Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP)

❓ Russian and DPRK Military Cooperation in Ukraine – A Win-Win? 💡 Mats Engman, Head of our Stockholm Korea Center, Johanna Miskolczi Persson, and Irene Spennacchio (currently interns at the Korea Center) examine this question in their latest issue brief. 🌐 "North Korea’s military support to Russia strengthens its bilateral strategic partnerships, seen in the recent formalization of the DPRK-Russia Strategic Partnership. This cooperation also solidifies political ties, potentially providing the DPRK with increased leverage over the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) in future diplomatic negotiations." 🗓 In early August 2024, Ukraine launched a significant offensive in the Kursk region in Western Russia which may have prompted the activation of the DPRK-Russia Strategic Partnership Agreement and triggered the DPRK’s deployment of troops to Russia. 🔎 The involvement of foreign military personnel represents a significant escalation and shift in the conflict, further complicating the geopolitical balance internationally as more actors become directly involved. This issue brief discusses how the deepening military collaboration between Russia and North Korea poses several risks and benefits to both countries and new challenges to the Western alliance against Russia’s war in Ukraine. ➡️ Read the issue brief here: https://lnkd.in/gXkC8z9Y Josephine Ørgaard Rasmussen, Riccardo Villa, Tove Jalmerud, Niklas Swanstrom

📣Tillsammans med 100+ säkerhetsforskare och debattörer varnar jag för en fred på Rysslands villkor. Trump har flaggat för en snabb ”deal” i #Ukraina. Vi jämför situationen med Münchenavtalet 1938 – som bäddade för andra världskriget. "I ett öppet brev som publicerades i bland annat Financial Times har flera erfarna säkerhets- och försvarskännare varnat för att en snabb fred, där Ryssland får makten över den ukrainska mark som de lagt under sig i strid med FN:s folkrätt, kan leda till ett större krig. – Min främsta oro är Ukraina, säger Anna Wieslander, Nordeuropachef för tankesmedjan Atlantic Council, som är en av undertecknarna. Brevet varnar för ”Trumps München”, en jämförelse med det avtal som träffades med Nazityskland 1938, och som lät tyskarna ta över de så kallade Sudetländerna i Tjeckoslovakien mot att de inte skulle ta fler territorier. Men ett år senare gick Tyskland in i Polen och andra världskriget var igång. – Läxan kring det är, och det finns bra beskrivet av tunga säkerhetspolitiska forskare, att det är farligt att påta sig restriktioner och göra eftergifter till den här typen av länder som är aggressiva och vill expandera, säger Anna Wieslander." #säkerhet #geopolitik #försvar #Ukraina #föpol #turpo #intervju Dagens Nyheter Bo Torbjörn Ek Ewa Stenberg Benjamin Tallis Atlantic Council Allmänna Försvarsföreningen (The Swedish Defence Association) Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP) Ylva Marie Brunnberg Kungl Krigsvetenskapsakademien

📝 Blog post: India’s Hindu-Muslim Divide: Moderate Voices Needed 🔎 "Calls for the destructions of mosques across India are increasingly a part of tactics employed by right-wing Hindu nationalists after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) proclaimed victory in the Lok Sabha national election earlier this year. Political polarization on the streets has seen BJP leaders take more aggressive positions." 💬 Mark S. Cogan analyzes that India needs moderate voices to balance the pervasive voice of Hindu nationalism that dominates current politics. ❌ "The reality that India must confront in this era of violence is that the assertiveness of Hindu-aligned nationalism is akin to ‘saffron terrorism’ and a long-held belief that secularism in India is dangerous. This cultural nationalism, once limited to the fringes of Hindu society has now become mainstream through BJP dominance. And where there were once political parties and a more multicultural response to such brazen violence, these voices are now dimmed."

