The turmoil and changes of the past five years — from the coronavirus pandemic to the second Trump administration — make clear one basic fact: the post-Cold War era is over. To explore the meaning of this term, as well as the reality of living through it, ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El is joined by Professor Marci Shore.
Today, President Trump’s tariffs on all of the US’s major trading partners come into action. The Trump administration has declared today a “Liberation Day” from the global intertwined trade system, whilst at the same time nearly every other major economy has expressed their displeasure with the move. To discuss the tariffs, their effects, and the state of the global economy, ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El is joined by Rebecca Christie and Lauren Gloudeman.
For nearly 50 years, the OSCE has developed a toolbox to address security challenges across wider Europe. However, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has dismantled Europe’s existing security architecture, rendering many OSCE tools ineffective. Former ELN Policy Fellow Katia Glod argues that in spite of this, a resurgence of political commitment could reinvigorate the OSCE’s tools, enabling them to be adapted to current challenges. This report recommends concrete actions to be undertaken by the OSCE to improve the efficacy of its toolbox.
As European leaders prepare a peace plan for Ukraine, ELN Policy and Impact Director Jane Kinninmont and Dr Loïc Simonet argue that they should draw on the OSCE, as the organisation that helped manage risks and offer communication channels during the Cold War, and which includes Russia along with Ukraine.
In times of change, politicians often seek a return to past stability—but today, amid the most significant changes to Euro-Atlantic security since the end of the Cold War, no leader speaks of a status quo ante. In this special episode, ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El and Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže discuss Ukraine, the new realities in European defence, and the enduring impact of Russian and Soviet occupation.
The world shifted on 20 January 2025 with Donald Trump’s return to the White House. His bold actions—exiting the Paris Climate Agreement and World Health Organisation—signal an ambition to not only dismantle Biden’s legacy but elements of the post-war multilateral order. However, much of President Trump’s focus so far has centred on domestic issues, raising questions about the gap we may see between rhetoric and reality in US foreign policy under Trump 2.0. ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El explores this with Dr Kathleen McInnis.