Pulaski Policy Papers

The Russian large scale invasion against Ukraine on 24th February 2022 provoked a debate in Germany on the relations with China, which had become increasingly problematic over the past decade.

The US-China relationship appears to be becoming increasingly confrontational, with the Biden administration largely continuing the line adopted by Donald Trump.

NATO used to hold its heads of state and government meetings (summits) every few years. Now, due to the extraordinary challenging security situation (the ongoing war in Europe, the biggest since 1945) suach gatherings take place de facto every year.

The strategic significance of the South China Sea is primarily attributed to its geographical location, rendering it one of the world's busiest and most strategically important shipping routes.

In recent times, Saudi Arabia - a longstanding strategic partner of the United States - has embarked on a new course in its foreign policy. Riyadh has intensified cooperation with China and drawn closer to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Now, the House of Saud is signaling readiness to join the anti-Western BRICS bloc.

Since the outbreak of Russia’s large scale invasion against Ukraine Poland procured a significant number of military equipment, which should increase the firepower of the Polish Armed Forces. The Polish Armed Forces also have not forgotten about the development of cyberarmy, which was established in 2018 and should be fully operational by 2026. The question is whether Poland has the potential and will to be a significant power in cyberspace?

Europe's pursuit of greener energy through the expansion of renewable technologies has led to a growing dependence on raw materials and rare elements that are predominantly produced outside its borders, notably in China and other countries. This reliance on external sources introduces complexities and challenges to the region's energy transition.

One of the somewhat unexpected (but highly welcome), consequences of the barbaric war waged by Russia against Ukraine and Moscow’s open confrontation with the West, has been a commendable show of unity not just from NATO, but also the European Union (EU).

Turkish elections were not forged but it doesn’t mean that they were free and fair. High turnout could suggest that the main winner was democracy but this is not the case.

Despite mounting pressure, South Korea remains unwilling to provide military assistance to Ukraine. This stance is rooted not only in Seoul's longstanding policy of refraining from supplying arms to nations engaged in active conflict, but also in the highly sensitive security situation in the region.

During the early stages of the war, some were worried that Russia's aggression against Ukraine could lead to a similar attack on Taiwan by China. This argument was not unfounded, as a quick Russian victory could embolden China to launch an attack on Taiwan, while a prolonged conflict in Europe could prevent the United States from deploying more forces to the Indo-Pacific.

Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) needs to become an attentive listener if its countries want to advocate for its interests more effectively. With the war in Ukraine ongoing and the challenge of the country’s reconstruction looming on the horizon, the regional decision-makers have to show more understanding of the challenges faced by their partners in other parts of the continent. They also need to embark on the path to resolve bilateral disputes with the EU institutions and major EU Member States to increase the region’s credibility at international level in the times of changing global security landscape.

As China gained more influence in terms of its economic power, the political ambitions of Beijing have dramatically grown. These tendencies are reminiscent of the continuing centralization of authority that commenced subsequent to the 19th Party Congress in 2017.

In March 2023 the US  Department of Defense (DoD) presented its budget for the Fiscal Year 2024 (September 2023 – September 2024). As the DoD representatives and the overview of the budget emphasised it is “the most strategy-driven request we’ve ever produced from the Department of Defense.”

Recently, the Wagner Group has been on the lips of everyone interested in global conflicts. Its infamous brutal nature attracted international attention when Putin began engaging militants from a Kremlin-linked private army in the war in Ukraine.

There is much talk in Europe about Russia’s ability to wage a prolonged war in Ukraine.

The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine has prompted Warsaw and Kyiv to put aside grievances in the name of common security interests.

The US’s expansion of its military presence in Southeast Asia is another step taken by the White House to strengthen its position vis-à-vis China in the Indo-Pacific.

Following the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the impetus for a rapid clean energy transition has never been stronger. This position was confirmed by the European Commission’s (EC) REPowerEU initiative, a plan to phase out Europe’s dependence on fossil fuels before 2030 and to increase the resilience of the EU energy system.

The Republic of Moldova has received a significant amount of international media and experts’ attention in the past two months. The primary reason is the fear that Russian aggression against Ukraine might spill over into the republic to prevent it from drifting into the West. It is crucial to understand the scale of threats posed to Moldova by the Kremlin’s different scenarios as well as implications for the security situation in Ukraine.

On 27th of February President Emmanuel Macron announced a new approach in French policy on Africa, stressing an end of Francafrique. The new policy would be based on the logic of partnership and solidarity instead of logic of interventionism, aid and protectionism.

Ukraine is pressing its international partners to begin delivering multirole aircraft. Although such discussions have been ongoing for some time and some MiG-29s were reportedly handed over by Poland, this plan – at least when it comes to Western aircraft – remains unlikely. There is a lack of political will, and concerns related to such move cannot be ignored. Nonetheless, NATO and EU member states still have several options to support Ukraine’s aviation.

