Recording: Europe Confronting a Darkening Geopolitical Landscape

Dr Neil Melvin

17 March 202155 Minute Watch

How can Europe play a more effective foreign and security policy role in geopolitically important regions across the globe?

Overview

In this webinar, the RUSI International Security Studies team will consider the implications of the security developments taking place in three key regions – the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East and North Africa, and Russia and Eurasia – on Europe, viewed as a foreign and security policy actor. The panel will also reflect on how the UK can develop its post-Brexit foreign and security policies in these vital areas, including in concert with other European nations and in light of the UK government's Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy.

Rapid and often ominous developments over recent years are presenting Europe with major foreign and security policy challenges worldwide, and even in its neighbourhood. As Europe is confronted by an assertive Russia and China, it is also facing growing activity by regional actors, and the persistence of violent non-state groups. Increasingly, these disparate actors are operating simultaneously, and even cooperating, in regions of key importance to Europe. While the European Union has asserted an ambition to be both a regional and global actor, its actions have been tempered by a lack of strategic consensus. Meanwhile, NATO appears to be converging around a narrow geographic definition of its treaty-inspired missions, with few out-of-area engagements. Efforts to promote European ad hoc missions and cooperation remain small scale and have struggled to play a decisive role.

Against this background, European nations risk becoming marginal players in many of the key geopolitical regions across the globe.