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Commentary

A managed result, but not a meaningless one: Reflections ahead of Russia’s Duma election

Russia’s elections may be repressive and predictable, but that does not make them meaningless. While no one predicts that United Russia will be denied a majority in the upcoming Duma election, managing the political space has become more difficult than in the past. As Julian G. Waller writes, deviation from the Kremlin’s desired result could have wider consequences for elite politics.

7 September 2026 | Julian G. Waller
Russia-West relations
Commentary

Redesigning NATO through European rotations

Thanks to Donald Trump’s bullying, concepts of a “European pillar” and “European Army” are slowly dying their logical death, making way for a more productive “European NATO” future. But what kind of structure would this entail? As Nicholas Williams and Michael Benhamou write, what Europe needs is a rotational strategic command, below which would sit more decentralised tactical commands that address concrete threats instead of serving Cold War bureaucratic habits.

3 September 2026 | Nicholas Williams and Michael Benhamou
Euro-Atlantic Security
Event

Three Strikes and We’re Out? What’s Next for the NPT Review Process

Ambassador Đỗ Hùng Việt, Vietnam’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, New York, and President of the 2026 NPT Review Conference, reflects candidly on the 2026 NPT Review Conference’s collapse without consensus: What was achieved, what broke it, and what comes next. In conversation with the ELN’s Oliver Meier and Jana Baldus.

25 August 2026
Multilateral Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation

Networks

Our networks are at the heart of our policy impact. Reaching right across Europe they bring together established figures with emerging leaders who are all committed to better security for Europe. 

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Commentaries

Commentary

Is the Trump administration committed to the defence of NATO?

Given Donald Trump’s unpredictability over what he may or may not do regarding the US presence in and support for NATO, there are a range of possible consequences arising from his quixotic actions for America’s longest-standing alliance. David Richards and Harlan Ullman unpack how Europe can compensate for any major US force reductions and what a revitalised NATO might look like.

12 August 2026 | David Richards and Harlan Ullman
Euro-Atlantic Security
Commentary

Staff Reflections: the legacy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki today

Eighty-one years after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, what questions should the arms control community be asking itself? In this collection of reflections, ELN staff consider how the anniversary informs their work and what it means to keep the human consequences of nuclear weapons at the centre of debates on international security.

6 August 2026 | Bekki Field, Julia Berghofer, Jana Baldus, Kseniia Yehorova and Maria Branea
Multilateral Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation
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Policy briefs and reports

Report

State-to-state cooperation between NATO and IP4 member states: Successes, constraints, and prospects for crisis prevention

This is the third report in a three-part series produced under a NATO Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme project examining how NATO and its Indo-Pacific partners can strengthen cross-regional crisis prevention and strategic cooperation. It examines how bilateral and minilateral partnerships can strengthen practical cooperation between NATO and Indo-Pacific partner states.

30 July 2026 | Rishi Paul, Frank O’Donnell, Dongkeun Lee, Joël Christoph and Joel Petersson-Ivre
Euro-Atlantic Security
Report

Institutional cooperation between NATO and IP4: Expectations, constraints, and cooperation prospects

This is the second report in a three-part series produced under a NATO Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme project examining how NATO and its Indo-Pacific partners can strengthen cross-regional crisis prevention and strategic cooperation. It explores the opportunities and constraints shaping institutional cooperation between NATO and the Indo-Pacific 4 (IP4).

30 July 2026 | Rishi Paul, Frank O’Donnell, Dongkeun Lee, Joël Christoph and Joel Petersson-Ivre
Euro-Atlantic Security
Report

Managing cross-theatre escalation: Perceptions, flashpoints, and constraints on strategic cooperation in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific

This is the first report in a three-part series produced under a NATO Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme project examining how NATO and its Indo-Pacific partners can strengthen cross-regional crisis prevention and strategic cooperation. It explores the strategic dynamics, perceptions, and escalation risks increasingly linking the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific.

30 July 2026 | Rishi Paul, Frank O’Donnell, Dongkeun Lee, Joël Christoph and Joel Petersson-Ivre
Euro-Atlantic Security
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Podcasts and media

Podcast

Ok, Doomer! podcast: What’s next for the nuclear non-proliferation treaty?

In our latest episode of the Ok, Doomer! podcast, we ask what comes next for the Non-Proliferation Treaty, featuring a range of distinguished guests including UN Under-Secretary-General Izumi Nakamitsu, Ambassador Alexander Kmentt, and Thomas Countryman. Plus, a deep dive into the review process with more nuclear policy experts.

25 August 2026 | Almuntaser Albalawi, Jana Baldus, Thomas Countryman, Bekki Field, Alexander Kmentt, Emmanuelle Maitre, Izumi Nakamitsu and Edan Simpson
Multilateral Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation
Podcast

Ok, Doomer! podcast: Avoiding accidental armageddon

In our latest episode, we explore how nuclear fail-safe reviews can reduce the risk of accidental, mistaken, or unauthorised nuclear use. Experts discuss national approaches to fail-safe, the tensions between secrecy and transparency, and the role of nuclear-armed and non-nuclear-weapon states in advancing nuclear risk reduction. Hosted by the ELN’s Deputy Executive Director, Bekki Field.

18 August 2026 | Bekki Field, Edan Simpson, Julia Berghofer, Deborah Rosenblum, Joel Petersson-Ivre, Héloïse Fayet and Tom McKane
Nuclear Weapons and Emerging Technologies
Podcast

Ok, Doomer! podcast: Nuclear bombs and bots

The ELN’s Ok, Doomer! podcast is back. Listen in to learn how emerging technologies are reshaping nuclear weapons policy. Experts discuss the risks and benefits of artificial intelligence and other disruptive technologies, historical technological shifts, changing threat perceptions, and the importance of training military personnel to recognise AI-driven biases. Hosted by the ELN’s Deputy Executive Director, Bekki Field.

11 August 2026 | Bekki Field, Edan Simpson, Julia Berghofer, Alice Saltini, Ksenija Trajkovska and Alexandra Bell
Nuclear Weapons and Emerging Technologies
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Group statements

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    When the cornerstone cracks: the NPT and the future of the global nuclear order

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    Understanding Hungary’s political earthquake and the rise of Péter Magyar

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    Ten years after Brexit, Europe can no longer afford UK-EU security separation