Elisabeth Braw

It has to do with UNCLOS. It was straightforward to board this vessel as it was in territorial waters.

Insurers Are Keeping Ships Away From the Strait of Hormuz As chaos spreads from Iran, global shipping is buckling under the strain.

Vessels are stacked up, waiting, on both sides of the Strait of Hormuz.

Going through is so dangerous that underwriters have in effect cancelled transits.

This will have knock-on effects on global shipping & the global economy.
foreignpolicy.com/2026/03/03/i... (Me @foreignpolicy.com. No paywall.)

‘This is so big that I can’t believe I’m part of it’: How Swedes are preparing for war Sweden has begun training its civilian reserve. The UK needs one too

A hostile state is planning an attack on the Nordic countries' energy infrastructure, Swedish media report.

The threats against our countries are real.

(And it's a good thing Sweden has established an electricity-repair crew reserve, www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/pol...)

Coming out this October:
www.thebookseller.com/rights/basic...

The US tech giants use a lot of subsea cable connectivity - and these days, they're major cable owners (including sole owners).

What would happen if they, for whatever reason, decided to suspend connectivity to Europe?

www.politico.eu/article/us-t...

(Me @politico.eu. No paywall.)

Indeed. There still is no such system. People have tried, but...

The UK has a formidable Strategic Reserve of ex-regulars - in theory.

In reality, it doesn't know how to reach many of them. That's a massive loss - and an opportunity to make amends, because we need these qualified men and women (I write in today's @thetimes.com)

www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...

Five Norwegians in public life have caused their country damage through their association with Epstein.

That's a pity, because especially in a world with a world with growing conflicts, Norway (with its diplomatic prowess) is indispensable.

foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/20/n... (Me @foreignpolicy.com)

The Baltic Sea nations have launched a plethora of collaborative initiatives - from patrolling to AI - to look after their shared mini-ocean.

Such regional collaboration may be the future of NATO.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre... (Me @theguardian.com. No paywall)

‘This is so big that I can’t believe I’m part of it’: How Swedes are preparing for war Sweden has begun training its civilian reserve. The UK needs one too

Russia is mercilessly bombing Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Sweden is wisely planning ahead - by launching an electricity-repair reservist corps.

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/pol... (Me @prospectmagazine.co.uk. No paywall.)

‘This is so big that I can’t believe I’m part of it’: How Swedes are preparing for war Sweden has begun training its civilian reserve. The UK needs one too

'This is so big I can't believe I'm part of it': at lightning speed, Sweden has conceived and launched an electricity-repair crew reserve.

I had the privilege of writing about this extremely impressive undertaking for @prospectmagazine.co.uk. No paywall.

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/pol...

America Is Trying to Bully the World Over Climate Change The Trump administration has sabotaged a key maritime treaty.

Here you go foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/05/t...

Mining without rules: The risky US bet on the deep sea Amid efforts to acquire coveted critical minerals, in April 2025 the United States permitted deep-sea mining within international waters. Elisabeth Braw explores the implications of the Trump Administ...

The arms race on the seabed: the US is moving ahead with deep-sea mining in international waters (outside UNCLOS and thus outside internationally approved licences).

@atlanticcouncil.bsky.social Maritime Threats Initiative's latest report (by yours truly): www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-res....

Before Greenland, there was the International Maritime Organization.

Last year, the IMO's members were about to pass a pioneering greenhouse-gas reduction treaty.

Then the United States deployed its new style of diplomacy.

foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/05/t.... Me @foreignpolicy.com. Gift link.

Consumers around the world are boycotting US brands. There's even a Danish app that allows users to check US links.

That's clearly bad news for US companies (I write on today's @financialtimes.com).

www.ft.com/content/3276...

(Yes, that's a picture of the Berlin Wall. Feel free to guess why!)

What would Ireland be without its fishermen? They:

- stopped a Russian Navy exercise in Irish waters when the government failed to

- alert the authorities to suspicious activities around undersea infrastructure.

www.politico.eu/article/fish...

(Me @politico.eu)

Denmark is a quiet but substantial cog in the global economy - including the US economy.

A rare piece of good news: Irish fishermen and national security.

In 2022, they gained global fame after defying the Russian Navy. And around the year, they keep a vigilant eye on Ireland's undersea cables.

Total defence in action.

www.politico.eu/article/fish... (Me @politico.eu. No paywall.)

Sverige genomför Nato-insats på Island Försvarsmakten kommer under februari och mars att ingå i Natos incidentberedskap på Island som en del av luftförsvaret i Arktisområdet. Flygvapnet ska delta med en stridsflygenhet med Jas 39 Gripen oc...

Sweden may be NATO's newest member, but it's certainly proving to be an indispensable one.

It has sent soldiers to Greenland.

Last year, it sent a battalion to Latvia.

Etc etc.

Now it's sending a Gripen to Iceland.

www.forsvarsmakten.se/sv/aktuellt/... (picture from 2024)

This is indeed the problem.

Especially considering Estonia's status as the world's most digital nation.

When Goodbye Globalization came out two years ago, some said I overestimated deglobalization.

Turns out I underestimated it.

For a year, the bottom of the Baltic Sea was overwhelmingly quiet.

Then, within a few days, six cables were damaged or even cut.

But the world was watching Washington, Venezuela and Greenland.

foreignpolicy.com/2026/01/16/b... (Me @foreignpolicy.com. Gift link.)

Germany charges two men in postal bomb plot linked to Russia Scheme to blow up mail depots uncovered last year is one of a string of sabotage attacks co-ordinated by Moscow

German prosecutors have charged two men accused of trying to get parcel bombs onto airliners on behalf of Russia.

“Such parcels were to be ignited [...], causing as much damage as possible,” the prosecutor said in a statement.

Russia is not letting up.

www.ft.com/content/0088...

Germany's Federal Prosecutor has charged two Ukrainians with (1) working for a foreign intelligence service [i.e. GRU], (2) preparing acts of sabotage, and (3) planning a heavy arson attack

www.generalbundesanwalt.de/SharedDocs/P...

Russian cyberattacks tried to cause blackout in Poland, minister says The attacks in late December were “intended to destabilize” Poland, officials said.

While we're all watching Venezuela and Greenland:

In late December there was a massive attack on Poland's energy infrastructure - an attempt to cause a blackout in the middle of the winter.

And it turns out - Russia was behind it.

Greyzone aggression in action, again.
tvpworld.com/91021372/pol...

What a week (already) on the world's oceans.

I haven't written anything - because I'm finishing Undersea War. And what a week to finish it.

(Bonus points for anyone who can guess the incident in the picture.)

Another cable break, this time in Latvian waters.

Let's await the findings from the investigation.

In the meantime, here's a picture of the Newnew Polar Bear, whose master is on trial over the Balticconnector incident.

On the last day of the year, another cable damaged in the Gulf of Finland.

The Finnish Border Guard reports that a ship has been taken into custody.

The incident is not good news. The Finnish response is.

We've not seen the last of these suspicious cable cuts.

Your country needs YOU to invent new forms of defence.

CDS Sir Richard Knighton has called for an 'all-in mentality' to protect the UK.

Hear, hear. And teenagers, pensioners and others may have useful ideas no one has yet thought of.

www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...

(Me @thetimes.com)

A few weeks ago, a stranger turned up and started photographing sensitive Swedish telecoms masts.

But - the employees were alert, and the man was arrested.

A lesson for other companies, because attacks against our companies will continue, I write in @politico.eu. No paywall.