Avsnitt
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Two years on, how has Japan progressed with its planned national security reforms, and how is it adapting to regional security challenges?
In December 2022, Japan announced plans to almost double its defence budget and acquire a new set of strike capabilities. The context for that decision was a sense of rising danger and a need to be prepared to assume a larger defence burden. The plans progressed under the leadership of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, but he has now been replaced in this post.
Shigeru Ishiba, Japan’s new prime minister, inherits a set of circumstances at home and abroad that will challenge this defence pivot. In this episode, host Neil Melvin is joined by RUSI Senior Research Fellow Philip Shetler-Jones to discuss the original motivation behind these reforms, as well as what progress has been made. What sort of domestic debate is there in Japan on foreign and security policy? And will Japan be able to deliver on its ambitious plans?
This episode is sponsored by the Embassy of Japan.
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As tensions continue to rise in the Middle East, we launch a new mini-series dedicated to understanding the dynamics shaping the region.
We are launching a regular new series of episodes of Global Security Briefing designed to foster a better understanding of the current situation in the region, entitled ‘The Middle East in Crisis’, which aims to review and provide analysis on the unfolding political, economic and security dynamics reshaping the region.
After months of tensions, including the detonation of electronic communication devices used by Hezbollah across Lebanon and Syria, Israel now appears to be on the verge of an all-out war with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Almost a year on from the 7 October attacks, de-escalation efforts appear exhausted and violence is broadening.
In this episode, host Neil Melvin is joined by RUSI Senior Research Fellow Burcu Ozcelik and Senior Associate Fellow Michael Stephens to take stock of the current situation and explain the dynamics driving the current multifront crisis.
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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In this edition, we will be returning to Russia’s war against Ukraine as both sides increasingly look towards another winter of fighting.
Since the autumn/winter of last year, there have been further swings in the war as Russia launched a long offensive and Ukraine suffered a lack of weapons due to political deadlock in the US Congress and a shortage of manpower.
More recently, in a surprise operation, Ukraine has launched a successful incursion into Russia itself – seizing territory in Kursk – and it has continued to inflict damage on Russian naval forces in the Black Sea and developed the ability to attack targets further inside Russia. In August 2024, Russia renewed its attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure ahead of the winter.
It is clear that the war is continuing to evolve, what were red lines are being crossed, and the enormous cost in lives and damage continues to mount. But where does the war stand overall now? More than 30 months into the conflict, is there any sense that one side is closer to winning, and how has Ukraine’s dramatic incursion into Russia’s Kursk region affected the war?
This week, host Neil Melvin is joined by Professor Mark Galeotti, Senior Associate Fellow at RUSI and Director of Mayak Intelligence.
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This episode of Global Security Briefing explores NATO's interest in China and the Indo-Pacific amid ongoing security challenges in Europe.
At last month’s NATO summit in Washington, DC, China was identified as a ‘decisive enabler’ of Russia’s war against Ukraine. It was also noted that China ‘continues to pose systemic challenges to Euro-Atlantic security’.
Many argue that the principal need is for NATO to concentrate on Europe. This is not just because of the Russo-Ukrainian war, but also because the US is focusing on China as its principal adversary, which will likely lead to Washington shifting more of the burden for European security to European allies. The construction of a ‘European pillar of NATO’ that can deter Russia is already a tall order.
Is it realistic for Europeans to get involved in security issues on the other side of the world on top of that? And why are Asian countries interested in being linked more closely to NATO? This week, host Neil Melvin is joined by Dr Philip Shetler-Jones, RUSI Senior Research Fellow for Indo-Pacific Security, to answer these questions and more.
This episode is brought to you as part of a research initiative at RUSI that looks at evolving transatlantic cooperation on China supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
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Concluding our series on how the UK’s new Labour government is approaching key foreign policy questions, we turn to the Middle East.
It is in the Middle East that Labour’s ‘progressive realist’ foreign policy will be most tested – especially in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Signalling the importance of the Middle East to the new government, Foreign Secretary David Lammy visited Israel and the Palestinian Territories just over a week after Labour’s election victory.
