Skip to content

Filter

86 results found
Page 1 of 15
Commentary

Hans Blix: Can arms control survive this dangerous age of war and rearmament?

Veteran diplomat and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Emeritus Hans Blix warns that a volatile world of renewed great-power conflict and accelerating rearmament is eroding the foundations of arms control. While nuclear deterrence still restrains escalation, diplomatic failure, proliferation risks, and waning trust in global agreements raise urgent questions about whether meaningful disarmament, and lasting peace, remain politically achievable.

10 April 2026 | Hans Blix
Commentary

Greenland was not an anomaly: An America guided by Trump’s global strategy requires more unity, toughness, and discernment from Europe

As the Greenland episode winds down following President Trump’s announcement of a “framework for a deal,” former U.S. diplomat Paul Fritch argues the saga was never about territorial acquisition, but a stress test of alliance cohesion in a world where Washington no longer treats cooperation and restraint as strategic virtues. The episode has exposed the limits of Europe’s cautious response to an America guided by hard power and transactional logic; he argues European leaders need to better understand what Trump views as weakness, and change their approach accordingly.

28 January 2026 | Paul Fritch
Podcast

The Women Leaders podcast: A cracking start to the year

2026 started with President Trump’s astonishing show of force in Venezuela, culminating in the seizure of President Maduro to face drug charges in the US. Whilst Venezuela’s future may be unclear, one thing that is now more than apparent is President Trump’s willingness to use might and ignore norms and laws to advance what he views as America’s foreign policy interests. To understand this better, Rachel Ellehuus, Director General of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), joins ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El.

9 January 2026 | Ilana Bet-El and Florence Ferrando
Commentary

Why states should remain in the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention: humanitarian and security imperatives

On Saturday, 10 January, Finland’s withdrawal from the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention or ‘Ottawa Treaty’, will come into effect. This follows the earlier withdrawals of Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia. Gary Toombs writes that while landmines may seem appealing as cheap, simple tools of defence, in reality, they are militarily outdated, strategically counterproductive, and devastating in humanitarian, economic, and environmental terms. States on the path to leaving the treaty should reconsider, as withdrawal would not strengthen their security but would undermine international law, erode alliances, and cause generational harm.

8 January 2026 | Gary Toombs
Podcast

The Women Leaders podcast: Mired in the Middle East

In light of the recent Gaza ceasefire, ELN Senior Associate Fellow Ilana Bet-El is joined by a Palestinian and an Israeli – Dr Tahani Mustafa (ECFR) and Dr Miriam Rosman (Dvorah Forum) – for a frank and raw discussion that lays bare both the hope and the deep divisions that persist in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

17 October 2025 | Ilana Bet-El and Florence Ferrando