Freedom, EU, NATO: Ukrainian Society Has Made its Choice
The Ukrainian resistance should be seen in its long-term context, starting with independence in 1991, and confirmed by the events of 2014.
Germany, the “Zeitenwende” and the Future of NATO
A “New Era”? Toward a Realignment of German Foreign Policy after the Russian Invasion of Ukraine
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s speech to the Bundestag on February 27, 2022, announced a new orientation in foreign policy and challenged the principles that had been the consensus in Germany for the past thirty years.
The Direction of France’s Foreign Policy over the Next Thirty Years
A foreign policy points to a united society that manages its relationships with its surroundings while defending its own interests.
Circumstantial Pacifism: Political Parties and the Participation of the Bundeswehr in Foreign Operations
In Germany's parliamentary democracy, political parties play an important role in mandating Bundeswehr missions abroad and in overseeing their deployment. The political debate on these deployments is polarized between opponents, who are called “pacifists”, and supporters, who are called “militarists”.
Collective Collapse or Resilience? European Defense Priorities in the Pandemic Era
To what extent has the COVID-19 pandemic affected defense priorities across Europe?
Europe in the World: for a Modest and Effective Reform
This sad year ends with a pandemic that continues in full swing over a large part of the planet, especially in the United States and Europe, with no other reassuring prospect than that of one or more vaccines, which is already a lot. But that’s not the subject I want to focus on in this eighth letter, the last one for 2020. Internationally, two other facts have dominated the scene in recent months.
The Future of Europe from the US and Asian Point of View
In this special issue of Politique étrangère devoted to the proceedings of the conference organized by Ifri on April 10, 2019, in the Grand Amphitheater of the Sorbonne, on the occasion of its fortieth anniversary, discover the debate moderated by Sylvie Kauffmann between John Allen and Kishore Mahbubani.
A Vibrant and Flexible Alliance
NATO has proved its renewed usefulness and is today fully engaged, well beyond its former frontiers, wherever its interests and those of its members are threatened.
NATO: From Washington (1949) to Strasbourg/Kehl (2009)
The Alliance cannot avoid a strategic debate about its role, missions and resources. This may be painful, but it will ensure clarity and prepare the Alliance for future challenges.
NATO and ESDP: Institutional Complexities and Political Realities
With 50 years’ seniority over the ESDP, and despite its austere origins, NATO transformed itself during the 20th century into a political-bureaucratic machine in search of a more appropriate international role.
NATO: From Washington (1949) to Strasbourg/Kehl (2009)
The Alliance cannot avoid a strategic debate about its role, missions and resources. This may be painful, but it will ensure clarity and prepare the Alliance for future challenges.
The Reform of NATO and the Free World’s Security Pact
Reforming the structure does not go to the heart of the problem. A new understanding has to be reached among the allies that takes into consideration the political, economic and technical changes of the last decade.
NATO-Russia: Is the ‘Russian Question’ European?
The proliferation of theaters (in Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Far East, the Middle East and the Arctic) and cross-cutting issues (proliferation, disarmament, energy, arms sales) demonstrate the overall importance of the NATO/Russia relationship.
The Global NATO Debate
The ultimate direction taken by the Alliance – be it a ‘return to home base,’ a ‘global expansion’ or the pursuit of ‘global missions’ – will be heavily influenced by perceptions of what happens in Afghanistan over the next two years.
France’s “Return” to NATO: An Inopportune Decision
The French decision to re-enter NATO’s integrated military structure is merely the confirmation of a series of shifts that started a long time ago. But it is no less questionable a decision. It is a symbolic decision that affects France’s image internationally. It by no means guarantees that the Alliance will evolve in a way that corresponds to France’s national interests; nor does it shed light on France’s ambiguous future. It does, however, in a very real way, risk diminishing France’s will to defend itself.
NATO: A View from Central Europe
Poland is not just concerned with the usefulness of the Alliance, but also with what can be done to make it more effective, and to maintain its relevance and good health in the decades ahead.
A Vibrant and Flexible Alliance
NATO has proved its renewed usefulness and is today fully engaged, well beyond its former frontiers, wherever its interests and those of its members are threatened.
Reforming NATO’s Institutions: Pressing Need, Enduring Obstacles, New Opportunities
The lessons learned from its engagement in Afghanistan, a desire to transform itself, and its current financial problems are all factors pointing to the need to reform the Alliance. Formulating a new Strategic Concept will allow institutional reform to be associated with a new sense of purpose.
NATO and Russia Viewed from Moscow
A new window of opportunity seems to be opening up for NATO and Russia, to re-think their relationship and how to institutionalize it through binding agreements and a permanent decision-making mechanism.
Naval Power and Maritime Economy: an interview with Admiral Sir Ben Key, First Sea Lord, Royal Navy
On the sidelines of the Paris Naval Conference 2025, on February 4, 2025, organized by Ifri and the French Navy (Marine nationale), Admiral Sir Ben Key, First Sea Lord, Royal Navy, shares insights on the crucial role that naval power plays in support of maritime economy.
Naval Power in Support of Maritime Economy: An Interview with Vice-Admiral Jeffrey Anderson (U.S. Navy)
On the sidelines of the Paris Naval Conference 2025, on February 4, 2025, organized by Ifri and the French Navy, Vice-Admiral Jeffrey Anderson, Commander of the 6th Fleet, U.S. Navy, and Commander of the Striking and Support Forces NATO, share insights on the crucial role that naval power plays in support of maritime economy.
NATO: 75 Years of Strategic Solidarity (replay)
The war in Ukraine, burden-sharing between Allies, U.S. disengagement from Europe, new areas of conflict... At a time when the Alliance has just celebrated its 75th anniversary and the Stoltenberg era is drawing to a close after ten years at the head of the organization, NATO's agenda bears witness to the diversity of its areas of action, as well as to the different perceptions of the Allies on these issues.
In the wake of the Washington summit, this conference of diplomats, military officers and researchers aims to analyze the short- and medium-term prospects for the Atlantic Alliance.
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