Articles by: "Mark Leonard"
The Trump effect may galvanise Europe

Not for the first time, the central figure at this year’s Munich Security Conference was someone not in attendance. This year was Donald Trump’s turn. Like most participants at this annual ‘Davos of Defence’, I …

The global consequences of the Israel–Hamas war

War has returned to the Middle East. A month after Hamas militants carried out their brutal rampage, Israel’s military retaliation continues with an intensifying ground offensive in Hamas-controlled Gaza. For people living, or with family, …

The geopolitics of EU enlargement

Where will Europe’s borders end? On 6 October, EU leaders convened in Granada, Spain, to discuss a question that has captivated Eurocrats, think tanks and journalists throughout the bloc since the start of the war …

This cold war is different

US President Joe Biden brought the leaders of allies Japan and South Korea to Camp David last month to discuss how to contain China and counter Russia’s influence—for example, in Africa’s Sahel region, which has …

The West’s China crossroads

Last month, Canada suddenly announced that it was freezing all ties with the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, a multilateral lender created by China as an alternative to the World Bank. According to Canada’s finance minister, …

Governing a post-Western world

When NATO leaders descend on Vilnius for next week’s annual summit, they will demonstrate that the organisation, newly united behind support for Ukraine, is far from ‘brain dead’, as French President Emmanuel Macron infamously described …

The post-American Middle Eastern order

May was a busy month for diplomats in the Middle East. Twelve years after the Arab League suspended Syria’s membership, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was officially welcomed back into the fold. As the protracted war …

The Ukraine war and European identity

The European Parliament elections are still a year away, but political parties across the EU have already shifted to campaign mode. While the election will undoubtedly feature a wide range of views on climate change, …

Xi Jinping’s idea of world order

By all accounts, Chinese President Xi Jinping has had a successful few weeks. Hot on the heels of the Chinese-brokered restoration of diplomatic ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia, he used his recent visit to …

The next globalisation

Is globalisation coming back to life? That was the big question at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, where WEF founder Klaus Schwab asked whether it is possible to have cooperation in an …

Russia-proofing Europe

Ukraine will enter 2023 with wind in its sails. Against all odds, it repelled Russia’s initial attempt to take Kyiv, then recaptured extensive territory around Kharkiv and Kherson, and inflicted heavy losses on the invading …

Peak Atlantic unity?

European leaders are breathing a huge sigh of relief following the Republicans’ failure to achieve a ‘red wave’ in the US midterm elections. While the final composition of the House of Representatives remains unknown, the …