Richard G. Whitman

Despite another week of diplomatic whiplash, an end to the fighting in Ukraine is not in sight By Richard Whitman & Stefan Wolff

As Trump flip-flops and the coalition of the willing is unlikely to go beyond securing Ukraine’s immediate survival, a credible pathway to ending the war with a just and stable peace is still lacking -- my latest analysis with @rgwhitman.bsky.social for @navvortex.bsky.social : bit.ly/43IOKP9

Ukraine: another week of diplomatic wrangling leaves Kyiv short of defensive options Despite exhaustive discussions, neither the EU or the US has come up with any really substantial measures to boost Ukraine’s defence.

The Trump administration flip-flops and the track record of Kyiv’s European partners to slow-walk the necessary goods for Ukraine’s defence continues. - shared analysis with @stefwolff.bsky.social
theconversation.com/ukraine-anot...

Time is running out for Europe to prevent Russia from broadening its war against Ukraine into a full-blown military confrontation with the west: my latest analysis with @rgwhitman.bsky.social: bit.ly/42e0qZB

Great to be back in The Conversation and especially for a shared analysis with @stefwolff.bsky.social

In memoriam: Professor A J R (‘John’) Groom

It is with sadness that we bring the news that former BISA Chair Professor A J R Groom has passed away. Here @rgwhitman.bsky.social outlines some of Professor Groom's main contributions and achievements.

Read here - buff.ly/8Kl7Cc5

@kent.ac.uk

REF2029: Update on Politics and International Relations Matthew Flinders and Ailsa Henderson provide an update on the timeline and panel remembers.

🚨 #REF2029 update - Matthew Flinders and @ailsahenderson.bsky.social
provide an update on REF2029 sub-panel 19 - Politics and IR:

🎉 Pause button pressed & Sub-panel members appointed:
@usempire.bsky.social @rgwhitman.bsky.social @jamespattison.bsky.social @whitproject.bsky.social

Read here 👉

How should Britain and France cooperate to realise the Northwood Declaration? The Big Ask | No. 29.2025

‘In an era of growing uncertainty in American politics…closer British-French nuclear cooperation is a prudent strategic hedge,’ argues @rgwhitman.bsky.social @kent.ac.uk

#BigAsk #BritainsWorld

The EU is split on UK joining its weapons fund - and France is saying non Some countries are sceptical about full British involvement in the EU's defence investment fund - with senior officials saying it will undermine the bloc's supply chain

Macron: when France and the UK "come together around one table, everything is possible". Well not everything…https://inews.co.uk/news/world/eu-split-uk-joining-weapons-fund-france-saying-non-3791737?ito=link_share_article-top

The Art of the Pledge: Trump, NATO, and the price of unity - UK in a changing Europe Richard Whitman takes stock of the NATO summit at the Hague in June 2025. He argues that the brief summit aimed to appease Donald Trump with its commitment to his 5% defence spending target and…

"The summit captured a moment of uneasy consensus — forged not through shared strategy, but through collective accommodation of a US president whose commitment to the Alliance remains conditional."

✍️ @rgwhitman.bsky.social on the NATO summit and Trump's influence

@edrusi.bsky.social has the must-read take on The Hague NATO summit.

The Art of the Pledge: Trump, NATO, and the price of unity - UK in a changing Europe Richard Whitman takes stock of the NATO summit at the Hague in June 2025. He argues that the brief summit aimed to appease Donald Trump with its commitment to his 5% defence spending target and failed...

What to make of the NATO summit? @rgwhitman.bsky.social explains all ukandeu.ac.uk/the-art-of-t...

Episode 103: How Should the UK Approach European Security? How is the UK’s Labour government approaching European security, and how does this compare to the Conservatives?

In conversation with Neil Melvin on the ever insightful Global Security Briefing podcast from @rusi.bsky.social . A great opportunity to reflect on the record of the UK Labour government after its first year in office and how UK security and defence is evolving.
www.rusi.org/podcasts/glo...

A modest beginning: the new EU-UK Security and Defence Partnership - UK in a changing Europe Professor Richard Whitman analyses the Security and Defence Partnership announced at the UK-EU summit in London on Monday 19 May. He argues that the agreement does not exceed any strategic…

"As the United States re-evaluates its security commitments to Europe, the UK and EU are under increasing pressure to assume greater responsibility for their own defence."