All societies, countries, organisations, and private individuals functioning in public information space are confronted with the challenge of disinformation.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought an unprecedented chance to end the existence of harmful stereotype of Central and Eastern Europe as a region where the Kremlin has special interests.

Poland's military procurements, resulting from the growing threat from Russia, are unprecedented in their scale. They provide not only opportunities – Poland can significantly boost its combat capabilities and thus its position within NATO – but also generate serious challenges which cannot be underestimated. Many questions remain unanswered.

In a recent development a number of senior UK defence industry officials arrived in Kyiv to discuss plans for a joint venture between the two countries.

Most of us remember vividly the 11th September, 2001 – it was the day that changed many peoples’ lives and forced countries and international institutions to adapt their way of life, their priorities and strategies.

It will soon be a year since Russia invaded Ukraine. Since February 24, 2022, the question of the position of African states on this conflict remains suspended in space.

Natural gas is the cleanest fossil fuel; its CO2 emissions are about half of that of coal and just one-third of brown coal emissions.

The Balkans, historically known as a region of great powers’ clashing interests, have seen a new wave of political instability in the past year. Hotspots include: tensions on Kosovo-Serbian border, government crisis in Montenegro and Bulgaria and, lastly, the long lasting institutional deadlock in Bosnia and Herzegovina that could cause a new outbreak of violence.

Recently Tokyo announced three key security-related documents, which – if implemented – would deeply change Japan’s military capabilities and its position in a geostrategic landscape of Asia.

It has been eleven months since the start of the Russian large-scale invasion of Ukraine. The almost year long period of open warfare has taken its toll on the armed forces of both sides.

In March 2022 the Ukrainian government estimated that up to 20 000 individuals applied to join that country’s “International Legion.”

The 24th February marks a turning point in many areas of German politics. Eastern policy is one of the key ones. Although in this area the most discussed aspect is the attitude towards Russia, it is vital to recognise the evolutionary approach towards Ukraine.

9 months into the invasion, the Grain from Ukraine summit took place in Kyiv. Western leaders gathered there, while commemorating the victims of Holodomor, have finally acknowledged the need for secure and reliable transport schemes to and from Ukraine.

It has been nine months since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. During this time an unprecedented number of battles and engagements could have been observed.

The explosion of Nord Stream gas pipelines became a breaking point in the energy war between Russia and Europe. Handling Nord Stream as a commercial project rather than the Kremlin’s geopolitical tool, Germany’s energy policy lived on as a double-edged sword, which sharpened in today’s European energy crisis.

The United States 2022 midterm elections have in the past been of little interests to the majority of global publics. This is because they were both predictable (the U.S. Congress usually falling into the hand of the party opposing the sitting President) and inconsequential for the general direction of U.S. foreign policy (which over the last three decades enjoyed a large bipartisan consensus).

Pulaski Policy Paper no 25, November 11 2022 In October 2022, nearly two years after the Joe Biden administration took power in the United States, a new National Security Strategy

Press reports, circulating in October 2022, about the Russian use of weapons obtained from Iran were, on the one hand, perceived as a sensation and a surprise.

Since its commencement in February 2022, the Russo-Ukrainian war has posed what some deem the most severe challenge to Europe since the Yugoslav War of the 1990s. Alongside diminishing security levels, Europe has seen the onset of a humanitarian disaster which continues to disproportionately affect Ukrainian women and girls.

The recent ceremony at the Kremlin when V. Putin announced annexation of four Ukrainian regions was as futile as it was emblematic of the current state of affairs in Moscow.

Recent expansion of terrorism and the political-military destabilisation indicate a breakdown in the security structure of the Sahel region, even though we can hardly name it a structure.

Latest clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan are part of the protracted conflict between these two countries. Though the main reason of it is the status of Artsakh, it also concerns Syunik province and never demarcated border between these two countries.

One of the consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Western sanctions that followed has been deteriorating economic situation in Kaliningrad Oblast. The Russian semi-exclave on the Baltic, already affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions, has suffered from disrupted supply deliveries, closure of external markets and peaking transportation costs.

On June 23rd, 2022, at the EU summit in Brussels Ukraine has been granted the EU candidate status. The decision was fully supported by the European Parliament, which has approved it with an overwhelming majority that has voted in favour of Kyiv (529:45, with 14 abstentions).

The Russo-Ukrainian war, which started on 24 February has been the most significant armed conflict in Europe since the II World War. Alongside the traditional fight with artillery, tanks and ground troops’ fighting, it is also the first time when a cyber component is used on the wider scale by both sides. Many theoretical works have been published predicting how the war in cyberspace may look like but the war in Ukraine delivers actual answers to some questions bothering the experts and also brings important lessons for Poland.

Started on 24 February 2022, Russian invasion ended a “hybrid” period of armed aggression against Ukraine’s independence, democracy and policy of integration with EU and NATO.