Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA)

Despite growing military ties, China and Russia remain partners of convenience rather than formal allies.

Mathieu Boulègue explains that military cooperation is constrained by strategic mistrust, competing interests, and a shared preference for autonomy. Even so, closer coordination between Moscow and Beijing presents a growing challenge for the United States and its allies.

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Ukraine has become NATO’s most important classroom for modern warfare.

Ryan Shaw and Dan Rice propose establishing a war college in Kyiv, where allied officers can learn directly from Ukraine’s experience in battlefield adaptation, military innovation, and national resilience. As Europe rearms, they argue that NATO must turn Ukraine’s hard-earned lessons into a lasting advantage for allied defense.

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Europe is seeking greater technological independence as concerns about reliance on American and Chinese providers grow.

William Echikson explores the EU’s new digital sovereignty push, aimed at strengthening European cloud, AI, and semiconductor industries. While supporters view it as essential for security and competitiveness, critics warn the effort could prove costly and difficult to achieve.

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Armenia’s election was a vote on the country’s geopolitical future, and voters backed Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s push to reduce reliance on Russia and deepen ties with the West.

Emil Avdaliani notes that Civil Contract’s decisive victory came despite Kremlin pressure and reflects growing frustration with Moscow following the loss of Nagorno-Karabakh. The result gives Pashinyan a mandate to continue Armenia’s strategic pivot while forcing Russia to confront its declining influence in the South Caucasus.

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Europe’s push for AI chip sovereignty may be targeting the wrong problem.

Christopher Cytera argues that instead of subsidizing a costly state-backed semiconductor mega-factory, Europe should focus on strengthening its existing advantages in chip design, research, and advanced manufacturing tools. Without stronger domestic demand for AI technologies, he warns that a new fab could become an expensive subsidy project whose benefits flow elsewhere.

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Europe's biggest security challenge may no longer be Russia, but its growing dependence on an increasingly unreliable United States.

Nicolas Tenzer examines how European leaders are beginning to accept that Washington can no longer be counted on as the foundation of the continent's security. As US commitment to NATO becomes less certain, he suggests Europe must develop the ability to act independently, whether through a transformed alliance or a new security framework.

The question is no longer whether Europe needs strategic autonomy, but how quickly it can achieve it.

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Xi Jinping's trip to North Korea is a reminder of a growing reality: authoritarian powers are becoming more interconnected, not less.

Evgeny Roshchin explores how China and Russia are leveraging international institutions, regional organizations, and strategic partnerships to build influence and shape the future of global governance. Their relationship is not a traditional alliance, but it is helping create new centers of political gravity that challenge democratic interests and reshape the international landscape.

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Germany's rearmament is no longer just about defense spending. It's about overcoming decades of military restraint.

Arndt Freytag von Loringhoven and Leon Mangasarian argue that while Chancellor Friedrich Merz has accelerated Germany's military buildup, the country still faces major challenges in readiness, civil defense, intelligence, and public support for rearmament. As Europe confronts a more aggressive Russia and uncertain US commitments, Germany's ability to step into a larger security role will be critical.

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“Sino-Russian economic relations had already been growing before 2022, but they remained imbalanced, despite Russia’s huge potential to export raw materials to China.” Tamás Matura

Russia's turn toward China did not begin with the war in Ukraine.

For years, the relationship has been marked by a growing imbalance: China exports high-value manufactured goods and technology, while Russia remains heavily reliant on energy and raw material exports.

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