CSDS Brussels
The Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy at the VUB’s Brussels School of Governance. Proud home to the Japan Chair and KF-VUB Korea Chair.
- ❗New Analysis❗ "Middle Powers Don't Have to Work Together to Get Ahead", by Ramón Pacheco Pardo and Robyn Klingler-Vidra in Foreign Policy. Read foreignpolicy.com/2026/02/03/u... @foreignpolicy.com
- This week, our Director, Luis Simòn, spoke at the Oslo Security Conference. He was on a panel about the US' Asia policy and its implications for Europe. He was joined on stage by Jo Inge Bekkevold, Øystein Tunsjø and Kaush Arha! More info www.oslosecurityconference.com/program/
- ❗New CSDS Policy Brief❗ "Allies in Transition: Recasting the United States – South Korea Alliance for a Competitive Era", by Henry Haggard. Read csds.vub.be/publication/...
- This CSDS Policy Brief explores the fundamental trade-offs in implementing the European Economic Security Strategy, balancing market stability with rapid responses. Antonio Calcara and Floor Doppen analyse the challenges of securing Europe’s economy. Read csds.vub.be/publication/...
- In @elpais.com, our KF-VUB Korea Chair, Ramón Pacheco Pardo, was interviewed about the #KPop Warriors and the Grammys and what this means for Korean cultural soft power. Watch here (in Spanish) elpais.com/videos/2026-...
- Our Distinguished Professor, Michael Reiterer, was recently quoted in the Chilean press on Europe's partnerships with Asia, and he provided his expert thoughts on the EU-India partnership. More info digital.elmercurio.com/2026/02/02/A
- In the Council of Geostrategy's recent "Big Ask", Professor Beatrice Heuser shares her thoughts on whether we are entering a new world of spheres of influence. Read www.britainsworld.org.uk/p/the-big-as... @congeostrategy.bsky.social
- Last week, we were delighted to organise an event with ANU on "Preparedness, Resilience, Disinformation and Democracy", and we were pleased to welcome Duncan Lewis, Rory Medcalf, Caroline Millar and Tom Rogers for the debate! More info csds.vub.be/event/prepar...
- This week, our #CODE team were at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam with partners ReGlobe and Platform War to co-organise a workshop on "Geopolitics, Governance and the Political Economy of Technological Transformation". It was a great chance to exchange ideas! More info csds.vub.be/event/tech-r...
- "What happens in Venezuela will affect international relations beyond the Americas. For China, the lesson may be that the use of force is tolerated as long as the aggressor is sufficiently powerful." Read csds.vub.be/publication/...
- 🇪🇺🇮🇳 "In the context of a fragmenting international order, the European Union (EU) and India have entered a moment of exceptional strategic alignment", write Domenico Farinelli and Giulia Tercovich. Read csds.vub.be/publication/...
- "Divergent national approaches to investment screening and export controls risk fragmenting the single market and weakening the EU’s collective leverage vis-à-vis major powers", argue Antonio Calcara and Floor Doppen. Read csds.vub.be/publication/...
- "US operations in Venezuela can have two contradictory effects on China’s policy in its maritime disputes: emboldening or deterrence", write Carolin Liss and Tongfi Kim. Read csds.vub.be/publication/...
- Yesterday, in Prague, Antonio Calcara joined a #CHIPDIPLO event on "Bridging the Gap: Central Europe’s Silicon Future". The event highlighted Central Europe’s growing importance in the global semiconductor value chain! More info www.institutmontaigne.org/en/publicati... @acalcara.bsky.social
- CSDS will be present at the EDA Annual Conference today! Daniel Fiott will be moderating a high-level panel on the EU's defence partnership with Ukraine. He will be joined by senior officials from the EU, NATO and the Ukrainian Government. Info annualconference.eda.europa.eu #EDAConf #EUDefence
- Yesterday, Daniel Fiott spoke at a luncheon debate on ReArm Europe 2030, organised by FTI Consulting. Daniel joined Ramūnas Stanionis, Marco Canton and Beatriz Cózar Murillo, PhD for the illuminating discussions!
- This week, we were really delighted to welcome Tom Shugart to a CSDS Conversation for a discussion on the military balance along the First Island Chain. This was an in-depth reflection with great questions from the audience. Thanks for joining us, Tom! More info csds.vub.be/conversation...
