The EU’s security commitments to negotiate Ukraine’s accession
The distinguishing characteristic of the EU’s next eastward enlargement is that it is more security-driven than before. Negotiating accession with a country at war is different from the theoretical deterrence drive of previous integration rounds or from providing a prescription for post-conflict peacebuilding in the Western Balkans. Defence owns the hard meaning of the concept […]
Mapping the use of artificial intelligence in priority sectors and the competitiveness of Ukraine
AI has emerged in recent years as a major driver of technological change across many sectors and its influence is only going to increase. In this context, as part of the green industrial recovery programme for Ukraine 2024-28 funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, CEPS collaborated with UNIDO (UN Industrial […]
The EU’s defence industrial policies – walking the walk with Euro-defence bonds
Over the last two years, the war in Ukraine has prompted the acceleration and multiplication of EU initiatives to enhance the European defence industry, and Europe’s ability to defend itself and support Ukraine’s defence. Besides spending better, spending together and getting private equity onboard, the next frontier for EU defence spending must be the issuance […]
Explaining Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction: what, how and when?
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has resulted in colossal human loss. According to the World Bank, this has already in 2023 amounted to 26 000 civilian casualties, the displacement of around 3.7 million people internally within Ukraine and around 5.9 million externally in Europe and beyond. The war has pushed 7.1 million people into poverty and […]
EU-NATO relations – somewhere between dancing with two left feet and seamless tango
Russia’s war against Ukraine has proven to be a watershed moment for the EU, accelerating the development of a European Defence Union. But the EU and NATO must ramp up political cooperation and synergise resources to enhance European security and for the EU to credibly flex its muscles as a security and defence actor in […]
Strengthening Europe’s democratic identity and security in a more autocratic world
Much attention is rightly being paid to the well-documented tendencies in most of the world’s regions for autocracy to have been gaining some ground in the last two decades at the expense of democracy. Europe has not been immune from the impact of the several megatrends and profound systemic shocks that seem to have been […]
Georgia’s ongoing struggle goes beyond the bill. It’s about finally breaking free from Russian influence
In 2023, Georgia found itself in the spotlight due to ongoing large-scale public demonstrations against the introduction of Russian-style laws that threatened to derail the country’s European journey. One such proposal was the now infamous ‘Agents of Foreign Influence’ bill, which the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party was forced to drop due to intense public […]
What Putin’s farcical ‘re-election’ means for the EU
Vladimir Putin now adds another six years to his reign in the Kremlin after ‘winning’ a fraudulent election on 17 March with 88 % of the vote. Now he may feel inclined to become even more aggressive towards Ukraine and the rest of Europe. The risks for the EU and its civilisation are now truly […]
A visit by Borrell highlights why Georgia is still the EU’s perennial problem child
The EU’s High Representative, Josep Borrell, has just embarked on his first official visit to Georgia to discuss the country’s progress on its European integration path. The visit carries immense significance given the EU’s impending assessment of the progress made by Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia in their quest for EU membership. While the EU already […]
The EU and India agree to disagree on Ukraine… and that’s ok
India’s continued economic relationship with Russia spikes fears in the West that India could facilitate the circumnavigation of sanctions against Russia. This is on top of India’s refusal to openly condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine, leaving the EU far from happy. Nevertheless, relations with India are far too important to risk serious deterioration, so […]
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: impacts throughout Eastern Europe & responses of the EU
Russia’s invasion – or better called Putin’s – has become a terrible war, with the Ukrainians sustaining impressive resistance against the huge Russian firepower. The outcome at this stage remains totally uncertain. Our webinar on 16 March, organized within the framework of the “3 DCFTAs” Project, CEPS in cooperation with the Eastern Partnership Civil Society […]
Will Putin choose war, death and destruction?
Language, as in the above title, would today be decried by the Kremlin’s propaganda machine as Russophobic hysteria. Tomorrow, it may be a brutal, tragic, objective reality. When it comes to war, all parties must decide where they stand. For Ukrainians it will be to fight, surrender, or flee abroad; for others, the choice is […]