@rgwhitman.bsky.social‬ analyses the UK-EU Security and Defence Partnership & the role of the US

Fantastic occasion - and very many thanks to @mybisa.bsky.social for bringing us all together to reflect on the first fifty years of the Association.

Thanks to @congeostrategy.bsky.social for giving me the chance to answer the #BigAsk this week.

Pentagon launches review of Aukus nuclear submarine deal ​Ending the pact would be a blow to the security alliance with Australia and UK

AUKward - on.ft.com/4jPXsQN

Public event - BISA chair roundtable: 50 years and counting: reflecting on the discipline and profession of International Studies A roundtable with past BISA chairs. Part of the #BISA2025 conference.

🌟BISA chair roundtable: 50 years and counting: reflecting on the discipline and profession of International Studies🌟

Online or in person 🎉

‪Ft/ @rgwhitman.bsky.social‬, Barry Buzan, Chris Brown, Christopher Hill, Caroline Kennedy-Pipe, Ruth Blakeley & Mark Webber

Sign up now! 👉

Resetting (modestly): The UK-EU Security and Defence Partnership The Memorandum | No. 19.2025

Modesty (doesn't quite) forbid me for drawing attention to this piece for @congeostrategy.bsky.social - Resetting (modestly): The UK-EU Security and Defence Partnership www.britainsworld.org.uk/p/the-memora...

A modest beginning: the new EU-UK Security and Defence Partnership - UK in a changing Europe Professor Richard Whitman analyses the Security and Defence Partnership announced at the UK-EU summit in London on Monday 19 May. He argues that the agreement does not exceed any strategic partnership...

"It does not represent a transformative moment or strategic shift; rather, it formalises a more normalised, codified dialogue between the two parties."

🖊️ @rgwhitman.bsky.social analyses the Security and Defence Partnership announced at the UK-EU summit in London

ukandeu.ac.uk/the-new-eu-u...

Sharp and on point from @edrusi.bsky.social

My take on the EU-UK Security and Defence Partnership agreed at the summit today.

Thanks to the @congeostrategy.bsky.social for getting the opportunity to answer their #BigAsk this week - on whether Britain should have a foreign policy doctrine.

It isn't a surprise that an administration with little respect for domestic law is happy internationally to offer impunity to Putin & his fellow war-criminals, but it is another sad sign of US abdication from its leading role in the democratic world. Europeans must do what they can to fill the gap.

Next EU-UK Joint Committee meeting scheduled for 29 April.

This is first meeting under the UK Labour Government; last meeting was 16 May 2024 when David Cameron was UK co-chair.

Expected among the agenda items is EU declaration that it is content that UK...

commission.europa.eu/document/dow...

Ian, thank you - and really pertinent questions. On a) Credibility of an ESC would rest on the authority that European states would be willing to ascribe to it. On b) a convo that should def be happening at the least to rehearse the nature of the challenge?

Time for a European Security Council? Where and how are European countries going to discuss the European security architecture, and coordinate their activities and efforts? Is it now time to dust off the idea of a European Security (and D...

Time to dust off the idea of a European Security Council - my comment piece for @rusi.bsky.social

www.rusi.org/explore-our-...

German-led push to open EU defense deal to UK and Canada hits French opposition BRUSSELS — At least a third of EU countries support a German-led plan to allow the U.K. and Canada to take part in a scheme for common purchases of weapons. EU ambassadors on Thursday discussed a p…

Maybe the bigger picture should be in play here…the exclusionary approach should have been dumped before the EU’s recent defence initiatives were announced…
www.politico.eu/article/germ...

Thank you Ian.

📢 NEW COMMENTARY:

🖋️ By Richard Whitman

Why Europe needs a common market for defence

@rgwhitman.bsky.social argues that now is the time for the EU to move beyond coordination among member states and work towards a truly common European defence market. 👉 www.epc.eu/en/Publicati...

Why Europe needs a common market for defence Why Europe needs a common market for defence

A European common market for defence bigger and broader than the EU27 is needed for Europe's security - my argument for @epc-official.bsky.social www.epc.eu/en/Publicati...