International Centre for Defence and Security - ICDS

19/06/2026

We're delighted that the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS) has received the Top Host Employer Award at the 14th Annual CIEE Global Internship Conference.

The award recognises ICDS’s contribution to supporting global internships and was accepted on behalf of the organisation by Chief Executive Kadri Laar.

We extend our thanks to CIEE for the recognition and for its continued work in advancing international internship programmes.

19/06/2026

Russia has built one of the most comprehensive systems of civilian coercion in post-war Europe, aimed at suppressing resistance and replacing Ukrainian identity before the occupied generation reaches adulthood. Yet Ukrainians continue to resist, despite intense surveillance and the constant threat of arrest, torture and death.

What resistance can realistically be expected from people living in the occupied territories, and how can it be supported in a way that makes it sustainable?

⬇️ Commentary by Dr Jade McGlynn.

Resistance to Russian occupation in Ukraine is real, documented, and ongoing, but it must operate under conditions of heavy surveillance and at risk of arrest, torture, and death. Some of the western support designed to sustain resistance has instead made the situation worse. This article asks what....

19/06/2026

Europe’s challenge is not resources, talent, or industrial capacity—it is speed.

As the battlefield evolves faster than institutions can respond, ex*****on has become the decisive factor, writes Andriy Zagorodnyuk.

Europe is entering a decisive period in its security trajectory. The largest war on the continent since World War II is reshaping military practice, industrial policy, and strategic decision-making.

19/06/2026

Pashinyan's election strategy reflected declining public trust in Russia and growing support for closer ties with the EU. But he has not burned bridges with Moscow.

Armenia’s state of affairs will be clearer once the campaign fever fades, writes Sanshiro Hosaka.

Armenia’s parliamentary election is over. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party won nearly 50% of the total vote, comfortably outperforming its competitors while falling short of a constitutional majority. Moscow’s overt pressure and hybrid interference against Pashinyan appear...

18/06/2026

The creation of the Special Tribunal marks the beginning of a new era for Ukraine and an important milestone towards upholding international justice.

The tribunal is being established rapidly and is expected to begin its work in 2027, writes Théa Delval.

On 15 May 2026 in Chișinău, Moldova, 34 member states of the Council of Europe, plus Australia, Costa Rica, and the EU (as an institutional body), adopted the resolution establishing the Enlarged Partial Agreement on the Steering Committee of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression agains...

18/06/2026

Despite widespread narratives about the decline of Russia’s influence in the South Caucasus and elsewhere, Moscow retains significant leverage over Yerevan through trade, energy, military, intelligence, labour migration, and cultural connections.

Armenia’s dependence on Russia remains substantial and exceeds that of many other post-Soviet states. As a result, Nikol Pashinyan has never advocated severing ties with Moscow and is unlikely to do so.

The country’s real state of affairs will be clearer once the campaign fever fades, writes Sanshiro Hosaka.

Armenia’s parliamentary election is over. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party won nearly 50% of the total vote, comfortably outperforming its competitors while falling short of a constitutional majority. Moscow’s overt pressure and hybrid interference against Pashinyan appear...

17/06/2026

Justice should not depend on how and when the war ends.

The global approach to crime against peace needs to be changed, writes Oleksandra Matviichuk.

This was the fourth winter of the full-scale invasion. And it was very difficult. Russian missiles and drones were deliberately destroying the energy

17/06/2026

The Nordic-Baltic Eight should prioritise a regional maritime security approach that seeks to maximise coordination and cooperation within existing multilateral formats, in particular NATO and the EU.

Critical undersea infrastructure underpins economic cooperation among the NB8 countries. Yet a turbulent geopolitical environment has exposed its vulnerabilities, write Nele Loorents and Eoin McNamara.
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The NB8 series of jointly published topical briefs is a collaboration between eight leading institutes in the Nordic–Baltic region.

Critical undersea infrastructure encompassing various energy and data connections underpins economic cooperation among the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8).

16/06/2026

Minilateral Alignment and Security Partnerships between the Indo-Pacific and the European/Nordic-Baltic Regions

- Giulio Pugliese, Director, EU-Asia Project, European University Institute (EUI)
- Atsuko Higashino, Professor, University of Tsukuba
- Nanae Baldauff, Senior Associate fellow, NATO Defence College
- Ivan U. Kłyszcz, Research Fellow, International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS)

Moderator: Elena Atanassova-Cornelis, Associate Professor, Catholic University of Lille

Baltic Indo-Pacific Forum 2026

16/06/2026

Great-Power Rivalry in the Indo-Pacific and Middle-Power Strategies–Perspectives from Europe and Japan

- Masataka Okano, Former National Security Adviser to the Cabinet
- Maria Castillo Fernandez, EU Special Envoy for Indo-Pacific, European External Action Service
- Alexandra Sakaki, Deputy Head, Asia Division, German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP)
- Michael Reiterer, Distinguished Professor, Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy, Free University Brussels (VUB)

Moderator: Bart Gaens, Japan Chair, International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS)

Baltic Indo-Pacific Forum 2026