As the UK strongly supports Ukraine against attack, Boris Johnson’s visit to Saudi Arabia this week raised the question “what about Yemen?”. The two wars are very different, politically and legally, but the Yemen war has important lessons about how an invasion can also harm the invader, writes the ELN’s Impact Director Jane Kinninmont.
Despite diplomatic channels between Russia and Western countries narrowing in the aftermath of the invasion, in early March the US and Russia announced that they would establish a hotline to avoid miscalculation or escalation. Juliette Faure outlines key lessons from the US-Russia deconfliction measures in Syria starting in 2015.
As nuclear weapons make headlines once more, the images and narratives that pervade focus on fear and panic leading to paralysing doom and political stasis. For sustained engagement and real-world change, Elizabeth Talerman and Shazeeda Bhola from The Nucleus Group write that a fundamental shift is required in how the nuclear conversation is framed — invoking hope instead of fear and identifying solutions and shared ambitions.
Lord Michael Ashcroft reports that a recent survey by Lord Ashcroft Polls in Ukraine shows that Ukrainians wish to stand and fight, and that while most see their future closer to Europe than to Russia, they do not consider the Russian people to be “the enemy.”
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine increases nuclear risks and represents a major setback for multilateral nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament diplomacy. To mitigate the risk of nuclear escalation, the P5 must demonstrate to the international community that they stand behind their joint affirmation that “a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.”
On International Women’s Day 2022, the ELN is proud to showcase some of the brilliant women in our network. Watch Nathalie Tocci, Marietje Schaake, Nana Kalandarishvili and Julia Berghofer discuss leadership, diversity, and more.
The unfolding horror in Ukraine has brought calls for an immediate ceasefire and the opening of humanitarian corridors. These are vital, but Russia’s approach to these measures in Syria means that securing them in Ukraine will require caution and careful negotiation, writes Emma Beals.
As nuclear deterrence receives renewed attention, Ward Wilson reconsiders what we know about nuclear deterrence, examines what we don’t know, and thinks about what work still needs to be done. Wilson argues that greater emphasis needs to be put on psychology and neuroscience, examining past failures more closely, and comparing criminal deterrence and nuclear deterrence.
In the midst of the current crisis, ELN resources from our Network of security policy leaders from 40 European countries can help explain what is happening now and provide context and principles for future efforts to re-establish peace and security.