Global Security Briefing

This episode of Global Security Briefing explores NATO's interest in China and the Indo-Pacific amid ongoing security challenges in Europe. At last month’s NATO summit in Washington, DC, China was identified as a ‘decisive enabler’ of Russia’s war against Ukraine. It was also noted that China ‘continues to pose systemic challenges to Euro-Atlantic security’. Many argue that the principal need is for NATO to concentrate on Europe. This is not just because of the Russo-Ukrainian war, but also because the US is focusing on China as its principal adversary, which will likely lead to Washington shifting more of the burden for European security to European allies. The construction of a ‘European pillar of NATO’ that can deter Russia is already a tall order. Is it realistic for Europeans to get involved in security issues on the other side of the world on top of that? And why are Asian countries interested in being linked more closely to NATO? This week, host Neil Melvin is joined by Dr Philip Shetler-Jones, RUSI Senior Research Fellow for Indo-Pacific Security, to answer these questions and more. This episode is brought to you as part of a research initiative at RUSI that looks at evolving transatlantic cooperation on China supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Concluding our series on how the UK’s new Labour government is approaching key foreign policy questions, we turn to the Middle East. It is in the Middle East that Labour’s ‘progressive realist’ foreign policy will be most tested – especially in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict.  Signalling the importance of the Middle East to the new government, Foreign Secretary David Lammy visited Israel and the Palestinian Territories just over a week after Labour’s election victory. The UK’s distinct regional profile has faded in recent years as London has approached the Middle East in broad alignment with the US and focused on concluding trade deals rather than pursuing high-level diplomatic engagements. Will the UK under a Labour government seek to carve out a more distinct regional approach and play a more prominent role in the Middle East? Host Neil Melvin is joined by Dr Burcu Ozcelik, RUSI Senior Research Fellow for Middle East Security, and Dr Michael Stephens, RUSI Senior Associate Fellow, to answer this and more.

Current UK China policy is defined by the three main concepts of protecting national interests, aligning with allies and engaging with China on key matters such as climate change where possible. But how are these approaches coordinated and prioritised? The previous UK government was prepared to live with the ambiguity inherent in this approach, arguing that complexity of relations with China demanded a policy which takes into account the divergent and simultaneous trends in UK–China ties. But while in opposition, Foreign Secretary David Lammy articulated his party’s intention of conducting ‘a full audit across Whitehall of our relationship with China so that we can set the direction and a course’. In this episode, host Neil Melvin is joined by RUSI Senior Associate Fellows Isabel Hilton and Andrew Cainey to discuss how Labour will approach the balance between security, values, economic interests and environmental concerns and the difficult trade-offs inherent in dealing with China.

On the heels of a landslide victory, this episode examines the newly elected UK Labour government’s plan to refashion the UK’s security and defence ties with Europe. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his team have identified the forging of a new relationship with the EU as a priority. Security, which was not part of the withdrawal agreement, is seen as a low-hanging fruit in this context, given the UK’s important resources and London’s generally shared interests with the EU. However, since Brexit, much has changed in European security, and the degree to which the EU will be a strategic actor of regional and global significance is uncertain. What should the new government’s priorities be for building the UK’s role in European security? What weight should security and defence ties with the EU have in this set of policies, and what sort of relationship should London look to foster? Host Neil Melvin is joined by Richard Whitman, Professor of Politics and International Relations at the University of Kent and RUSI Senior Associate Fellow, and Jake Benford, Senior Project Manager for the Europe Programme at the Bertelsmann Stiftung.

In this episode, GSB takes a look at how the 75th Anniversary Summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization aims to shape the future of the Alliance. The summit takes place in Washington, DC, from 9 to 11 July, and is being billed as a celebration of the Alliance, often termed the most successful in history. There will also be attention to NATO’s recent efforts to rebuild its capacity to deter and defend against threats, notably from Russia, but with an eye on China too. In this episode, host Neil Melvin is joined by Oana Lungescu, RUSI Distinguished Fellow and the longest serving NATO Spokesperson (2010–23), and the first woman and first journalist to hold the post, as well as Ed Arnold, RUSI Senior Research Fellow. They discuss the main agenda items and decisions that will have to be made by the Alliance at Washington, as well as how NATO aims to set its future trajectory.