The UK’s distinct regional profile has faded in recent years as London has approached the Middle East in broad alignment with the US and focused on concluding trade deals rather than pursuing high-level diplomatic engagements. Will the UK under a Labour government seek to carve out a more distinct regional approach and play a more prominent role in the Middle East? Host Neil Melvin is joined by Dr Burcu Ozcelik, RUSI Senior Research Fellow for Middle East Security, and Dr Michael Stephens, RUSI Senior Associate Fellow, to answer this and more.
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Current UK China policy is defined by the three main concepts of protecting national interests, aligning with allies and engaging with China on key matters such as climate change where possible. But how are these approaches coordinated and prioritised?
The previous UK government was prepared to live with the ambiguity inherent in this approach, arguing that complexity of relations with China demanded a policy which takes into account the divergent and simultaneous trends in UK–China ties.
But while in opposition, Foreign Secretary David Lammy articulated his party’s intention of conducting ‘a full audit across Whitehall of our relationship with China so that we can set the direction and a course’.
In this episode, host Neil Melvin is joined by RUSI Senior Associate Fellows Isabel Hilton and Andrew Cainey to discuss how Labour will approach the balance between security, values, economic interests and environmental concerns and the difficult trade-offs inherent in dealing with China.
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On the heels of a landslide victory, this episode examines the newly elected UK Labour government’s plan to refashion the UK’s security and defence ties with Europe.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his team have identified the forging of a new relationship with the EU as a priority. Security, which was not part of the withdrawal agreement, is seen as a low-hanging fruit in this context, given the UK’s important resources and London’s generally shared interests with the EU.
However, since Brexit, much has changed in European security, and the degree to which the EU will be a strategic actor of regional and global significance is uncertain.
What should the new government’s priorities be for building the UK’s role in European security? What weight should security and defence ties with the EU have in this set of policies, and what sort of relationship should London look to foster? Host Neil Melvin is joined by Richard Whitman, Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Kent and RUSI Senior Associate Fellow, and Jake Benford, Senior Project Manager for the Europe Programme at the Bertelsmann Stiftung.
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In this episode, GSB takes a look at how the 75th Anniversary Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization aims to shape the future of the Alliance.
The summit takes place in Washington, DC, from 9 to 11 July, and is being billed as a celebration of the Alliance, often termed the most successful in history. There will also be attention to NATO’s recent efforts to rebuild its capacity to deter and defend against threats, notably from Russia, but with an eye on China too.
In this episode, host Neil Melvin is joined by Oana Lungescu, RUSI Distinguished Fellow and the longest serving NATO Spokesperson (2010–23), and the first woman and first journalist to hold the post, as well as Ed Arnold, RUSI Senior Research Fellow. They discuss the main agenda items and decisions that will have to be made by the Alliance at Washington, as well as how NATO aims to set its future trajectory.
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The South Atlantic and the Antarctic have drawn considerable attention from big powers, who are racing to strengthen their regional footprints and presence as the region opens up for navigation and other potential uses.
Despite very low tensions, the South Atlantic is a recurrent area of discussion in the UK given the territorial claim over the Falkland archipelago by Argentina. The UK’s commitment to defend its overseas territories, blending both soft and hard power, has larger strategic implications given the increasingly contested geopolitics of the South Atlantic. In this episode, host Neil Melvin is joined by Juan Pablo Toro of AthenaLab in Chile and Dr Carlos Solar, Senior Research Fellow at RUSI, to discuss the prospects of the South Atlantic and Antarctica becoming zones where geo-economic competition and militarisation risk destabilising the status quo.
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In the face of growing security challenges, this episode discusses what is on the agenda for Taiwan’s new leadership.
Taiwan is not merely a democracy; it is an outstanding example of a democracy. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2023 Democracy Index ranked Taiwan top in Asia and 10th globally (ahead of the UK and US) among the 167 countries and territories it surveys.
Like all democratic countries, Taiwan’s electoral preoccupations are a mix of domestic and foreign. But the inauguration of the incoming administration has been transformed into a global security event, because Taiwan is at the centre of a looming confrontation between the US and the People’s Republic of China.
