Global Security Briefing

Originally published 5 May 2022.

Hosts Darya Dolzikova and Tobias Borck wrap up this season of 'Mind the Gulf' podcasts with a discussion on the current state of the Iran nuclear negotiations and possible future trajectories with guests Dr Naysan Rafati (International Crisis Group) and Dr Cinzia Bianco (European Council on Foreign Relations).

The discussion touches on the dynamics at play in Washington, Tehran and Europe, and on their likely implications for the future of regional security in the Gulf.

The evolving role of NATO in the Arctic and High North is examined as the alliance looks to adapt its existing engagement and develop new responses to the fast-shifting regional security environment.

Brigadier Robbie Boyd, formerly of the British Army and currently Managing Partner at Gartner, and Katarina Kertysova, Policy Fellow at the European Leadership Network and Global Fellow at the Kennan and Polar Institutes of the Wilson Centre in Washington, discuss with Dr Neil Melvin, Director, International Security Studies at RUSI, the role that NATO is seeking to establish in the Arctic and High North, as tensions in the region increase and as European security undergoes significant shifts in the wake of Russia's war on Ukraine.

Originally published 27 April 2022.

While the war in Ukraine ravages on, Taiwan is watching and learning.

In this episode, Veerle is joined by Dr Norah Huang, Director for International Relations at the Prospect Foundation in Taipei, to explore similarities between the current war in Ukraine and potential cross-Strait scenarios. They ask what lessons Beijing and Taipei might be learning from the war in Ukraine, and discuss what this means for Taiwan’s future relations with the US and Europe.

Originally published 21 April 2022. 

Hosts Darya Dolzikova and Tobias Borck look at the UK’s relationships with Iran and the Gulf monarchies, as well as London’s role in nuclear diplomacy with Iran and regional security.

Their guests Dr Sanam Vakil (Chatham House) and Professor Ali Ansari (St Andrews) trace the UK’s long history in the Gulf, and highlight the challenges facing policymakers in London.

Originally published 21 April 2022.

India’s non-aligned position is under increasing pressure.

Veerle is joined by Aaditya Dave, RUSI Research Analyst, to discuss India’s reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the domestic discourse and policy debate in New Delhi, and the divergent course that India has taken from its Quad partners. They also discuss UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s current visit to New Delhi as part of the ‘Indo-Pacific Tilt’, and what opportunities lie ahead for European partners to deepen their bilateral relations with India.

This episode explores how changing security and defence dynamics in the Arctic and High North are affecting Europe, and how northern European states are seeking to upgrade their Arctic policies in response. The cases of Denmark and Estonia are considered in detail.

Dr Mikkel Runge Olesen, Senior Researcher for Foreign Policy and Diplomacy at the Danish Institute for International Studies, and Tomas Jermalavicius, Head of Studies at the International Centre for Defence and Security in Estonia, discuss with Dr Neil Melvin, Director, International Security Studies at RUSI, how Europe has had to adapt its Arctic and High North defence and security policies because of Russia’s changed regional position and against the backdrop of rising tensions. The approaches of Denmark, as an Arctic state, and Estonia, as a country increasingly part of the broad northern security space linking the Arctic and Baltic regions, are considered.

Originally published 7 April 2022. 

In this episode, hosts Darya Dolzikova and Tobias Borck discuss Israel’s perspective on Iran, the Iranian nuclear programme, and wider regional security.

Their guest, Professor Yossi Mekelberg, Associate Fellow, Chatham House Middle East and North Africa Programme, explains why Israel sees Iran as the main threat to its security, and suggests that Israel’s threats to destroy Iranian nuclear facilities should be taken seriously.

This episode considers the implications of Russia’s increasingly aggressive foreign and defence policies for peace and security in the Arctic, and how China’s growing interest in the polar territories is further reshaping regional relations.

Dr Katarzyna Zysk, Professor of International Relations and Contemporary History at the Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies, and Dr Camilla Sørensen, Associate Professor at the Institute for Strategy and War Studies at the Royal Danish Defence College, discuss with Dr Neil Melvin, RUSI Director of International Security Studies, how the security and defence environment of the Arctic has undergone far-reaching shifts, with Russia pursuing military modernisation and a destabilising foreign and security policy towards the transatlantic community, and China’s interests in the Arctic growing rapidly.

Originally published 1 April 2022.

Tactics below the threshold of war will need continued attention.

In this episode, Veerle is joined by Alexander Neill, an analyst and consultant on Asia-Pacific geopolitical risk and security, foreign affairs and defence based in Singapore.

They discuss current RUSI research on state-led interference as a tool of geopolitical competition below the threshold of warfare, and how this is experienced in the Indo-Pacific. They examine how the debate around this topic is evolving here and in Southeast Asia; do we see the challenge of illegitimate sub-threshold competition and experience such activities in the same way? They highlight noteworthy instances that have brought the issue of interference and disinformation into the spotlight, explore what countermeasures have been put in place, and consider what the road ahead might look like.

Originally published 24 March 2022. 

Hosts Darya Dolzikova and Tobias Borck look at the UAE’s perspectives on Iran and its nuclear programme, as well as regional security.

They are joined by Sheikha Najla Al-Qassimi (B’Huth), who explains how the UAE balances its deep security concerns about Iran’s behaviour in the region and its extensive trading relations with the Islamic Republic. She also touches on the UAE’s views of the US, Russia and China. In addition, Darya and Tobias discuss the latest developments in the region and the nuclear talks.