War in Ukraine: Security, trade and oil
While the US was seeking to generate international support for Ukraine and contain a jump in oil prices, the White House tried unsuccessfully to organize calls between US President Biden and the de facto presidents of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The monarchies of the Persian Gulf have so far refused to raise […]
Has Putin overplayed his hand in Ukraine?
Vladimir Putin has long harboured grievances against the West that have fuelled his “revanchist” foreign policy. This is no secret. In an essay that Putin wrote in July 2021, he declared that the current territory of Ukraine was once Russian land and that legitimate sovereignty for Ukraine could only be established in partnership with Russia. […]
What role could Britain play in deterring a Russian invasion of Ukraine?
At the time of writing, Conservative MPs are tying themselves in knots as to when, or if, to ditch Boris Johnson. Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin, the autocratic President of Russia, rattles his proverbial sabre at his next-door neighbour. While the exact number is uncertain, Ukraine alleges Russia has amassed 127.000 troops on its border. This includes […]
Post-Brexit security cooperation between the UK and Europe
In December 2021, Christopher Guest More was convicted, along with 3 others, of killing Brian Waters – more than 18 years after the murder. More left the country for Spain two days after the killing, later settling in Malta, where he was living under a false name. It was not until 2019 that he was […]
Harmonizing Europe’s Military and Counter-Terrorism Capabilities
At the end of October this year, the Bison Counter 2021 kicked off. The European Defence Agency (EDA) supported multinational Counter-IED exercise hosted this year by the Italian Armed Forces in Sardinia, brings together teams from Europe and the US. Bison Counter is today the largest and most relevant EU exercise of the C-IED community. […]
Lukashenko and the weaponization of migrants
The migrant crisis at the Poland-Belarus border rumbles on with thousands still stranded on the Belarusian side. The crisis began in late August, when Belarus began offering tourist visas to asylum seekers from the Middle East, then shepherded them to the borders of Poland, Latvia and Lithuania. In response, neighbouring countries began to fortify their […]
The Private Sector is Vital for UK Counterterrorism Success
The private sector is not what most people may first think of when it comes to counterterrorism (CT). However, it certainly plays a major role in these efforts. Research has suggested a lot more work is needed within the sector to counter the continued threat that terrorism poses. Greater public-private sector cooperation can enable this […]
Jihadi Lone Wolf Attacks Still Threaten Europe
According to the 2021 European Union Terrorism Situation and Trend Report, the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda networks have continued to inspire “lone wolf” attacks in Western countries, while most jihadist terrorist attackers used unsophisticated attack methods. Most of the attacks that took place in Europe during 2020 were carried out by individuals that […]
Right versus Left Political Violence: an Anarchist perspective
Over the last year, extremist organisations exploited the Covid-19 pandemic to spread radical discourse across Europe, according to EUROPOL’s TESAT report released on Tuesday, June 22. Such political groups pose a significant threat and, despite their diverging agendas, extreme left-wing and right-wing political groups articulate an anti-systemic political language that condones violence as the ultimate […]
Covid-19 and Far Right Terror: The Quiet Before the Storm?
At first sight, it appears lockdown has been good for society’s battle against terrorism. According to data, in 2018 there were 1,056 arrests across the combined EU area and the UK for terror-related activity. In 2019 there were 1,004. But in 2020 that figure dropped to just 449. Deaths caused by terror attacks declined from […]