Dec 2020 | Publications

The rise of China gives the alliance renewed purpose after years of deadlock. It falls on Europe to invest in the opportunity that the Biden administration offers, argues Henrik Larsen in this CSS Policy Perspective. A new transatlantic bargain is needed, in which Europe invests more in the continent’s own security in return for the US engaging in a transatlantic dialogue about how best to counter China as a threat to resilience and liberal order. The incoming Biden administration offers an opportunity for a joint transatlantic approach to China, provided that Europe safeguards its critical infrastructure for continued intelligence sharing and joint military planning, and also shoulders a bigger burden in containing Russia, as the US shifts its focus to Asia.

30 Nov 2020 | Publications

The topic of this issue is “Russian Military Strategy.” In it, the authors challenge Western received wisdom about Russian strategy and aim to stimulate critical thinking. Andrew Monaghan critiques the West’s fixation on Russian hybrid warfare as outdated, while Dima Adamsky argues that Anti Access/Area Denial (A2/AD) is, contrary to Western conventional wisdom, nonexistent in the Russian lexicon. Michael Kofman unpacks these concerns further, questioning the scenarios for a Russian fait accompli in the Baltics envisioned by Western defense planning circles and challenging the claim that a Russian “fait accompli strategy” is even possible. Pavel Sharikov rounds out the issue by suggesting small steps that the US and Russia might take to enhance their cooperation on the nonmilitary use of cyberspace.

9 Nov 2020 | Publications

The topic of this issue is 'Media Capture'. Firstly, Heiko Pleines analyzes the control of business and state actors over mass media in Russia. Secondly, Esther Somfalvy summarizes the chain of events that led to the mass walkout of all leading editorial staff of the business newspaper Vedomosti and highlights the context in which it took place. Finally, Anna Litvinenko posits that the Russian state continues to tolerate social media, as they also provide a number of benefits for the regime, such as citizen feedback, illusion of democracy and a way to vent people’s anger.