EDITORIALS
Share
US troop cuts in Europe put pressure back on NATO’s missing capabilities
Washington’s planned reduction of its force presence in Europe has reopened questions over whether European allies can replace critical US military capabilities quickly enough. The planned reduction of US forces in Europe has placed renewed pressure on NATO’s European members…
Pentagon Cuts US Brigade Presence in Europe as Poland Rotation Is Delayed
The Pentagon says the reduction returns American brigade combat teams in Europe to their 2021 level, while Polish officials say no decision has been made to cut US military capability in Poland. The Pentagon has confirmed that the United States…
Ukraine’s mid-range drone strikes test Russia’s war machine
Kyiv’s expanding use of mid-range drones is putting pressure on Russian logistics, air defences and energy infrastructure, giving Ukraine a growing strike capability between frontline FPV attacks and long-range operations deep inside Russia. Ukraine’s expanding use of mid-range drone strikes…
Belarus Nuclear Drills Raise Pressure on NATO’s Eastern Flank
Belarus has begun training linked to the use of Russian nuclear weapons, adding a new military signal on NATO’s eastern border as Moscow and Minsk deepen their defence integration. Belarus said on Monday that its armed forces had begun training…
Keir Starmer Promises Rearmament While His Government Unravels
For a Prime Minister fighting for his political life, there is nothing quite so comforting as a large number with a pound sign in front of it. Sir Keir Starmer’s reported £18 billion “boost” to defence spending has all the…
EU Defence Ministers Move to Strengthen European Defence Agency as Procurement Pressure Grows
EU defence ministers have agreed to reinforce the European Defence Agency, including through new structures for innovation, experimentation and collaborative procurement, as member states face pressure to turn higher defence spending into usable military capability. EU defence ministers have agreed…
Putin’s Sarmat Missile Claim Leaves Questions Over Russia’s Strategic Deterrent
Moscow has presented the latest Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile launch as a strategic success. Yet the limited wording of the official announcement, the system’s troubled record and the timing of the claim leave important questions unresolved. Russia has sought to…
The Decline of British Military Power Is Europe’s Greatest Security Risk
For decades Britain has comforted itself with a dangerous fiction: that it remains one of the world’s foremost military powers. The uniforms are still impressive, the ceremonial pageantry remains unmatched, and politicians continue to speak the language of “global Britain”…
Trump’s Blind Spot: How America’s European Bases Serve Washington, Not Brussels
Donald Trump’s periodic threats to reduce—or even dismantle—America’s military footprint in Europe betray a strikingly narrow understanding of what those bases are for. The popular shorthand, often repeated in political rhetoric, is that the United States stations troops in Europe…
Trump’s Germany troop drawdown renews debate over Europe’s reliance on US security guarantees
Washington’s decision to withdraw around 5,000 troops from Germany, and cancel a planned long-range fires deployment, has raised concern in Congress and renewed pressure on Europe to accelerate its own defence planning. President Donald Trump’s decision to reduce the United…