Media Interventions

Donald Trump's announcement of the withdrawal of US troops is forcing Berlin to confront the long-standing taboo on its own defense, explains Paul Maurice, a specialist in Franco-German relations at the Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa) at French Institute of International Relations.

Just as Europe frets over fresh Trump tariffs, a US troop drawdown announced for Germany and the message it sends to a hostile Russia, how about not one but two summits in former Soviet state Armenia. Before a first-ever gathering of EU leaders in Yerevan on Tuesday comes the European Political Community: a talk shop with regional players which also include Ukraine and NATO heavyweights like the UK, Norway and an outside guest who shares superpower proximity problems.

Paris sees risks for its industry and the continent’s sovereignty in Berlin’s rapid defence build-up. Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s defence spending push has raised concerns about locking in procurement choices and giving German industry an advantage over its neighbours.

Against an international backdrop marked by the war in Ukraine, Russia’s emergence as a lasting threat to Europe, and an uncertain U.S. commitment to the Old Continent, questions about the future of the transatlantic relationship are mounting.

Plenary session of the 2026 World Policy Conference dedicated to analyzing the continuities and discontinuities of American policy under the presidency of Donald Trump.

Panel from the World Policy Conference 2026, organized by Thierry de Montbrial and Ifri, from April 24 to 26, 2026.

Conversation with Nabil Fahmy, designated Secretary General of the Arab League, chaired by Thierry de Montbrial, Founder and Executive Chairman of Ifri and the World Policy Conference.

In an exceptional debate with Thierry de Montbrial, Anwar Gargash, Diplomatic Advisor to the President of the United Arab Emirates shares his perspective on the ongoing war with Iran in the Middle East.

Israel and Lebanon agreed to direct negotiations following talks in Washington on Tuesday.

Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022, Norway has become the European Union’s leading supplier of gas. This position could be further strengthened given the ongoing war in the Middle East.

French German relations have been very close for decades as key partners in driving forward European integration within the EU. Can the current leaders President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Friedrich Merz reforge the relationship and build a Europe fit for the challenges of our times and the future? This documentary follows the two men across Europe and the world and observes their common goals as well as their differences.

This episode discusses the future of transatlantic relations and the evolution of security policy on both sides of the Atlantic. It examines France’s strategic stance and the implications of potential leadership change. It also looks at the dynamics of U.S. domestic politics – the role of political parties and civil society in curbing Donald Trump’s power, and the significance of the midterm elections. It considers what these processes mean for Europe, especially in the context of Article 5. Joining Marta Prochwicz-Jazowska, Deputy Head of the ECFR Warsaw office, in the discussion will be Thomas Gomart, director of the French Institute of International Relations, and Amanda Sloat, professor at the School of Politics, Economics, and Global Affairs at IE University.

Emmanuel Macron touched down in Tokyo on Tuesday with a packed agenda and a receptive audience in a Japanese government anxious about a choked oil route and looking for support amid its diplomatic falling-out with Beijing.

Replay of the conference at Ifri, March 18, 2026
Can EU-India technological cooperation reshape global strategic balances? This conference brought together European and Indian leaders to discuss opportunities and challenges in AI, semiconductors, and digital innovation. Watch the full debate.

To defend allies from Iran, the continent’s powers have mounted a rare show of force. But those efforts have diverted limited resources from other hot spots. Despite refusing to join the attacks on Iran, Europe’s leaders have responded to the widening war in the Middle East by sending warships, fighter jets and air-defense systems to protect bases and allies in the region.

Dimitri Minic, Scientific Director of the Observatory on Russia, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia and a Research Fellow at Ifri’s Russia/Eurasia Center, argues in an interview with Le Monde that “Ukraine should not be buried too quickly,” even if the current balance of power favors Russia.

Welcomed at the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri), Chris Wright outlined his vision of American energy policy built around two core axes: the human reality of energy access, and a data-driven approach. For the Secretary, energy is the foundation of prosperity, health, and longer life expectancy on a global scale. His doctrine rests on an ambition of American "energy dominance" — not merely independence, but the capacity to produce at scale in order to lower domestic costs, reindustrialize the country, and support U.S. allies.

Multiple European countries are publicly backing talks on a homegrown nuclear deterrent to complement American atomic weapons following an erosion of trust in a Donald Trump-led U.S.

