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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

Managed co-existence: What NATO could say about Russia

At last year’s Vilnius Summit, NATO pledged to develop a strategic approach to Russia. But with President Trump engaging Moscow directly and ending the “no business as usual” stance, consensus by the June summit in The Hague is unlikely. ELN Senior Associate Fellow and former UK Ambassador to NATO, Sir Adam Thomson, and Former NATO Assistant Secretary General for Operations, Stephen Evans, argue that in light of this, NATO should pursue a strategic shift—an internal deal towards a “managed co-existence” with Russia. This could align with Trump’s goals while preserving deterrence, sustaining European support for Ukraine, and keeping the U.S. committed to NATO.

21 May 2025 | Adam Thomson and Stephen Evans
Commentary

Summit survival guide: How NATO’s June 2025 Summit can preserve the Alliance’s core values and interests

NATO’s upcoming Summit in The Hague comes at a key point in the Alliance’s history; Russia’s continued aggression against Ukraine, American impatience with European underspending on defence, and European fears of American withdrawal from collective defence all represent major threats. Former NATO Assistant Secretary General for Operations, Stephen Evans, and ELN Senior Associate Fellow former UK Ambassador to NATO, Sir Adam Thomson, argue that NATO’s history demonstrates it is capable of combining strength and flexibility in times of crisis. They argue for a ‘back to basics’ approach to ease internal tensions, strengthen partnerships and move towards a state of ‘managed co-existence’ with Russia.

19 May 2025 | Stephen Evans and Adam Thomson

Policy briefs & reports

Policy brief

Technological complexity and risk reduction: Using digital twins to navigate uncertainty in nuclear weapons decision-making and EDT landscapes

This policy brief explores the integration of digital twin technologies into nuclear decision-making processes, assessing their potential to reduce risks stemming from emerging disruptive technologies (EDTs). It argues for international dialogue, transparency, and responsible innovation to prevent misuse, enhance NC3 resilience, and strengthen strategic stability through informed, scenario-based crisis simulations.

Policy brief

Turning down the heat: Addressing the growing salience of nuclear weapons

At the 2025 NPT Preparatory Committee in New York this month a key issue likely to spark debate is the increasing salience of nuclear weapons. All five nuclear-weapon states under the NPT are increasing the role and significance of nuclear weapons in their military and security policies, at odds with the commitments accepted under the NPT. This new policy brief from the ELN’s Protecting the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty project examines this challenge and offers recommendations for states to address it within the NPT framework.

16 April 2025
Policy brief

Focused Multilateralism: How China and Germany can better engage on arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation

Engaging China on multilateral arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation has become more urgent, but also more difficult. Even in times of increased competition between China, Russia, and the US, Europeans have agency and will need to up their level of ambition in pursuing their own interests in making multilateral instruments more resilient. ELN Policy & Research Director Oliver Meier and Michael Staack call for focused, substantive, and flexible dialogues between Europeans and Chinese.

18 March 2025 | Oliver Meier and Michael Staack

Podcasts and Media

Podcast

The Women Leaders podcast: China, the world, and power

China has long contrasted itself with the United States, and the West more generally, as offering trade and aid to developing nations, without subjecting partners to moral lectures on democracy and human rights. President Trump, on his recent visit to Saudi Arabia, announced that the US would no longer tie aid and trade to democracy and human rights, signalling a further retreat from the post-WW2 order and posing an unexpected challenge to China’s no-strings-attached global strategy. ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El explores this with Dr Ivana Karásková.

16 May 2025 | Ilana Bet-El and Florence Ferrando