Milo Djukanovic created a Montenegro that looks to the West while being governed as in the East; and even with international integration to boast, his political game will only become increasingly difficult for him to play.
Read More »The Case for a New US Tactical Nuclear Weapon
Facing a $1 trillion bill to recapitalise its nuclear triad, the US should now seek to assess the purpose for which it is sustaining its nuclear force not just in the context of symbolism, but for the practical value it can provide to the defence of its interests.
Read More »The New European Border and Coast Guard: Lessons Learned or Easy Way Out?
On 6 October, the European Union launched its European Border and Coast Guard. But the force is not the solution that will end the migration crisis – it is merely the first step in a long-lasting and highly complex process.
Read More »Rebuilding the British Army
For a brief period after SDSR 2015, it looked like the British Army might be about to enjoy a mini-renaissance. But in a even if it proves possible to drastically improve the mass, readiness and combat support of the deployable force, the planned reforms may do little to solve the deeper problems the Army faces.
Read More »From Isolation to Integration – Albania’s Extraordinary Trajectory of Change
In light of its modern history under communist isolationism, it has made admirable progress over less than three decades towards Euro-Atlantic integration. Given the persistent geopolitical importance that the Balkans exerts, Albania’s critical role in the region cannot be overlooked.
Read More »Kosovo’s Delay of the Montenegro Border Vote: The New Pandora’s Box?
Having come a long way internationally in its eight short years of independence, the country now needs to do the same domestically – and show both the international community and its own people that it is ready for the difficult road ahead.
Read More »The Graveyard of ‘Fortress Europe’: Migration crisis in the Mediterranean one year after Lampedusa
On 3 October 2013 a boat carrying over 500 migrants from Eritrea and Somalia sunk off the coast of the Italian island of Lampedusa, leading to the deaths of over 350 people; a few days later, a second incident occurred adding at least another 34 lives to the death toll. Following the tragedy of Lampedusa, the EU and its member states pledged that an end must come to migrant deaths in the Mediterranean, with the EU Parliament calling the incidents a turning point towards a new policy guided by ‘solidarity and responsibility’.[1] One year on, the pledge echoes hollow as new reports of incidents across the Mediterranean surface weekly.
Read More »Answering the Big Questions: The Month Following the 2014 NATO Summit
The 2014 North Atlantic Treaty Organisation summit in Wales was billed as arguably the most important for the alliance following the Cold War. Against a backdrop of tension in Ukraine and unrelenting chaos in the Middle East, the stakes are both immediate and long-term.
Read More »Mobilisation for elections in Ukraine: Risk-assessment in frames of the military conflict
On July 24th two parliamentary factions left the “European choice” coalition in the Ukrainian parliament.[1] This coalition was formed in February as a result of the Maidan protests. On August 25th, after a month of the coalition breakup, president Poroshenko exercised his constitutional right to dissolve parliament and call for elections, which are likely to be held on October 26th.
Read More »Bosnia: An Unfinished Intervention
July saw the deployment of a pair of British Army reconnaissance platoons to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) to provide additional support to the EU-led peacekeeping force in the run-up to the October 2014 general election. This latest move marks a continuation of British military involvement in the country that has (with a few gaps) so far lasted twenty-two years.
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