Can Europe man the ramparts on its own? As the US war secretary snubbed a NATO defence ministers' meeting in Brussels, EU leaders converged on the 16th-century Alden Biesen castle in Belgium's Limburg province to answer former Italian prime minister Mario Draghi's call for a "big bazooka" approach to reform and competitiveness. 

Friedrich Merz's government has criticized the idea of a joint European loan and the push for European preference in goods purchases advocated by Emmanuel Macron. These disagreements come on top of tensions over the Mercosur trade deal and how to use frozen Russian assets.

An exceptional opening roundtable at the 2026 Paris Naval Conference, bringing together the Chiefs of Naval Staff of the French, U.S., British, Italian and Dutch navies.

François Picard is pleased to welcome Jeanette Süß, Researcher at the Study Committee on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa) at the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri).

European NATO countries are backing a presence in Greenland in response to Trump’s claim on the island. But the US president is escalating the conflict with threats of new tariffs. In an interview with Table.Briefings, experts call for institutional reforms – if Europe wants to become more capable of acting.

Conference Replay - As tensions continue to rise in the Taiwan Strait and discussions grow about hybrid frictions potentially escalating into a kinetic conflict in the coming years, neighboring countries are bracing for impact. Japan and the Philippines would be on the front lines if a crisis were to erupt in the Taiwan Strait.

Amid growing strategic and geopolitical uncertainty, Europe is grappling with the notion of its strategic autonomy. For Europe’s partners in Asia, the concept is also becoming increasingly salient as the world enters an era of structural transformation.

Three researchers at the French Institute of International Relations, Dimitri Minic, Tatiana Kastouéva-Jean and Paul Maurice, are urging Europe to intensify its power dynamic with Moscow. The French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) published a report on Tuesday, November 4, that highlights Europe's vulnerabilities in the event of a high-intensity conflict with Russia.

Invited to Ifri on October 2, 2025, Egypt’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Badr Abdelatty, highlighted Egypt’s doctrine of “strategic balance,” which is based on non-alignment and non-interference, while maintaining strong relations with major global powers such as the United States, Russia, and China.

Eight years after Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel launched the SCAF, this symbol of European sovereignty in defense is on the verge of collapse. At issue are the demands of the project's main contractor, Dassault Aviation, which Berlin considers excessive, as well as political and strategic differences between France and Germany.

Replay of the France-Ukraine Forum 2025. - Three years after the start of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, the France-Ukraine 2025 Forum will welcome politicians, experts, academics, and civil society representatives from both countries to discuss three main topics: Ukraine's current military strategy and strategic perspectives;  the country's resilience and recovery; Ukraine's European and transatlantic perspectives, including the EU accession process and its aspirations to join NATO.

Just as the Greek cities in the Mediterranean did over two thousand years ago, today the United States and China are seeking to control the sea lanes. Europe is watching the ships go by. On July 6, off the coast of Yemen, not far from Djibouti and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Greek and Liberian bulk carrier Magic Seas, loaded with fertilizer and steel, sank after being attacked by drone boats and rocket launchers. The next day, the Eternity C, hit by missile fire, sank, killing some of the crew.

French President Emmanuel Macron hosted German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on August 29 for the Franco-German Council of Ministers. They discussed Europe’s economy, support for Ukraine, and defense, with Merz pushing for German leadership on security. But political tensions in France and Germany are straining the partnership amid broader concerns over NATO, nuclear deterrence, and Europe’s reliance on US protection. Marie Krpata, Research Fellow at the Study Committee on Franco-German Relations at IFRI, has more on this issue.

In the wake of the war in Ukraine, Germany and France are working to define security guarantees for Kyiv.

The French president must now rely more than ever on Merz to make his voice heard in Europe.

PARIS – Emmanuel Macron will host German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the Riviera on Thursday evening, hoping support from Berlin can bolster his standing in the EU as the French government edges towards collapse. 

Last week, France summoned the Italian ambassador in a dispute that reveals the differences between Europeans over the security guarantees they would be prepared to provide to Ukraine in the event of a peace agreement.

The French president and the German chancellor met on Wednesday, July 23, to prepare for a joint cabinet meeting scheduled for August 29. From defense projects to trade negotiations, several disagreements remain.

Leo Litra and Lesia Ogryzko are joined by Élie Tenenbaum and Oleksandr Sushko to discuss June’s NATO summit—and what Europe’s security step up means for Ukraine.