Section: Royal United Services Institute (UK)
Finland and Sweden Walk a Fine Line Between NATO and Russia
While it is unlikely that Finland or Sweden will join NATO any time soon, closer co-operation may be required in the face of growing Russian aggression.Leaders from NATO’s member states, as well as NATO partner countries, the EU and the UN, will be in Poland next month for the two-day Warsaw Summit, which NATO Secretary General Jens...
Putin’s Russia: Concocting an Ideology to Justify an Estrangement
President Putin’s rush to engage with Orthodox Christianity has more to do with politics than piety as he emphasises the differences between Russia and the rest of Europe.It may have escaped most people’s attention – especially the attention of most Europeans for whom Easter is now merely an occasion to buy funny-shaped chocolates –...
The Myth of Special German Business Ties with Russia
The assumption that the EU is hamstrung in its dealings with Moscow because German business is beholden to Russian companies is false. There is no special German–Russian business link.It is becoming something of an international obsession to view German businesses as a special breed with a unique relationship with Russia. There are several...
Russia’s New Divisions
Moscow has announced that it will establish four new divisions – but where will they be and will they enhance capability? map_-_possible_locations_of_new_russian_divisions.pdfRussian Minister of Defence Sergey Shoigu’s recent announcement that three new combined-arms divisions would be established in the western part of Russia this year has...
Will Economics Threaten Putin’s Position?
The slide in the value of the Rouble reveals weaknesses in the Russian economy. However, it is unclear whether such difficulties will loosen President’s Putin’s grip on power. In recent weeks, President Vladmir Putin has made two big speeches in December: one annual address to the Federal Assembly on 4 December and one annual press...
Militarising the EU Migration Plan: A Flawed Approach
The plan announced by EU foreign-policy chief Federica Mogherini in May to combat human smuggling in the Mediterranean demonstrated a failure of EU advisers, ministers and bodies to understand the entirety of the problem to be addressed, to seek relevant lessons on counter-migration policy, or to develop the kind of comprehensive approach that...
Turkey Downs a Russian Jet: RUSI Responds
RUSI experts offered their responses to the downing of a Russian jet by the Turkish military on 24 November 2015.The Pot Boils OverMichael Stephens, Research Fellow for Middle East Studies at RUSI, argues the shooting will have serious consequences for Russo-Turkish relations, relations between NATO and Russia, and the ongoing conflict in...
Is NATO Deterrence Fit for Purpose?
The Atlantic Alliance must respond to Russia’s new strategic posture – but large, fixed deployments may not be the answerThere is now a fundamental divergence in world views between the NATO powers and Russia. The West sees Russia as being on the strategic offensive – in the process,challenging a European rules-based order where small...
Is Russia’s Syria Intervention Doomed to Fail?
Russia has dived headfirst into the Syrian civil war – but this might be a strategic dead endIn late September Russia commenced its air campaign over Syria, prompting widespread criticism from Western leaders. It is clear that Moscow is pursuing very different objectives from those of the West. Indeed, the actions of Russian forces in Syria...
Putin’s Gambit in Syria
Recent Russian military operations should not come as a surprise – for twenty years, the Kremlin has been trying to restore the country’s status as a world leaderThe world can be divided into two: those who ‘get’ modern Russia and those who do not. At the moment, most of the world falls into the latter category, with much of the...