- "Intensifying geoeconomic competition may push European states to develop more flexible responses to emerging challenges derived from trade and foreign investment", write Antonio Calcara and Floor Doppen. Read csds.vub.be/publication/... @acalcara.bsky.social
- Don't miss a thing! In a few moments, Prof Michael Reiterer will speak at an AIES conference entitled "Hotspot East Asia: Korea, Taiwan, South China Sea". A timely debate! Watch it here www.aies.at/news/en/even... @aies.at
- Today, the EU and India signed a new EU–India Security and Defence Partnership, paving the way for deeper cooperation. Domenico Farinelli and Giulia Tercovich look at the budding partnership, highlighting the strengths and challenges. A must-read! Read csds.vub.be/publication/... #IndiaEU
- How can NATO enable European allies to assume far greater operational responsibility without undermining Alliance cohesion or the unique integrative role of US strategic leadership? Diego Ruiz Palmer and Luis Simón offer their thoughts. Read csds.vub.be/publication/...
- ❗New Project❗ We are delighted to announce that the FWO is supporting our latest research project on "The Weaponisation of Ideas: US-China Competition in the Symbolic Field". The project is led by Prof Caterina Carta. Let's go! Learn more csds.vub.be/project/the-... @fwovlaanderen.bsky.social
- ❗New Analysis❗ "European Defence Projects of Common Interest: From Concept to Practice" By Steven Blockmans and Daniel Fiott, for the European Parliament Read csds.vub.be/publication/... @stevenblockmans.bsky.social @danielfiott.bsky.social @europarl.europa.eu #EDPCIs
- ❗New Podcast❗ Join Lea Pavlovic and Daniel Fiott for reflections on the 2025 European Defence & Security Conference, as well as Europe’s role as a defence actor! Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/6BdY... Amazon Music: music.amazon.es/podcasts/866... Deezer: www.deezer.com/en/show/1000...
- ❗New CSDS Policy Brief❗ "When Multilateralism Meets Multialignment: How Can the EU and India Partner in a Fragmenting Global Order?" By Domenico Farinelli and Giulia Tercovich Just in time for the 🇮🇳🇪🇺 Summit! Read csds.vub.be/publication/... @giuter.bsky.social
- How can NATO enable European allies to assume far greater operational responsibility without undermining Alliance cohesion or the unique integrative role of US strategic leadership? Diego Ruiz Palmer and Luis Simón have some thoughts. Read csds.vub.be/publication/...
- ❗Get prepared for a more hostile world❗ Sign up today for our executive course, #Brussels360! From 3-5 June 2026, you will be immersed in discussions and learning opportunities on Europe, geopolitics, defence, technology and trade with leading thinkers. More details csds.vub.be/executive-co...
- ❗New Research❗ "Institutional Foundations of Financial Statecraft: EU Assistance to Ukraine and Beyond" By Lukas Spielberger and Moritz Rehm, in the Review of International Political Economy. Read csds.vub.be/publication/...
- ❗New CSDS Policy Brief❗ "Predictable or Flexible? How to Implement the European Economic Security Strategy" By Antonio Calcara and Floor Doppen Read csds.vub.be/publication/... @acalcara.bsky.social
- ❗New Analysis❗ For War on the Rocks, Olivia Cheung, Luis Simón and Giulia Tercovich look at China's anti-alliance strategy during President Trump's second presidency. Give it a read! Read warontherocks.com/2026/01/trum... @warontherocks.bsky.social @luissimonn.bsky.social @giuter.bsky.social
- Today, Prof Antonio Calcara is at the Centre for Military Studies, University of Copenhagen, to discuss European security, tech and geopolitics. The seminar is moderated by Associate Professor Tobias Liebetrau. More info cms.polsci.ku.dk/events/cms-r... @acalcara.bsky.social @ucph.bsky.social
- Do not miss this! Our Japan Chair, Eva Pejsova, will be speaking at the European Parliament today (15:00-16:00) on Japan's new government and the implications for EU-Japan relations. Not to be missed! Watch multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/webstream... @epejsova.bsky.social @europarl.europa.eu
- ❗Event❗ Check out what our partners, the HCSS, are organising on 11 February 2026, 14:00-16:00, online... yes, an event on strengthening Europe's resilience in an era of strategic shocks. Our very own Daniel Fiott will be there as a speaker! Join! Register here www.eventbrite.nl/e/strengthen...
