Security - Defense
As a result of global strategic competition, security and defense issues are marked by the return of major wars and nuclear deterrence, the transformation of terrorism and the race for military technologies.
Related Subjects
Europe-Russia: Balance of Power Review
European countries can no longer avoid the "Russian question," as Russia has chosen war. They have the necessary potential—that is, the economic means, military capabilities, and technological expertise—to face Russia by 2030, provided they demonstrate the political will to do so.
The Israeli Changing Security Agenda: Army- Society Relations
This 'Note' aims at giving a better understanding of the very specific and complex ties which link the Israeli nation to its army.
Replay - Conference with Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt
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.
Replay - France-Ukraine Forum 2025
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.
European safety guarantees for Ukraine: The torch burns between Paris and Rome
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.
"There's a difference between what our allies expect and what France is prepared to offer," said Héloïse Fayet, head of the deterrence and proliferation program at the French Institute for International Relations.
quoted by Noémie Bisserbe for The Wall Street Journal
The European Pillar of Security
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.
Addressing the Threat of Terrorism | NATO Public Forum 2025
NATO Public Forum 2025 LIVE | Day 1, 24 June 2025. Terrorism, instability and regional fragility continue to pose urgent challenges across the Middle East, North Africa, and the Sahel with direct implications for Allied security. How can NATO partnerships in its southern neighbourhood address the intertwined security, demographic and economic drivers behind this challenge? How to respond to the growing relevance of cyber terrorism and hybrid conflict?
Putin Eyes Peacemaking Role In Israel-Iran Air War
Vladimir Putin is eyeing the conflict between Israel and Iran as an opportunity to thrust himself to the forefront of the international stage, more than three years into his invasion of Ukraine.
Europe is trying to woo Southeast Asia — but it won’t win it over the U.S. or China
European leaders are looking to Southeast Asia with renewed interest amid Washington’s aggressive tariff agenda, but experts warn that the state of regional trade ties makes it challenging to disrupt the U.S. or China’s hold.
Macron’s Southeast Asia trip: What is behind the French president’s ‘third way’ proposal?
In a recent Southeast Asia tour, Macron pitched ‘strategic autonomy’ as a means for nations to avoid choosing sides in the US-China rivalry, offering France and Europe as alternative partners
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Related centers and programs
European & Transatlantic Security
The European & Transatlantic Security Program aims to contribute to the strategic debate by developing analyses around three main axes: European defense and the security architecture of the European continent, institutional and strategic links between the Treaty Organization of North Atlantic (NATO) and the European Union (EU), as well as the evolution of the transatlantic relationship.
Internal Security
The distinction between internal and external threats is often exaggerated, as the borders are so porous. Conflicts taking place thousands of kilometers from France can have tragic resonances on national territory. Radicalization, terrorism and even organized crime have an international dimension that cannot be ignored.
Deterrence and Proliferation
The conflicts in Europe, Asia and the Middle East demonstrate a return of nuclear power to the balance of power. Arsenals are being modernized and expanded, while arms control is collapsing. This research program aims to analyze these phenomena.
Observatory on Future Conflicts
The Observatory of Future Conflicts is a research program carried out by the French Institute of International Relations and the Foundation for Strategic Research on behalf of the three army headquarters aimed at studying developments in tensions and armaments at the horizon 2040 in a transversal perspective, taking into account the issues of each army.
Security Studies Center
Heir to a tradition dating back to the founding of Ifri, the Security Studies Center provides public and private decision-makers as well as the general public with the keys to understanding power relations and contemporary modes of conflict as well as those to come. Through its positioning at the juncture of politics and operations, the credibility of its civil-military team and the wide distribution of its publications in French and English, the Center for Security Studies constitutes in the French landscape of think tanks a unique center of research and influence on the national and international defense debate.
Defense Research Unit
The Defense Research Unit is a program that aims at stimulating the strategic debate by dealing with subjects at the junction of the “technico-operational” and the “political-strategic”. A unique structure in France, it brings together civilian researchers and “military fellows” from each of the three armies to produce work on defense policies, the capability and strategic adaptation of armies, and foresight on tomorrow's conflicts.