Publications

This RAD issue focuses on Russian President Vladimir Putin. First, Caroline von Gall and Laura Jäckel analyze current Russian constitutional reform, including what it means for presidential power. Second, Fabian Burkhardt examines how these reforms have further merged the institution of the Russian presidency with the current president. Third, Ulrich Schmid addresses what the constitutional reforms highlight about national identity in Russia, particularly regarding the role of ethnic Russians. Fourth, Gwendolyn Sasse covers how often the official Kremlin website refers to the annexation of Crimea and the war in eastern Ukraine.chevron_right

This paper contends that the growing number of UN personnel deployed to missions in violent, volatile, and complex settings has pushed the UN to improve safety and security efforts for its staff and c...chevron_right

This publication argues that the lesson China learned from the USSR’s response to the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident was exactly the wrong one: That the country’s leadership must never ad...chevron_right

This article is a response to Australian strategist Paul Dibb’s piece ‘How Australia Can Defend Itself Against China’s Military’, the main points of which addressed what is meant by Australian defense...chevron_right

Harith Hasan and Kheder Khaddour write that over the last two decades, the border area between the Bukamal in Syria and Qa’im in Iraq has become highly militarized and volatile. Indeed, it has developed into the focal point of a regional geopolitical rivalry populated by Iranian-backed militias and frequent US and Israeli airstrikes and drone attacks targeting them. In this publication, Hasan and Khaddour explore how this has come to pass and why this heavily securitized part of the border will likely remain a magnet for conflict for years to come.chevron_right

Oliver Thränert writes that since its entry into force on 5 March 1970, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) has established an international norm against the proliferation of nuclear weapons and served as the basis for a comprehensive non-proliferation regime. However, the NPT has been mired in a crisis of credibility for years and there is little prospect for a successful review conference for the treaty in 2020, something which takes place every five years. In this analysis, Thränert looks back on the NPT’s history, its achievements, the role of Switzerland and more.chevron_right

Kevin Kohler and Benjamin Scharte write that whether by predicting the global spread of the novel coronavirus originating from China or detecting wildfires in California, the use of artificial intelligence in civil protection promises to improve the prevention of, response to, and recovery from disasters. However, getting to this point requires the addressing of key challenges related to data, public sector access to AI talent, high-risk applications and more.chevron_right

In this report, Marie Baezner looks at the structure, organization, development, and challenges of reserve forces in military cybersecurity in Estonia, Finland, France, Israel, Switzerland and the US. Baezner finds that while all of these countries are developing cyber units based on their reserve forces, this remains a work in progress. Furthermore, the contextually dependent way these forces are used means it is difficult for countries to replicate each other’s reserve models. Nevertheless, Baezner contends that cyber reserves are a way for armed forces to close the workforce gap for in cybersecurity.chevron_right

Thomas Mahnken writes that in recent years, the US national security community has begun to focus on the need to compete with China and Russia. But in what way should the US move to embrace the return of great power competition? In this report, Mahnken reviews the US’ current national tools to compete and, if necessary, wage war by looking back on decades of US-Soviet rivalry to see if this past experience can still shed light on conditions today.chevron_right

A majority of peace agreements today contain crucial elements related to governance and security, social and economic issues, and justice and reconciliation. Justice and reconciliation, however, are particularly sensitive as they often involve significant political, legal and strategic dimensions – such as who will be prosecuted or be granted amnesty – and the issues associated with interpreting the rights and wrongs in a conflict. In this publication, Pierre Hazan contends with the tension between the search for peace and justice by looking at amnesties, addressing their definition, the international legal framework and transitional justice.chevron_right

The articles in this edition of the CTC Sentinel focus on 1) the July 2017 terrorist plot, in which two brothers based in Sydney, Australia, planned to bomb an Etihad flight to Abu Dhabi as well as ca...chevron_right

This paper looks at the EU’s international profile and the extent it aligns with the Union’s global strategy as well as the volume, nature and geographical allocation of its external projection. More ...chevron_right

This publication addresses hybrid warfare. More specifically, the author first addresses the present threat situation based on the various definitions of hybrid warfare, above all, how it is perceived...chevron_right

This analysis focuses on the implications of reports that the US National Institute of Health (NIH) funded bat coronavirus research in China’s Wuhan Institute of Virology. The issues addressed include...chevron_right

This publication looks at the dangers of disinformation, contact tracing apps, organized crime and other factors during the coronavirus crisis. The author holds that these threats are real. This means...chevron_right