Publications

The Siege Mentality: How Fear of Migration Explains the EU’s Approach to Libya

This report is part of The Eastern Mediterranean and Regional Security: A Transatlantic Trialogue series. Download The Siege Mentality: How Fear of Migration Explains the EU’s Approach to Libya The European Union’s stance towards the crisis in Libya is...

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Economic Interests, Political Conflicts, and External Interferences: The Complex Interlocking of the Libyan Crisis

In the last days of September 2020, Libya’s oil industry seemed to be on the verge of restarting its production after Gen. Khalifa Haftar announced the reopening of the oil fields and terminals that he had occupied and closed...

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Is the Atlantic Pact Sinking in the Deep Eastern Mediterranean?

The transatlantic alliance has periodically experienced deep divisions and diplomatic crises. The current situation in the Eastern Mediterranean seems to add one more such episode to its tumultuous history. Ever since the discovery of offshore hydrocarbons off the coast...

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Beyond Energy: The Geopolitical Determinants of Turkey’s Mediterranean Policy

The Eastern Mediterranean has recently emerged as one of the hottest conflict zones in the world. It has everything one would need for a nail-biting thriller: energy reserves, international companies, reckless leaders, and battleships trying to outmaneuver each other...

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U.S.-Latvia Defense Cooperation in Light of Trump’s Troop Withdrawals

Defense cooperation rarely enters the public eye. Although sometimes highlighted by politicians, generals, or major headline-making military exercises, much of it takes place under the radar as fairly mundane military financing and contact. However, it recently has entered the...

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Maritime Security Issues in the Baltic Sea Region

In June, NATO conducted a scaled down version of its annual BALTOPS naval drills in the Baltic Sea. But with a heavy emphasis on land-based deterrence since re-independence, the Baltic States and NATO alike have been largely plagued by...

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Latvia’s New State Defense Concept

In early June, Latvia published the 2020 iteration of its State Defense Concept (Valsts Aizsardzības Koncepcija) to replace the 2016 version. The Concept is a political planning document which will guide the details of defense policy and planning for...

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Europe as a Neutral Giant?

From Emmanuel Macron to Ursula von der Leyen, many European leaders dream of the European Union (EU) asserting itself one day as a geopolitical superpower in its own right. There is still a long way to go, however. True,...

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Baltic Security: The Same Challenges Remain, Even During a Pandemic

The implications of the COVID-19 pandemic go far beyond health issues and economy. It is a much broader challenge for the security of Western countries, not least for those at NATO’s Eastern frontier, like the Baltic states....

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Squaring the Circle: The Replacement of the German Luftwaffe’s Tornado

Over the last few weeks, a debate has intensified in German political and national security circles on the issue of replacing Panavia Tornado jets for the Luftwaffe. With entry into service in 1979, the Tornado as presently operated by...

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