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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. 

Group statements

Commentaries

Commentary

The unintended consequences of deterring cyber attacks through nuclear weapons and international law

Using nuclear deterrence to prevent cyber attacks presents not only ethical and strategic challenges but also significant legal concerns. International law imposes strict limits on the use of force, making a nuclear response to cyber attacks highly questionable. Attribution remains difficult, escalation risks are high, and proportionality concerns persist. YGLN member Verena Jackson writes that a more effective approach would focus on strengthening international norms, improving attribution mechanisms, and—above all—prioritising cyber resilience over expanding nuclear deterrence.

6 February 2025 | Verena Jackson
Commentary

The CTBT: A success story and keystone for reinforcing the NPT regime ahead of the next 2026 NPT Review Conference

Despite not yet entering into force, the CTBT has seen some remarkable successes in establishing a global norm against nuclear testing and a robust verification system. However, rising geopolitical tensions underscore the urgent need for full ratification. Eleonora Neri of the Younger Generation Leaders Network (YGLN) argues for states to redouble efforts to universalise the Treaty and reinforce global non-proliferation commitments.

30 January 2025 | Eleonora Neri
Commentary

In Russia’s perceived war with the West, arms control is collateral damage

Three years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and as New START enters its penultimate year in force, Nicholas Lokker writes that Russia is seeking to extricate itself from previously established arms control agreements it perceives as elements of the broader Western-dominated political and security order that it aims to overturn. He also argues that whilst Russia is unwilling to return to the negotiating table now, economics and external pressure from allies could herald a resumption of talks in future.

13 January 2025 | Nicholas Lokker

Policy briefs & reports

Policy brief

Stop the bleeding: How to protect existing NPT disarmament agreements and commitments

Steps to protect the Article 6 acquis on nuclear disarmament are a necessary condition for success of the 2026 NPT RevCon, but there is uncertainty under what political circumstances states parties will convene in 2026. As the nuclear disarmament acquis is currently threatened from many directions, this policy brief considers what steps states parties may take to protect the NPT under different scenarios.

16 December 2024
Report

Strengthening parliamentary oversight of the security sector in the Western Balkans

The Western Balkans stands at a critical juncture as several states grapple with increasingly authoritarian political environments that threaten their democratic institutions and legal frameworks. In this new report, Dr Leon Hartwell provides an in-depth analysis of parliamentary oversight in seven Western Balkan states – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia – and offers actionable recommendations for these states, the EU, and NATO to address these challenges.

27 November 2024 | Dr Leon Hartwell
Report

Workshop report: The OSCE and its role in strengthening European security architecture

In July 2024, the ELN convened a group of international experts to explore the historic, current, and future role of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and its toolbox in maintaining and strengthening European security architecture. This workshop report details the participants’ discussions on the OSCE’s history, its operations in Ukraine since Russia’s invasion of Crimea in 2014, the role of the OSCE in conflict management and post-conflict normalisation, organisational successes and failures, and its unique status as a platform for dialogue between the West and Russia.

15 August 2024 | Maria Branea