On 4 February 2026, an article by Frederick Kempe, President and CEO of the Atlantic Council, was published on the Council’s website.

The Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (London) has published on their web site an article entitled “New START Expiry: Implications for Europe” by Senior Research Fellows Darya Dolzikova​ and Dr Sidharth Kaushal. It was published on the day when the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) expired.

In practice, European countries responded to Russia’s war against Ukraine very differently. Reality has shown that the states in the north and east were much more determined regarding this matter than those in the south of Europe.

Emmanuel Macron went to Beijing talking about dialogue and reset. This commentary suggests the reality was far less impressive. France wants a fresh start with China, but arrives weakened, divided and short on leverage. The visit exposed ambition without clout and a strategy still stuck between commerce and caution.

Europe says it is getting serious about China. This report suggests otherwise. Across trade, technology and security, the EU is still caught between recognition and reluctance. The risks are clearer than ever, but action remains cautious, uneven and heavily constrained by dependence and division.

A report entitled From Rupture to Relevance: Investing in Europe’s Southern Partnerships was published on the website of the Netherlands Institute of International Relations (Clingendael) on 3 February 2026. Its authors are Megan Price, head of the Conflict Research Unit, and Máté Szalai, a research fellow at the same unit.

Germany’s China policy has flipped from cosy commerce to uneasy competition, and this report explains why the old model finally broke. Berlin spent years selling the idea of win-win trade while piling up dependency and risk. Now reality has intruded. China is no longer just a market. It is a strategic challenger, and Germany is scrambling to adjust without wrecking its own economy.

Germany is tightening its belt, and Europe is about to feel it. This policy brief shows how Berlin’s medium-term fiscal plan prioritises domestic caution over continental leadership. The shift may please budget hawks at home, but it weakens Europe’s ability to invest, respond to shocks and act together when it matters.

A review made by Sophie Williams-Dunning for the RUSI and published in February 2026 deals with how dependence on Western technological platforms undermines Britain’s ability to counter foreign interference.

Europe is getting older, poorer in workers and heavier with promises it cannot easily pay. This working paper lays out the cold arithmetic behind ageing populations, migration policy and ballooning pension costs. The tone is technical, but the message is grim: demographic decline is already dragging on growth, and policy choices so far barely scratch the surface.