- The event follows the publication of a special report entitled "Assessing Europe’s Resilience and Preparedness in an Era of Strategic Risks", with Hans Horan, Pieter-Jan Vandoren, Daniel Fiott and Jan Feldhusen and Davis Ellison and Frank Bekkers? Read csds.vub.be/publication/...
- Recently, the Institute of Geoeconomics in Japan held the "Geoeconomics Summit 2025", and the recording of an interesting panel is now online. Our own Jonata Anicetti delves into European responses to digital sovereignty and geoeconomics. Watch www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeCp...
- "America's allies must resist the normalisation of the use of force and deepen defence and industrial cooperation", write Caroline Liss and Tongfi Kim. Read csds.vub.be/publication/...
- In our first CSDS Policy Brief of 2026, Carolin Liss and Tongfi Kim look at the consequences of the US' operation in Venezuela for American alliances and China's own strategic calculations in the Indo-Pacific. A must-read! Read csds.vub.be/publication/... @tongfi-kim.bsky.social
- The Policy Brief is part of Carolin and Tongfi's project sponsored by the @fwovlaanderen.bsky.social entitled "Alliances in Contested Waters - US Extended Deterrence in China's Maritime Territorial Disputes". Read here for more information on their research csds.vub.be/project/alli...
- Yesterday, we had the great pleasure of organising our first CSDS Conversation of the year. We were joined by Toshi Yoshihara and Olivia Cheung for a superb discussion on China's expanding arsenal of coercive options. More on our Conversations csds.vub.be/conversation...
- ‘Ik snap heel goed dat Groenlanders er weinig voor voelen, maar de VS hebben wel een punt’: experts over de plannen van Trump'. Commentaar van Luis Simón voor De Morgen! Lees meer www.demorgen.be/nieuws/ik-sn... @demorgen.be @luissimonn.bsky.social
- With all the talk of "Europeanising NATO", Diego Ruiz Palmer and Luis Simón dig into the implications for NATO's operational command structures. They also have some ideas on how to design a more rebalanced operational command structure. A must-read! Read csds.vub.be/publication/...
- Today, Distinguished Professor Michael Reiterer will be speaking at Ritsumeikan University to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and South Korea. He will be contributing a European perspective on cultural exchange. More info en.ritsumei.ac.jp/research/cea...
- ❗New Research❗ "Isomorphic Spillover and Its Limits: The Institutionally Constrained Defence Industrial Policy of the European Union" By Salih Işık Bora in Politics and Governance. Read (open access) www.cogitatiopress.com/politicsandg...
- "Unlike most Taiwan-focused exercises, the simulation centred on Europe’s strategic constraints: limited military capacity, economic exposure to China, institutional fragmentation and reliance on US extended deterrence." Find out more... Read csds.vub.be/publication/...
- "Russia historically stood and today stands fully in the Byzantine ideational tradition of seeing war as part of the human condition, of the eternal sinfulness of man, that cannot be eliminated permanently by human endeavour". Read csds.vub.be/publication/...
- ❗New CSDS In-Depth Paper❗ "Rebalancing NATO’s Command: European Operational Responsibility and Transatlantic Defence", by Diego Ruiz Palmer and Luis Simón. Read csds.vub.be/publication/...
- In this In-Depth Paper, Diego Ruiz Palmer and @luissimonn.bsky.social show, beyond 2030, and contingent on the maturation of European capabilities, how European Allies could progressively assume command of selected domain-specific commands in NATO. csds.vub.be/publication/...
- In the paper, Diego Ruiz Palmer and Luis Simón also reflect on how the Allied Command Operations command structure could evolve by 2035. csds.vub.be/publication/...
- Don't forget to read our new #CHIPDIPLO report on the EU and semiconductors. A report by Joris Teer, Riccardo Bosticco and Antonio Calcara. Give it a read! Read csds.vub.be/publication/...
- 🇯🇵🇰🇷🇺🇸 How are Japan and South Korea adjusting to the Trump administration? In this joint policy brief by CSDS and HCSS, Mina Pollmann explains how Tokyo and Seoul are reacting to US policy in the Indo-Pacific. Read csds.vub.be/publication/... @hcss.bsky.social
