Council on Geostrategy

The British Army: Balancing aspirations and reality The Memorandum | No. 10.2026

🪖 ‘Ultimately, the British Army should assess its abilities candidly, and be willing to prioritise what is essential to ensure long-term effectiveness,’ writes Rory Copinger-Symes CBE

#Memorandum #BritainsWorld #StrategicDefenceUnit

Should Britain embrace a tougher approach towards Iran? The Big Ask | No. 09.2026

❓ ‘The question becomes less about being tough towards 🇮🇷, and more about the challenge to remain firm in policy as the requirement for defensive (and offensive) activity mounts,’ notes Dr Louise Kettle, @uniofnottingham.bsky.social

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#BritainsWorld #BigAsk

Should Britain embrace a tougher approach towards Iran? The Big Ask | No. 09.2026

‘Reducing 🇮🇷 capacity to support 🇷🇺 can only benefit 🇬🇧 in its pursuit of its primary European security concern; ensuring 🇺🇦 attains peace via military capabilities and meaningful security guarantees,’ writes Prof. Richard Whitman, @kent.ac.uk

#BritainsWorld #BigAsk

Should Britain embrace a tougher approach towards Iran? The Big Ask | No. 09.2026

‘Deciding after the fact to deploy 🇬🇧 forces to defend Cyprus and sail HMS Dragon to the region...only reinforces that Sir Keir’s original decision was ill-considered and politically costly,’ argues @joshuachuminski.bsky.social, Centre for the Study of Presidency & Congress

#BritainsWorld #BigAsk

Should Britain embrace a tougher approach towards Iran? The Big Ask | No. 09.2026

🌐 ‘Escalating tensions with 🇮🇷 could expose 🇬🇧 military assets abroad to retaliation and increase the risk of entanglement in a wider Middle Eastern conflict,’ notes Dr Marina Miron, King’s College London

#BritainsWorld #BigAsk

Should Britain embrace a tougher approach towards Iran? The Big Ask | No. 09.2026

🪖 ‘Sir Keir’s response to Operation EPIC FURY has been appropriate and entirely understandable. The 🇬🇧 Armed Forces are already stretched, and it makes little strategic sense to extend them further,’ argues @warmatters.bsky.social, Swedish Defence University

#BritainsWorld #BigAsk

Should Britain embrace a tougher approach towards Iran? The Big Ask | No. 09.2026

🛡️ ‘Yes, 🇬🇧 should adopt a tougher approach towards 🇮🇷. The UK has a clear strategic interest in confronting a regime which is openly hostile and threatens its allies across the Middle East,’ states Dr Timothy Less, @camgeopolitics.bsky.social

#BritainsWorld #BigAsk

Should Britain embrace a tougher approach towards Iran? The Big Ask | No. 09.2026

💥 ‘If another strike occurs and 🇬🇧 is unwilling to launch a token retaliation strike against 🇮🇷 or its proxies, it should give up the pretence that it would be willing to defend its deterrence force in 🇺🇦,’ states @willfreer.bsky.social, our Research Fellow

#BritainsWorld #BigAsk

Should Britain embrace a tougher approach towards Iran? The Big Ask | No. 09.2026

🚫 ‘The UK should take a tougher line with 🇮🇷, but this does not equate to escalating. “Tough” should mean making it crystal clear that attacks on British people and territory will bring consequences,’ writes Dr Hillary Briffa, King’s College London

#BritainsWorld #BigAsk

Should Britain embrace a tougher approach towards Iran? The Big Ask | No. 09.2026

Should 🇬🇧 embrace a tougher approach towards 🇮🇷?

We asked 8 experts in today’s #BigAsk

✍️ Dr Hillary Briffa, @warmatters.bsky.social, @willfreer.bsky.social, @joshuachuminski.bsky.social, Dr Louise Kettle, Dr Timothy Less, Dr Marina Miron, Prof. Richard Whitman

#BritainsWorld

Five spies for China in Britain Beijing stockpiled Iranian crude oil before war; CCP sets lowest GDP target in decades

Read this week’s #Tracker - your 🇨🇳 news roundup

🕵️‍♂️ 3 men arrested in 🇬🇧 on suspicion of spying for 🇨🇳
🛢️ Beijing stockpiled 🇮🇷 crude oil before war
💰 CCP sets lowest GDP target in decades

Get the full briefing here 👇

OBR: UK defence spending increase ‘necessary’ amid global unrest The Office of Budget Responsibility says an increase in defence spending is now “necessary" amid the geopolitical unrest.

A cultural shift is required by HM Government to ‘mobilise the economy for national survival’.

Our Adjunct Fellow, Ben Goodwin’s #BritainsWorld analysis featured in this Naval Technology article 👇

The 15th Five-Year Plan A geopolitical reading

📝 ‘The 15th FYP is a massively important document. It requires study by foreigners. Behind its many targets and aspirations lies great geopolitical significance,’ writes Charles Parton OBE, Chief Adviser to our #ChinaObservatory

#Investigator #ObservingChina

Iran to purchase Chinese supersonic missiles Brussels bans Beijing from Horizon research programmes; IMF asks PRC to halve industrial subsidies

Read the #Tracker - your weekly 🇨🇳 news roundup 👇

🇨🇳 state-linked cyber operations increased in 2025
💰 IMF urges 🇨🇳 to cut industrial subsidies by 50%
🇺🇸 meets with 🇷🇺 and 🇨🇳 for #nuclear talks

#ObservingChina

Four years on, what should Britain do to expedite a Ukrainian victory? The Big Ask | No. 08.2026

‘Along with 🇩🇪, 🇬🇧 should convene a vanguard of like-minded European countries, along with 🇺🇦, and establish a clear plan for 🇺🇦 victory within two to three years,’ writes @james-rogers.bsky.social, our Co-founder (Research)

