Publications

The Ankara Summit and NATO’s Southern Neighbourhood

Partnerships in a Changing Strategic Environment

Ahead of the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara, the Alliance’s Southern Neighbourhood is once again expected to feature promi-nently on the political agenda. Türkiye’s role as summit host, renewed regional escalation linked to Iran, and continued instability stemming from the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon have all contributed to increasing Allied attention toward the South and developments affecting partners across the region. However, despite increased attention toward the Southern Neighbourhood and the wider regional crises affecting Allied and partner security, expectations regarding a broader strategic reorientation of NATO toward the South should remain measured.

Nicaragua, la OEA, y la Asamblea de Panamá

Los límites del autoaislamiento

La 56 Asamblea General de la OEA, a celebrarse en Panamá, servirá para medir tanto la continuidad del compromiso interamericano con la crisis nicaragüense como los límites políticos e institucionales de la organización frente al autoaislamiento del régimen Ortega Murillo.

Background and Analysis on the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States

A Summer Fairytale with Stumbling Blocks?

As the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off in Mexico City, the largest tournament in the competition's history has begun. For the first time, 48 teams will take part, with matches played across the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Yet the most remarkable feature of this World Cup may not lie on the pitch at all. While the tournament's political significance in the United States is hard to miss, public enthusiasm has so far remained surprisingly muted. President Donald Trump has been closely involved in the preparations—establishing a national World Cup task force, appearing at key FIFA events, and announcing that he intends to hand the trophy to the winners himself. At the same time, polls suggest that large parts of the American public are approaching the tournament with comparatively little interest. It is precisely this tension that makes the event such a revealing lens on the United States as host.

Belarus and Russia under war and sanctions: social attitudes for the EU and democratic forces

Policy Brief

How do societies in Belarus and Russia adapt to prolonged war, repression and economic pressure—and why does fatigue not translate into political change?

Deepening the partnership at the 11th EU-Korea Summit

Focus on digital agreements, economic dialogue and security

At the 11th EU - Republic of Korea Summit on June 10 2026 in Brussels, both sides agreed on a further deepening of the already close cooperation. On the EU side, both European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen participated; President Lee Jae Myung represented the Republic of Korea. The probably most important success of the meeting was the signing of the agreement on digital trade. In addition, several further cooperations, especially in the areas of economy and security, were initiated or strengthened. The summit was another piece of the puzzle in the EU’s efforts to deepen partnerships with like-minded countries in various policy areas and to strengthen its own resilience in a significantly more volatile geopolitical environment.

100 days of the Kast government in Chile

Disillusionment rather than a new beginning

On 11 March, the ultra-conservative José Antonio Kast took office as Chile’s president. Following the four-year term of left-wing President Gabriel Boric, expectations were high that the new president would bring about the urgently needed shift in security and economic policy. Around a hundred days after the Kast government took office, many Chileans are disappointed. The promised reforms are slow in coming, and the government has already had to weather its first cabinet crisis.

Conference of the European People's Party (EPP) in Sarajevo

Strengthening European Perspectives for Bosnia and Herzegovina

A particular highlight of the conference was the signing of the revised Declaration of the EPP member parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina for 2026.

Baltic Drone incidents and Russian Narratives – What does that mean?

Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Finland are increasingly affected by the spillover effects of Russia’s war against Ukraine and the rapidly evolving drone warfare environment surrounding the conflict. What are the responses from the affected nations? What from the alliance? And what narrative is behind this. Read more in the following article.

Charged climate ahead of the Local Government Elections: Xenophobic violence in South Africa is on the rise

The xenophobic unrest in South Africa reflects a polarised debate on migration, which threatens to destabilise the country both domestically and internationally in the run-up to the 2026 Local Government Elections.

The recent xenophobic unrest in South Africa reflects an increasingly tense domestic political climate in the run-up to the 2026 Local Government Elections, in which migration is becoming ever more polarising. It is being exacerbated by socio-economic pressures, widespread anti-migrant narratives, and the mobilisation of corresponding radical groups. At the same time, it poses significant domestic and foreign policy risks, particularly for the country’s stability and its relations with African partners.

Hybrid and kinetic threats posed by drones in Lithuania – What has to be done now

The May 20–21, 2026 drone incidents in Lithuania which triggered nationwide air alerts, the temporary suspension of Vilnius Airport, NATO air policing activation, and the relocation of senior political leaders demonstrated how a single low-cost unidentified aerial object can rapidly escalate into a national-level security challenge, following comparable events in Estonia and Latvia that even contributed to the collapse of the Latvian government. Drones have become particularly attractive instruments of Russian hybrid pressure because they are inexpensive, difficult to attribute, and capable of disrupting infrastructure and testing institutional resilience without crossing the threshold of open conflict and the May incidents exposed vulnerabilities not only in low-altitude detection, but also in crisis communication and interagency coordination under conditions of ambiguity. With Russia likely to intensify hybrid activities along NATO's eastern flank, the central policy challenge is to adapt faster than the threat evolves through accelerated implementation of the EU Action Plan on drones, the proposed "EU Drone Wall," deeper NATO integration of Ukrainian battlefield lessons, and visible Western political solidarity with frontline states.