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RUSI Newsbrief
Concise briefings on contemporary issues and trends in international security
July 2019, Vol: 39 No: 6
Beyond Passportisation in Eastern Ukraine: President Zelenskiy is Put to the Test
RUSI Newsbrief, 11 July 2019, No: 6Sébastien Gobert
How newly-elected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy responds to Moscow’s provision of Russian passports to residents in occupied Donbas will not only set the tone for his administration’s foreign policy, but could seriously unsettle Putin’s project of consolidating a sphere of influence in the post-Soviet region.
Tags: Ukraine, Russia, Global Security Issues
An Inevitable Tragedy or Tentative Hope in Sudan?
RUSI Newsbrief, 19 July 2019, No: 6Michael Jones
Whether the recently agreed peace deal in Sudan, allegedly aimed at a democratic transition and civilian rule, will lead to stability is far from a forgone conclusion.
Tags: African Union, National Security Studies, Sudan, Domestic Security, National Security, Africa
A Mackinder–Mahan Geopolitical View of China’s Belt and Road Initiative
RUSI Newsbrief, 5 July 2019, No: 6Adam Leong Kok Wey
Both born over 100 years ago, the geopolitical theories of Halford J Mackinder and Alfred Thayer Mahan offer timely clarity of the strategic interests behind China’s Belt and Road Initiative
Tags: China, Global Security Issues, New Silk Road
Delegating Deterrence: Can ‘Privateering’ Help Solve the Cyber Warfare Puzzle?
RUSI Newsbrief, 27 June 2019, No: 5David Rudd
In an era of great power competition, the UK and its allies may find that one answer to the challenge posed by adversary cyber operations lies in the distant past
Tags: Cyber, Modern Deterrence
The Toxic Legacy of the Northern Ireland Troubles
RUSI Newsbrief, 21 June 2019, No: 5Aaron Edwards
The 50th anniversary of the day that British troops first deployed to Northern Ireland offers an opportunity to reflect on the legacy of Operation Banner, and whether the security forces contributed to the troubles or prevented them.
Tags: Armed Forces, UK Counter-terrorism, Tackling Extremism, UK, History, National Security, Terrorism
The US–Turkey Strategic Stalemate
RUSI Newsbrief, 13 June 2019, No: 5Michael Stephens
Despite Daesh’s military defeat there remains a significant clash between the US and Turkey about Kurdish-controlled areas in Syria. Should Washington continue to support the Kurds?
Tags: Turkey, United States, Iraq, Counterinsurgency, Syria, Global Security Issues
Remembering D-Day
RUSI Newsbrief, 6 June 2019, No: 5Hew Strachan
On the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings, RUSI and YouGov have conducted a special opinion poll to assess current public attitudes to the event. The poll indicates that only half of Britain knows the significance of D-Day, a source of irony amid today’s polarised politics, says Sir Hew Strachan.
Tags: UK, History
British Public Attitudes Towards the Second World War
RUSI Newsbrief, 30 May 2019, No: 4Joel Faulkner Rogers
A new survey of the British public shows both profound reverence and some striking ignorance towards Britain’s involvement in the Second World War.
Tags: UK, History
Securing the Supply Chain: Implementing North Korea Sanctions Beyond Banking
RUSI Newsbrief, 24 May 2019, No: 4Emil Dall and Tom Keatinge
Ensuring the global supply chain is not abused by North Korea to evade international sanctions requires a systemic approach. The current response is failing, and the involvement of a far greater range of private sector actors is urgently needed.
Tags: Centre for Financial Crime and Security Studies, Counter-Proliferation Finance, North Korea, Proliferation and Nuclear Policy, Sanctions
Second Strike Communications
RUSI Newsbrief, 17 May 2019, No: 4Elisabeth Braw
To counter disinformation campaigns, liberal democracies should focus on second-strike capabilities.
Tags: Modern Deterrence, Military Sciences, Domestic Security, National Security, Technology
Apollo Plus Fifty: Lunar Ambitions and the New ‘Space Race’
RUSI Newsbrief, 3 May 2019, No: 4Alexandra Stickings
50 years on from the first lunar landing, the Moon is once again taking centre stage in international space ambitions. Yet, within a more democratised and complex space environment, and with Mars and other celestial bodies seen as additional exploratory targets, talk of a new ‘space race’ may be misplaced.
Tags: Aerospace, Military Sciences
The Impact of North Macedonia's Accession to NATO
RUSI Newsbrief, 25 April 2019, No: 3Dimitar Bechev
The road to NATO accession for the small Western Balkan country of North Macedonia has finally been opened following the settlement of a dispute with Greece concerning the country’s name. But what will North Macedonia be able to offer the Alliance, and why does NATO want to let in the newly renamed country?
Tags: NATO, Global Security Issues
Israel’s World is Shrinking: How the Iran–Russia Axis is Gaining Ground
RUSI Newsbrief, 18 April 2019, No: 3Kyle Orton
Israeli opinion generally regards the country’s efforts to contain Iran, especially in Syria, as having been successful. In fact, the trendline runs the other way: Iran is constraining Israel, entrenching all around the Jewish state.
Tags: Iran, Russia, Syria, Israel, Global Security Issues
History Resurgent: Old and New Challenges in the Western Balkans
RUSI Newsbrief, 12 April 2019, No: 3Alex Maciag
With competition for influence increasing, old tensions are being revived in the fragile Western Balkans. The West must avoid complacency and show leadership in resolving critical issues before they become dangerous.
Tags: NATO, European Union, Global Security Issues, Europe
The Rise, Fall and Future of Jihad in the North Caucasus
RUSI Newsbrief, 4 April 2019, No: 3Aleksandre Kvakhadze
Since the beginning of armed conflict in Syria and Iraq, thousands of militants from the Caucasus region have participated in the war. However, dislodging Daesh and a collapse of the insurgency in the North Caucasus have substantially diminished the capacities of North Caucasian jihadi groups. Nevertheless, militancy in the region has potential.
Tags: Tackling Extremism, Russia, Counterinsurgency, Terrorism, Global Security Issues, TerrorismPages
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