This article describes how Ukraine is applying for NATO membership at a time when the European security architecture is becoming more fragmented. Specifically, as much as NATO continues to provide a coherent, multilateral framework that organises European security relations, various bilateral and ‘minilateral’ security formats have proliferated across the continent, while different members of this…
This article seeks to dissect the contemporary developments surrounding the concept of ‘strategic competition’ by examining the outcomes of two successive NATO summits in Madrid and Vilnius. During these summits, the Allies not only exhibited a unified front in their support for Ukraine and condemnation of Russia but also reaffirmed their commitment to honour mutual…
This paper examines the strategic evolution of Europe’s security framework in the context of the Russo-Ukrainian War and the concluded Vilnius Summit — a critical juncture, with the possibility of selecting a new Secretary General. Among the nominees was Kaja Kallas, Estonia’s Prime Minister, whose innovative vision advocated a departure from traditional models. Kallas promoted…
Because of the changes in the security landscape, proactive communication with members is more critical than ever before for organisations like NATO. Russia’s systematic use of deception, propaganda and false news is a significant component of the hybrid warfare it has waged against its neighbours, including Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, and the three NATO allies in…
Russia’s interaction with NATO includes concerns that its expansion is a security threat. Despite its opposition, Russia has accepted NATO enlargement for political and financial gain. This paper examines Kremlin disinformation concerning two of the alleged leading causes of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2014: NATO encirclement and the US “overthrow” of Ukraine’s president. It…
While the use of disinformation as a weapon has always existed, the development of information and communication technologies has greatly simplified it in modern armed conflicts. The topic of NATO enlargement has been significantly overblown with false reports, although it has had its dossier of false information refutation. It is widely perceived as an irritant…
The pandemic caused by COVID-19 arguably came as a shock and will have profound consequences. It has already created exceptional circumstances in NATO capitals and in other NATO structures at all levels – strategic, operational, and tactical. The objective of this article is to analyse Alliance’s reaction to the pandemic, with a focus on lessons…
After the illegal annexation of Crimea, as well as Russia’s military campaigns in Georgia, eastern Ukraine, and most recently Syria and Libya, Turkey’s role in the Black Sea basin has considerably increased both for the regional countries and for the NATO allies. This article will focus on Turkey’s evolving stance in the region, starting with…
Security of NATO’s eastern flank depends a lot on the situation in the Black Sea region. Today the Alliance is trying to develop a common strategy on this issue. In this process, it is highly important to appropriately assess littoral countries’ role and capabilities in the common security architecture. Georgia is one of the essential…
NATO’s eastern flank in the Black Sea is a fractured security space that requires a special tailored approach. It is the Black Sea where Russia has chosen to test NATO’s resolve by the open use of force. The article argues that the transactionalist mode that Russia offers as a strategic basis for interaction with the…
