Russia’s war against Ukraine has echoed in Northern Europe and in the Arctic, where Russia is one of the most influential actors. The region’s security landscape has been significantly transformed after Finland and Sweden, two countries that had previously preferred cooperation with NATO over full membership, joined the Alliance. Because Finland shares a common land border with Russia, its decision was met internationally with reserved understanding. Sweden, however, is in a comparatively unthreatened region, thus for actors outside Northern Europe it was an unexpected move. So, was Stockholm’s decision really surprising? Why did it happen, and what are the potential consequences?
Tödliche Gewalt gegen friedlichen Aktivismus. Was wissen wir über die Ermordung von Menschen, die sich für Menschenrechte, Land- und Umweltschutz engagieren?
Im Jahr 2023 wurden laut Global Witness weltweit mindestens 196 Land- und Umweltaktivist*innen umgebracht, Front Line Defenders zufolge insgesamt 300 Personen, die sich für Menschenrechte einsetzen. Die Forschung zu dieser tödlichen Gewalt gegen friedlichen Aktivismus steckt noch in den Kinderschuhen. Was wissen wir über Charakteristika, Muster und Ursachen? Und was folgt daraus für die europäische und deutsche Politik?
The Limits of Autonomy. Critically Assessing Factors Limiting Full Autonomy of Military Uncrewed Ground Vehicles
The robots are coming! In 2024, no week has passed without eye-catching headlines stating that “the robot wars have […] begun” as part of “a new revolution of warfare.” As robots are increasingly integrated into society, they are also being introduced into the military. In the land domain, military robots are not necessarily humanoids, a la iRobot, but are often uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs). Looking closely, it becomes clear that we are quite far from the controversial notion of ‘fully autonomous’ robot warfare. High levels of autonomy likely won’t be achieved in UGVs in the mid-term, as the features that enable it are, ironically, its main weakness.
In the Run-Up to the BRICS+ Summit: Russia’s BRICS+ Soft Power Offensive in Fashion and Sport
Isolating Russia is a key element of the West’s response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. However, this strategy has only been partially successful. After more than two years of fighting, Russia has found ways to circumvent economic sanctions and political exclusion. This year’s BRICS+ summit, to be held in Kazan in October, is likely to illustrate this development. Russia will host a summit of the highest political and economic importance, bringing together leading powers from different regions of the world. This Spotlight unpacks and evaluates the effectiveness of Russia’s efforts to counter Western isolationist strategies by using soft power initiatives in the areas of fashion and sport in the run-up to the summit.
A Hands-Off Approach to International Law: The Frankfurt Administrative Court’s Stance on Arms Exports to Israel
On 15 July 2024, five individuals from Palestine applied for interim legal relief before the Administrative Court Frankfurt against the Federal Republic of Germany. They challenged arms export approvals by the German Government to Israel and claimed that these endangered their bodily integrity and life. The applicants argued that German arms control law should be interpreted in consideration of the duty to protect the right to life based on Art. 2 (2) 1 German Basic Law. They held that the export approvals violated several international law obligations and were thus unlawful.
How Another Trump Presidency Would Affect the Russo-Ukrainian War
The United States has long been the most vital ally for Ukraine in terms of military aid, economic support, and pressuring Russia through sanctions and diplomatic initiatives. Consequently, both Kyiv and Moscow look primarily to the United States when it comes to the international politics of the war. Due to the outsized role of the United States in this conflict, commentators have predicted that the course of the war would shift if Donald J. Trump would be elected US president on 5 November. But what is the merit of such forecasts?
Der letzte Akt: Die Präsidentschaftswahlen 2024 und die Autokratisierung Tunesiens
Am 6. Oktober 2024 findet in Tunesien die erste Runde der Präsidentschaftswahlen statt. Selbst wenn es einer Stichwahl im November bedarf, wird der aktuelle Präsident Saied wiedergewählt werden. Sein harter Autokratisierungskurs, den er 2021 begann, wird kein anderes Ergebnis zulassen. Auch wenn unklar ist, welche Beliebtheitswerte er wirklich noch in der Bevölkerung genießt, sollte diese Wahl eine Mahnung an die EU und Deutschland sein, weiterhin demokratische Standards bei sogenannten Partnerländern einzufordern, selbst wenn etwa Migrations- und Energieinteressen gegeben sind.
Securing the Vote: How the US Elections Have Become More Resilient to Threats to Election Integrity
The upcoming US presidential elections will serve as a stress test for election administration. Election denialism, (violent) threats and harassment, and concerns about foreign influence have shaped previous electoral environments. The 2022 midterm elections provided insights into the resilience of the electoral process and the state of implementation of a substantial new legislative package that was introduced after the 2020 presidential elections. While some challenges remain, the electoral infrastructure is ready to face Donald Trump’s potential claims of vote rigging and election denial.
UN Summit of the Future: Why the Climate-Gender-Conflict Nexus Would Be a Game Changer
World leaders and international civil society will gather in New York on 22-23 September 2024 for the UN Summit of the Future. The Summit is an event where world leaders meet and address current international issues and challenges to find consensus on how to create a better and safer present and future. This blog article takes issue with how the climate-gender-conflict nexus is (not) discussed in the lead-up to the summit. Reviewing the summit documents, I argue that the (draft) Pact for the Future treats gender justice, climate crisis, and conflict as separate silos of challenges, overlooking their interconnectedness. Instead, I emphasize the need for the Summit of the Future to take the climate-gender-conflict nexus seriously, recognizing the climate crisis as a risk multiplier that exacerbates gender inequalities and conflict dynamics.
Mit einem Referendum zum Frieden in der Ukraine?
Der anhaltende Angriffskrieg Russlands auf die Ukraine wirft die Frage auf, ob und wie eine politische Regelung die Kämpfe und Gewalt gegen die Zivilbevölkerung beenden kann. Jüngst empfahl Sahra Wagenknecht ein Referendum im Donbass und auf der Krim, um über die staatliche Zugehörigkeit dieser Gebiete zu entscheiden. Wie dieser Beitrag zeigt, können Referenden dazu beitragen, einen Konflikt zu regeln, allerdings unter Bedingungen, die im Krieg Russlands gegen die Ukraine nicht gegeben sind.