In this episode, host Neil Melvin is joined by Dr Winnie King, Senior Lecturer at the University of Bristol, and Thomas des Garets Geddes, RUSI Associate Fellow, to discuss how the inauguration of a new government in Taiwan will affect cross-strait relations, and how might this play into the larger story of the Sino-US confrontation. What can we expect next?
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An in-depth exploration of the Australia–UK–US defence capability agreement (AUKUS) and what it means for the UK’s foreign and security policy in the Indo-Pacific.
Launched in September 2021, AUKUS is well into its third year. The unique trilateral partnership has the potential to bring about massive changes in the Indo-Pacific security landscape. But what exactly is it? Should we see it as a new type of alliance, or simply another arms deal? Is it just a trilateral procurement framework, or something far more original in the realm of multilateralism? In this episode, host Neil Melvin is joined by Charles Edel, Senior Adviser and the Inaugural Australia Chair at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, and Dr Philip Shetler-Jones, Senior Research Fellow, Indo-Pacific Security at RUSI, to answer these very questions and to delve into what AUKUS means for the future of UK foreign policy.
This episode is brought to you as part of a programme supported by the Embassy of Japan.
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How is Russia reorienting its relationship with Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan?
Since the collapse of the USSR, Russia has sought to strengthen its security position in the South Caucasus, notably around the region’s protracted conflicts and using its strategic relationship with Armenia. Vladimir Putin’s decision in March 2022 to invade Ukraine has, however, raised questions about Russia’s ability to maintain its regional leverage. At the same time, Azerbaijan’s series of military actions in the Karabakh conflict have further undercut Moscow’s position. Increasingly, Russia appears no longer to be the dominant actor in the region.
In this episode, host Neil Melvin is joined by Natia Seskuria, Founder and Executive Director of the Regional Institute for Security Studies (RISS), and Richard Giragosian, Director of the Regional Studies Centre, to examine Russia’s engagement in the South Caucasus. What are Moscow’s strategic goals in the region, and to what extent is Russia looking to establish a new status quo in the South Caucasus?
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Following Iran’s attack on Israel, we consider the future of conflict in the Middle East and the possibility of an all-out regional war.
The recent strike on Israel by Iran and its allies has reignited fears of a wider regional war and speculation over what form it could take. In this episode, host Neil Melvin is joined by Dr H A Hellyer, RUSI Senior Associate Fellow, and Dr Louise Kettle, RUSI Associate Fellow and Assistant Professor of International Relations at the University of Nottingham, to explore how – and to what extent – the Middle East is undergoing a political and security transformation that is being accelerated by the current round of regional violence and confrontation. What sort of regional power balance is likely to emerge from the current crisis? And what are the realistic prospects for a full-blown regional war?
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This episode discusses the emergence of ‘counter-West’ groupings and how they fit within – and are seeking to shape – the wider global order.
In 2023 we ran a series of episodes focusing on the Russia–China relationship, the growing linkages to Iran and Venezuela and to North Korea's emergence as an international actor, as well as efforts to forge the BRICS association into a larger non-Western organisation.
While Western countries continue to stand behind the idea of a comprehensive, rules-based order built upon common norms, laws and institutions, these concepts are being contested by academics, politicians and public figures and are no longer accepted as automatically valid in large parts of the world.
Host Neil Melvin is joined by Simon Rynn, Research Fellow for African Security at RUSI, and Dr Philip Shetler-Jones, Senior Research Fellow for Indo-Pacific Security at RUSI, to discuss what can be learnt from ongoing or latent conflicts that appear to pit Western actors and norms against challengers.
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With Vladimir Putin claiming yet another victory in Russia’s recent national elections, we examine his tenure and what the future has in store.
While Putin’s election victory was always a certainty, such political exercises involving mass engagement efforts are complex and potentially risky operations for authoritarian leaders.
At the age of 71, and with a hold on power now lasting until at least 2030, how is Putin trying to justify his continued leadership? And how can a successor emerge in this stifling political environment? In this episode, host Neil Melvin asks Professor David Lewis from the University of Exeter to answer these questions.
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With the rise of China and the centrality of the Indo-Pacific to economic and geopolitical affairs, we look at the challenges faced by governments in Europe and North America.