Exploring geopolitical tensions in the South Atlantic and Antarctica, the podcast discusses UK-Argentina disputes over the Falkland Islands, Russian oil exploration in Antarctica, and China's growing presence. It examines territorial disputes, economic potential, and collaboration efforts in Antarctica. The evolving dynamics of Antarctica's governance and increasing involvement of countries like China and India are also highlighted.

In the face of growing security challenges, this episode discusses what is on the agenda for Taiwan’s new leadership. Taiwan is not merely a democracy; it is an outstanding example of a democracy. The Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2023 Democracy Index ranked Taiwan top in Asia and 10th globally (ahead of the UK and US) among the 167 countries and territories it surveys. Like all democratic countries, Taiwan’s electoral preoccupations are a mix of domestic and foreign. But the inauguration of the incoming administration has been transformed into a global security event, because Taiwan is at the centre of a looming confrontation between the US and the People’s Republic of China. In this episode, host Neil Melvin is joined by Dr Winnie King, Senior Lecturer at the University of Bristol, and Thomas des Garets Geddes, RUSI Associate Fellow, to discuss how the inauguration of a new government in Taiwan will affect cross-strait relations, and how might this play into the larger story of the Sino-US confrontation. What can we expect next?

An in-depth exploration of the Australia–UK–US defence capability agreement (AUKUS) and what it means for the UK’s foreign and security policy in the Indo-Pacific. Launched in September 2021, AUKUS is well into its third year. The unique trilateral partnership has the potential to bring about massive changes in the Indo-Pacific security landscape. But what exactly is it? Should we see it as a new type of alliance, or simply another arms deal? Is it just a trilateral procurement framework, or something far more original in the realm of multilateralism? In this episode, host Neil Melvin is joined by Charles Edel, Senior Adviser and the Inaugural Australia Chair at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, and Dr Philip Shetler-Jones, Senior Research Fellow, Indo-Pacific Security at RUSI, to answer these very questions and to delve into what AUKUS means for the future of UK foreign policy. This episode is brought to you as part of a programme supported by the Embassy of Japan.

How is Russia reorienting its relationship with Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan? Since the collapse of the USSR, Russia has sought to strengthen its security position in the South Caucasus, notably around the region’s protracted conflicts and using its strategic relationship with Armenia. Vladimir Putin’s decision in March 2022 to invade Ukraine has, however, raised questions about Russia’s ability to maintain its regional leverage. At the same time, Azerbaijan’s series of military actions in the Karabakh conflict have further undercut Moscow’s position. Increasingly, Russia appears no longer to be the dominant actor in the region. In this episode, host Neil Melvin is joined by Natia Seskuria, Founder and Executive Director of the Regional Institute for Security Studies (RISS), and Richard Giragosian, Director of the Regional Studies Centre, to examine Russia’s engagement in the South Caucasus. What are Moscow’s strategic goals in the region, and to what extent is Russia looking to establish a new status quo in the South Caucasus?

Following Iran’s attack on Israel, we consider the future of conflict in the Middle East and the possibility of an all-out regional war. The recent strike on Israel by Iran and its allies has reignited fears of a wider regional war and speculation over what form it could take. In this episode, host Neil Melvin is joined by Dr H A Hellyer, RUSI Senior Associate Fellow, and Dr Louise Kettle, RUSI Associate Fellow and Assistant Professor of International Relations at the University of Nottingham, to explore how – and to what extent – the Middle East is undergoing a political and security transformation that is being accelerated by the current round of regional violence and confrontation. What sort of regional power balance is likely to emerge from the current crisis? And what are the realistic prospects for a full-blown regional war?