#BigAsk #BritainsWorld

Four years on, what should Britain do to expedite a Ukrainian victory? The Big Ask | No. 08.2026

‘🇬🇧 at least has the strongest set of available tools to help a 🇺🇦 victory come around. These revolve around three core pillars: troops, trade, and ties,’ argues @philippelefevre.bsky.social, @uniofsurrey.bsky.social

#BigAsk #BritainsWorld

Four years on, what should Britain do to expedite a Ukrainian victory? The Big Ask | No. 08.2026

‘War fatigue, budgetary pressures, and hostile narratives – especially from populist parties – will all contribute to declining support for 🇺🇦 if left to fester,’ argues @so3brocktree.bsky.social, our Adjunct Fellow

#BigAsk #BritainsWorld

Four years on, what should Britain do to expedite a Ukrainian victory? The Big Ask | No. 08.2026

‘🇬🇧 has been one of the most clear-eyed and forward-thinking supporters of Kyiv, assuming key leadership roles in coordinating military aid while vouching for its interests in international discussions,’ says @lanoszka.bsky.social, our Adjunct Fellow

#BigAsk #BritainsWorld

Four years on, what should Britain do to expedite a Ukrainian victory? The Big Ask | No. 08.2026

👉 ‘The reactive incrementalism of the past 4 years, providing just enough aid for 🇺🇦 survival but not to allow it to regain the initiative, should be replaced by concerted proactive policies,’ says John Foreman CBE, Defence Attaché to 🇺🇦 (2008-2011) and 🇷🇺 (2019-2022)

#BigAsk #BritainsWorld

Four years on, what should Britain do to expedite a Ukrainian victory? The Big Ask | No. 08.2026

‘🇬🇧 and its allies and partners must treat 🇺🇦 security as their own: if 🇺🇦 loses, Putin will target another state, perhaps a #NATO ally,’ writes Ian Bond, @centreeuropeanref.bsky.social

#BigAsk #BritainsWorld

Four years on, what should Britain do to expedite a Ukrainian victory? The Big Ask | No. 08.2026

‘What the 🇬🇧 should immediately do is board and seize ‘shadow fleet’ tankers transiting the North Sea and English Channel to export Putin’s oil and gas overseas,’ argues Dr Marc De Vore, our Adjunct Fellow

#BigAsk #BritainsWorld

Four years on, what should Britain do to expedite a Ukrainian victory? The Big Ask | No. 08.2026

‘If 🇬🇧 is to anchor European deterrence and help bring the war to a favourable conclusion, defence needs a structurally higher priority in public expenditure,’ says Dr Przemyslaw Biskup, Polish Institute of International Affairs

#BigAsk #BritainsWorld

Four years on, what should Britain do to expedite a Ukrainian victory? The Big Ask | No. 08.2026

Four years on, what should 🇬🇧 do to expedite a 🇺🇦 victory?

✍️ Dr Przemyslaw Biskup, @cerianbond.bsky.social, John Foreman CBE, @lanoszka.bsky.social, @so3brocktree.bsky.social, @philippelefevre.bsky.social, @james-rogers.bsky.social and Dr Marc De Vore

#BritainsWorld #BigAsk

Japan’s response to Chinese economic coercion Lessons from Tokyo’s resilience against Beijing’s economic pressure

💰 ‘Until systemic diversification reduces 🇨🇳 market power meaningfully, and #G7 members are prepared to absorb short‑term economic costs on each other’s behalf, economic coercion will remain an attractive tool for Beijing,’ says @athenaktong.bsky.social, University of Tokyo

#ObservingChina

What do the recent military purges say about Xi Jinping’s leadership? The Tangram | No 01.2026

💡 ‘It is hard to see how the recent purges are a sign that Xi is concerned about a challenge to his authority, even though that might make for a more interesting headline,’ writes @gracetheodoulou.bsky.social, our International Fellow

#Tangram #ObservingChina

What do the recent military purges say about Xi Jinping’s leadership? The Tangram | No 01.2026

‘🇨🇳 watchers do not know the precise reason why Xi might have felt the urgency to act now...What is clear, however, is that these purges were largely political in nature,’ says @helenalegarda.bsky.social, @merics.bsky.social

#Tangram #ObservingChina

What do the recent military purges say about Xi Jinping’s leadership? The Tangram | No 01.2026

🚨 ‘As the PRC’s top leader, failure to exercise full control over the PLA shows fundamental flaws in Xi’s leadership,’ argues Willy Lam, Centre for China Studies

#Tangram #ObservingChina

What do the recent military purges say about Xi Jinping’s leadership? The Tangram | No 01.2026

💪 ‘A #PLA which is more thoroughly under Xi’s control, and less politically powerful, may be something Xi sees as important for the next five years as he prepares to hand over power,’ writes Charles Parton OBE, Chief Adviser to our China Observatory

#Tangram #ObservingChina

What do the recent military purges say about Xi Jinping’s leadership? The Tangram | No 01.2026

What do the recent military purges say about Xi Jinping’s leadership?

We asked 4 🇨🇳 experts in today’s #Tangram

✍️ Charles Parton OBE, Willy Lam, @helenalegarda.bsky.social, @gracetheodoulou.bsky.social

#ObservingChina

The role of minilateral cooperation in enhancing Baltic and European security The Memorandum | No. 08.2026

🤝 ‘Minilaterals have the potential for significantly strengthening collective defence, crisis response and resilience – against both conventional and sub-threshold threats,’ says Nele Loorents, International Centre for Defence and Security

#StrategicDefenceUnit #Memorandum #BritainsWorld