A history of solidarity and common approaches to dealing with threats affecting allies across the Atlantic might lead to the assumption that a transatlantic strategy and its supporting institutions would naturally emerge with regards to China. Shared commitments to universal human rights and adherence to a rules-based global order should also drive a convergence of policies. However, a variety of national political and trade considerations drive Europeans and North Americans in somewhat different directions when dealing with China.
On this episode of GSB, host Neil Melvin is joined by Philip Shetler-Jones, Senior Research Fellow at RUSI, and Andrew Cainey, RUSI Senior Associate Fellow and Founding Director of the UK National Committee on China, to discuss their latest research paper which tackles important questions such as: how much transatlantic cooperation on policy towards China is happening; why has it been difficult for allies on both sides of the Atlantic to agree on working together; and what do the differences between the Trump and Biden administrations’ approaches tell us about prospects for the future? This episode is brought to you as part of a RUSI project supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
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As we mark the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we consider the implications of what has turned into a protracted conflict.
Russia has seized back the initiative in the war, due at least partly to ampler supplies of ammunition and drones. While Ukraine continues to achieve important tactical victories against the Russian Black Sea Fleet, the land and air campaign is increasingly characterised by Russian pressure and territorial gains.
There are also growing doubts about the ability of the Euro-Atlantic community to adequately resource the war, with acute concern about the deadlocked debate in the US Congress over military support for Ukraine.
As we enter the third year of the war, it is likely the fighting will stretch well into the future. Host Neil Melvin is joined by Dr Hanna Shelest, Security Studies Programme Director at the think tank Ukrainian Prism, and Andriy Zagorodnyuk, Chairman of the Ukrainian think tank the Centre for Defence Strategies and a former defence minister of Ukraine. Where is the war heading? And can Western unity on Ukraine hold?
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The Global Security Briefing takes a forward look at how this conflict is shaping the region.
Before the 7th of October, when Hamas’ unprecedented attack on Israel triggered the war in Gaza, the Middle East appeared to have largely fallen off the list of priorities for Western policymakers. After decades of intense – and often unsuccessful and politically unpopular – involvement in the Middle East, Western governments were glad to pay less attention to the region.But the Middle East is now back to the top of the agenda for governments in London, Washington and other European capitals.
There are long-term strategic challenges to think about: finding a way forward in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; dealing with Iran’s nuclear programme; Iran’s proliferation of missiles and drones across the region; as well as cultivation of proxy forces. And as always, the critical task is the development of a more sustainable and stable regional order.
In this edition of the Global Security Briefing, Neil is joined by Dr Tobias Borck from RUSI and Dr Julie Norman from University College London to look at how Israel’s war in Gaza is evolving and where the risks of wider regional escalation stand now.
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As the US electoral cycle ramps up, we consider how they may shape the security landscape of the Americas in years to come.
Despite Washington’s historical engagement in security cooperation with countries like Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, and Chile, US-Latin American relations are not trouble-free.. Positive views of the US have declined, partly due to the emergence of new localplayers who seek alliances with Russia, China and Iran. Could President Biden revitalize relations with its southern neighbours if re-elected this year? And how might the return of Donald Trump influence Washington’s policies towards Latin America?
In this episode of GSB, host Neil Melvin is joined by Brian Fonseca, Director of the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy at Florida International University and Carlos Solar, Senior Research Fellow for Latin American Security at RUSI, to explore the dynamics of US-Latin American relations.What drives the US and other countries such as the UK to invest in security and diplomacy efforts in the Americas? And how is Washington currently dealing with China policy in the Americas, and its economic, scientific, and security prospects in the region?
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As we welcome the new year, the International Security team at RUSI reviews the biggest geo-political events of the past 12 months and discusses what we can expect from 2024 in this two-part holiday special.
What was foreseen, and what came unexpectedly in global security developments during the past year? And how have security events altered the trajectory of various regions? Host Neil Melvin is joined by Carlos Solar, Simon Rynn, and Philip Shetler-Jones to discuss how the past 12 months have shaped Latin America, Africa, and the Indo-Pacific, and what we can expect during the coming year.
- Visa fler
