In the latest episode of the Women Leaders podcast, ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El speaks with Kristina Zeleniuk (TSN) and Kim Barker (The New York Times) about reporting from Ukraine’s war zones. They explore how journalists effectively balance truth, safety, and state security whilst navigating frontline realities, civilian risks, and the pressures a long, brutal conflict places on independent journalism.
Following recent signals between the US and Russia over the possibility of renewed nuclear testing, we asked members to reflect on what this could mean for the broader global non-proliferation and arms control regime.
In the face of global trade wars, geopolitical realignments, weakening democracies and strengthening autocracies, wars both hybrid and kinetic, and increasingly fragile multilateralism, the world as we know it is undergoing a profound transformation. Professor Janice Stein, founder of the Munk School of Global Affairs, joins ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El in a fast-paced discussion on our age of revolution, from the US to China and Europe, and from the past to the future.
Development aid faces unprecedented disruption following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and USAID’s 2025 withdrawal, leaving vulnerable states exposed. The YGLN’s Economy Working Group consulted with analysts and practitioners on the ground to gain a deeper understanding of their perspectives on the cessation of aid and their future outlook. Experts urge renewed democratic aid, stronger EU commitment, transparency, and vigilance against authoritarian influence.
The ELN’s first impact report details the organisation’s accomplishments in reducing the risk of existential conflict and the power of our unique network, even at moments of deep geopolitical tension.
The recent violations of Allied airspace represent an unprecedented escalation of tensions between NATO and Russia. Matus Halas writes that NATO must try to protect its airspace against unauthorised activities, but the inconsistency of approach within NATO makes deterrence harder. While different incursions must be treated differently, there needs to be consistency both over time and across member states.