Andrea Rotter

Germany’s Merz backs using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine Chancellor calls on Europe to unlock €140bn loan and ‘massively raise the costs’ of Kremlin aggression

In a stark reversal of Berlin’s previous scepticism about tapping seized Russian assets, #German chancellor Merz has called on the #EU to use frozen #Russian assets to finance #Ukraine’s war effort, arguing the move could unlock a €140bn loan for Kyiv.
www.ft.com/content/3ac0...

Detail Seit September verfügt die Hanns-Seidel-Stiftung mit HSS NEXUS über ein einjähriges Förderprogramm im Bereich Außen-, Sicherheits- und Verteidigungspolitik. Das Programm vernetzt engagierte Young Prof...

Nächster Meilenstein im #HSSNEXUS #YoungLeaders-Programm: Mit Thomas Erndl, verteidigungspolitischer Sprecher CDU/CSU im Bundestag, gewinnen wir einen politischen Schirmherrn, der unsere Nachwuchsführungskräfte mit Einblicken aus dem Bundestag & seiner Expertise begleitet
www.hss.de/news/detail/...

Rede: Bundesminister der Verteidigung Pistorius beim 3. BDI- Weltraumkongress Rede des Bundesministers der Verteidigung Boris Pistorius beim 3. BDI- Weltraumkongress in Berlin am 25. September 2025

🛰️Historic speech by German #Defense Minister #Pistorius at the #BDI #SpaceCongress: 🇩🇪 will invest €35B by 2030 to secure satellites, enhance cybersecurity, build redundant constellations, develop deterrence, strengthen industry & international cooperation.
www.bmvg.de/de/presse/re...

Germany’s €80B rearmament plan sidelines US weapons A procurement plan obtained by POLITICO shows Berlin’s rearmament spree will overwhelmingly benefit European industry.

🇩🇪 Germany’s new €83B #military procurement plan steers rearmament to #European industry, only 8% for #US arms. A blow to #Trump’s push for EU states to keep buying American weapons. (154 major purchases by Dec 2026)
www.politico.eu/article/germ...

U.S. Is Losing Race to Return to Moon, Critics Say, Pointing at SpaceX

Reading recommendation via NYT: The #US #MoonRace faces heavy reliance on #SpaceX’s Starship & delays in #NASA’s #Artemis program. With #China advancing fast, losing the race is a real strategic risk. Innovation must be balanced with risk management & collaboration.
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/20/u...

Inside the Space Force as it prepares for a new kind of war An exclusive look at a Space Force training exercise offered rare insights into how the secretive branch is preparing to fight the next war in space — an arena that for decades was regarded as a peace...

Insightful must-read for #space #security aficionados via @washingtonpost.com:
"Despite decades of warnings, the #US #Pentagon did little to treat space as a contested environment."
www.washingtonpost.com/technology/i...

Neue #ZMSBw-Bevölkerungsbefragung für #Deutschland:
- Sicherheitsempfinden weiter schwach
- 67 % sehen #Russland als Bedrohung
- Mehr Unterstützung für #Ukraine & #Bundeswehr
- Vertrauen in Bundeswehr: 84 %
- #USA weniger verlässlich aber weiter wichtig
👉 zms.bundeswehr.de/resource/blo...

Rearming Europe: Challenges and Constraints - War on the Rocks The Trump administration is sending shock waves through the development community, diplomatic circles, and financial markets. In doing so, it might have

Must-read article on rearming #Europe and the need for strategic expertise: "Without investing in the education & development of future #defense strategists, even the best-equipped military forces will struggle to formulate & execute effective #security policies."
warontherocks.com/2025/04/rear...

UK and France vow to co-ordinate nuclear weapons for first time Announcement marks increase in co-operation between allies amid growing threat from Russia

The #UK and #France have pledged for the first time to co-ordinate the use of their #nuclear weapons, saying they would jointly respond to protect #Europe from any “extreme threat”.
www.ft.com/content/eb83...

👉 Happy to share my latest article, now published in the KKrVA Journal of the Royal Swedish Academy of War Sciences, which explores the key challenges and opportunities for #Germany's #space #security policy under the (still relatively new) federal government 🛰📡

Musk droht mit Gründung einer Partei: Wieso ist Trumps Big Beautiful Bill so umstritten? Steuererleichterungen für die Reichen, Sozialkürzungen für die Armen: Bis Freitag will US-Präsident Donald Trump sein neues Steuergesetz durchbringen. Doch es gibt Widerstand.

