Russia

Limiting Putin’s Escalation Options

After Ukraine’s advances in the Kharkiv region in mid-September, what once seemed a remote prospect – the operational defeat of Russia’s forces in Ukraine – is looking increasingly plausible. But President Putin will seek to avoid that through escalation. But he is not holding all the cards; Ukraine and its supporters can take steps to …

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What President Putin Really Fears About NATO

President Putin knows perfectly well that NATO poses no military threat to Russia. But it is not a military threat that he fears. Finland and Sweden’s decisions to join NATO show just how severely President Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has backfired. President Putin might well have stalled Ukraine’s membership prospects, but these were long-term, even …

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Russian Guarantees to Ukraine

Russia tries to ignore that Russia itself – as well as the United Kingdom and the United States – signed an agreement to respect Ukraine’s borders, not threaten or use force against Ukraine, and refrain from using economic coercion against Ukraine.

Defence in an Era of Strategic Cooperation

On 27 September 2021, ATA UK co-hosted an “ATA Talks” events where General Sir Nick Carter, then Chief of the UK Defence Staff, examined the key features of today’s international security environment and how to address the challenges it presents. He also answered questions on: the UK’s security relationships with the United States and the …

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Reflections and Lessons from NATO’s Past: Visions for NATO’s Future

On 2 June 2021, just a few weeks before a NATO Summit in Brussels, Lord Robertson of Port Ellen appeared an “ATA Talks” event where he drew upon his experiences as NATO Secretary General to analyze the issues expected to feature at the Brussels Summit. Lord Robertson was a former UK Defence Minister and was …

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Conflict in the Grey Zone – Nothing New Under the Sun (Tzu)

The information revolution and the rise of social media make open societies particularly vulnerable to disinformation campaigns. This “explainer” looks at this all-pervasive aspect of conflict in the “grey zone”.  “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting” – Sun Tzu, c. 544 BC to 496 BC At the end of …

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