecurity, and global trade. What pathways are there toward greater cooperation and stability in the region?
Breakfast seminar: Rethinking Red Sea Security: Toward a Cooperative Regional Framework
The Red Sea sits at the intersection of geopolitical rivalry, maritime insecurity, and global trade. What pathways are there toward greater cooperation and stability in the region?
Japan and Strategic Connectivity: Policies, Partners, and Possibilities
This report analyses the increasingly important role of infrastructure development and connectivity as a central arena of global geopolitical competition, particularly focusing on Japan’s connectivity policy under the banner of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific. The core aim of this report is to explore how Japan seeks to utilise strategic connectivity, specifically through its multi-layered approach, as a pivotal geopolitical instrument to project influence and promote a rules-based order, amidst rising competition with China. The report offers ten actionable policy recommendations, in particular, for the European Union.