Gestern hat der #US-Senat das umstrittene Steuergesetz-Paket von Präsident #Trump verabschiedet – u.a. trotz deutlichen Widerstands von Elon #Musk. Ein hervorragender Artikel des @tagesspiegel.de, zu dem ich beisteuern durft, beleuchtet die Hintergründe👇🏻
www.tagesspiegel.de/internationa...

AGI Building a Smarter German-American Partnership

Honored to be invited as a Non-Resident Fellow at the renowned @amgerinst.bsky.social in DC. AGI focuses exclusively on key issues for #Germany & #UnitedStates - now more important than ever. Grateful to contribute to fostering the #transatlantic relationship! americangerman.institute

Der #NATO-Gipfel setzt wichtige Impulse zur Stärkung der kollektiven #Verteidigung, ohne Eklat zwischen den #USA & den europäischen Partnern. Doch kann das nicht darüber hinwegtäuschen, dass die Allianz vor enormen Herausforderungen steht - via HSS
www.hss.de/news/detail/...

- Promote coherence by fostering effective, streamlined relationships with commercial space actors from Allied nations, including through aligned and simplified governance.

- Leverage commercial solutions by integrating them flexibly and rapidly to support NATO’s core tasks, while also informing its operational and defense planning.
- Ensure continuous access to commercial space services across all phases -peacetime, crisis, and conflict.

#NATO has released its Commercial #Space #Strategy, endorsed in February 2025, to enhance the #Alliance’s collaboration with commercial space partners. The strategy is built around 3 core objectives:

www.nato.int/cps/en/natoh...

- NATO will expand transatlantic defense industrial cooperation and leverage emerging #technologies and #innovation, guided by its "Rapid Adoption Action Plan".

- Support to #Ukraine remains a sovereign commitment, with direct contributions to Ukraine’s defense and defense industry counted toward defence spending.

- #Russia is identified as the long-term threat to Allied security.
- Allies commit to investing 5% of GDP annually by 2035 on core defense needs and related security spending. Allies will submit annual plans outlining credible, incremental paths to reach this goal, with a progress review in 2029.

One of the shortest #NATO Summit Declarations to date - but rich in substance:
- Allies reaffirm their “ironclad commitment” to collective #defense, as enshrined in #Article5 of the Washington Treaty: "an attack on one is an attack on all".
www.nato.int/cps/en/natoh...

The plan focuses on three core objectives:
- Accelerate procurement and integration
- De-risk new technologies (awarding "NATO Innovation Badges")
- Align innovation with #military needs (establishing a "NATO Front Door for Industry")

#NATO's Rapid Adoption Action Plan:
To maintain its #technological edge, NATO seeks to adopt innovative technologies more quickly by shortening the time from #innovation to operational use to within 24 months.
www.nato.int/cps/en/natoh...

To the proposal: defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/document/dow...

Today, the #EU has unveiled the long-awaited EU #SpaceAct to establish a unified framework for space activities. It aims to tackle space debris, legal fragmentation, security risks, improve resilience, safety, and sustainability, boosting competitiveness and creating a true single market for space.

Kleiner TV-Tipp:
Im Vorfeld des #NATO-Gipfels in Den Haag habe ich im #ARD-Europamagazin über die Rolle der NATO und die aktuellen sicherheitspolitischen Herausforderungen für #Europa gesprochen – heute ab 12:45 Uhr in der ARD oder jederzeit in der Mediathek.

#USA #Trump #Russland #Ukraine

💜

Earlier this month, #NATO launched its new #Science & #Technology #Strategy to maintain its #military and tech edge—boosting capabilities, #interoperability & resilience.

Strategic goals:
1️⃣ Anticipate & Invest
2️⃣ Safeguard & Protect
3️⃣ Orchestrate & Energize

🔗 www.nato.int/nato_static_...

New #SIPRI Yearbook out now:
🔺 World’s #nuclear arsenals are growing & being upgraded
🔺 More states may host or develop nukes
🔺 #ArmsControl is in crisis as a new arms race looms
🔺 Emerging tech - #AI, #cyber, #space, #quantum - adds major risk

Read more: www.sipri.org/media/press-...

Dear #network,
What are the best websites or platforms for #job opportunities, #fellowships, and similar positions in #foreign, #security, #defense, and #tech policy—especially for those with a #thinktank background?
I’d be grateful for your #recommendations!

NATO aims to bolster investments in space, intelligence sharing - Breaking Defense "[I]ncreased situational awareness in the space domain is absolutely essential for NATO allies," Maj. Gen. Paul Lynch, deputy assistant secretary general for intelligence on NATO's military staff, sai...

#NATO is working to up its game when it comes to #intelligence gathering & sharing, in particular increasing investment in #space capabilities & implementing two key initiatives: APSS and the Strategic SSA System.
breakingdefense.com/2025/05/nato...