Keeping your cool: Arctic security challenges across time and space
The dispute over Greenland has drawn broader attention to Arctic security among NATO allies, EU member states, and beyond. As the most immediate tensions related to Greenland may subside, heightened interest in – and awareness of – security challenges in the region will persist and warrants nuanced discussion and international coordination. These developments set the tone for this Input Memo to the Arctic Security Roundtable at the 2026 Munich Security Conference.
How to implement a full maritime services ban on Russian oil
The EU is considering a full maritime services ban on Russian oil. While the final proposal and decision are still pending, the measure would replace the current oil price-cap regime by prohibiting European and allied companies from providing maritime services for Russian oil exports, regardless of the sale price. The ban would cover transportation, insurance, financing, and other related services. This brief outlines how such a full services ban could be designed and implemented effectively, and how to address potential negative side effects and potential Russian countermeasures. This brief is part of the The Nordic–Baltic Eight (NB8) Institute Series of Topical Briefs.
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.
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.
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?
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?
Afghanistan’s Qosh Tepa irrigation project: Implications for transboundary water management in Central Asia
Afghanistan’s Qosh Tepa irrigation project could exacerbate water scarcity and destabilize Central Asia. To ensure sustainable resource management and avert potential conflict, a multilateral water-sharing agreement must be negotiated among the states involved with mediation by the international community.