🗓 📢 Webinar next week (November 15): EU-Japan-India Economic Security Partnership: Engendering Reliable Mechanisms? 🌐 This webinar, jointly organized by ISDP and the Kajima Institute of International Peace (KIIP) in Japan, explores the conditions for forging an EU-India-Japan economic security partnership. Join us when we explore these questions and more: 🔹 What are the prerequisites for an enhanced EU-India-Japan economic security cooperation? 🔹 Could the EU, Japan, and India forge a common perspective on economic security? 🔹 To what degree can connectivity and infrastructure influence this potential economic security partnership? 🔹 Could the India-EU Trade & Technology Council complement Japan’s ties with the EU?  🔹 What would be their common strategy to counter China’s economic coercion and boost their own competitiveness? 💬 We look forward to discuss with: Nicolas Blarel, Kunihiko Shinoda, Dr. Swati Prabhu, Alica Kizeková Moderator: Jagannath Panda, Head of the Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs ➡️ Find out more and register here: https://lnkd.in/dd62APiH We look forward to meeting you online! Alexander Droop, Marta Chiusi, Léna Fargier

🗓 Webinar tomorrow (November 6, 2024): EU’s Global Gateway and Quad Powers: Exploring the Medium of Strategic Cooperation Join this session that we jointly organize with YCAPS focusing on the following questions: 🔹 How far has the Global Gateway succeeded in advancing the EU’s connection with Indo-Pacific partners? 🔹 Is the EU’s Global Gateway proceeding in the right direction? 🔹 How can the Global Gateway foster cooperation with the Quad, both bilaterally and multilaterally? 🔹 Is there scope for formal cooperation between the EU’s Global Gateway and the Quad? If so, how? Speakers: Dr. Swati Prabhu, Dr. Satoru Nagao, Alfred Gerstl, Krzysztof Iwanek Chair: Jagannath Panda, Co-Chairs: Luc Maccioni, Isak Nordenberg https://lnkd.in/dB2XaC_d . Marta Chiusi, Léna Fargier, Alexander Droop

🌐 Can the world afford to keep Taiwan out of Interpol?! ❗ Taiwan’s exclusion from the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) presents a critical gap in the global effort to combat transnational crime. 🖋 Brian Iselin discusses the background of Taiwan’s exclusion from Interpol, the case for Taiwan's inclusion, efforts to reverse Taiwan’s exclusion, and policy recommendations. ☑️ Advocate for Taiwan’s Observer Status  ☑️ Strengthen Diplomatic Pressure on China  ☑️ Encourage Bilateral and Multilateral Cooperation  ☑️ Promote Public Awareness  ☑️ Advocate for Transparent Leadership Elections  ☑️ Revisit the Interpretation of UN Resolution 2758 🎙 Learn more about this pressing topic in Brian Iselin's interview with Radio Taiwan International (Rti): https://lnkd.in/dQbWiefB Julien Oeuillet 曾樂昂, Agust Börjesson, Yi-Chieh Chen, Niklas Swanstrom, Elenor Söderberg

If those moments when the international community engages in clear acts of enormous self-harm interest you, take a listen to my recent radio interview with Radio Taiwan International (kudos and thanks to Julien Oeuillet 曾樂昂 for picking up the topic) where we discuss the pressing issue of Taiwan's exclusion from Interpol. In this week leading up to the next Interpol General Assembly, where China may "own" the top seats at Interpol for years to come, this topic is more than a political concern; it’s a critical flaw in global security that impacts all of us. As transnational crime networks become more sophisticated, the inability to share intelligence with Taiwan weakens international efforts against cybercrime, human trafficking, and terrorism. Why don't we all just sit back and silently watch while cybercriminals, terrorists, or even simple mass murderers, take advantage of this ultimate chink in our armour? I invite you to listen to the interview and join the conversation on why Taiwan’s inclusion in Interpol as an observer state is not only fair but essential for a safer world: https://lnkd.in/eEMsmcsq #Taiwan #Interpol #China #InternationalOrganisations #InterpolGeneralAssembly Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP) Radio Taiwan International (Rti) Anna Jarmuth Niklas Swanstrom Agust Börjesson Yi-Chieh Chen Elenor Söderberg Yifei Zhu Jagannath Panda Fatoumata Diallo Filip Borges Månsson

Key Takeaways from "The role of the People’s Armed Forces Maritime Militia: Implications for Maritime Security and European interests" by Niklas Swanstrom. Want to dive deeper? Check out the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eGKGftYu Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP) #FishingMilitia #LawOfTheSea #PeoplesLiberationArmyNavy #GreyZoneOperations #EH4S

Europe's tech and research sectors are sitting ducks. We’re leaders in automotive innovation, green energy, and advanced tech—but what are we doing to protect it? Precious little. Meanwhile those who steal our knowledge advance now faster than us in those sectors. We only have ourselves to blame for being as complacent as we are. China and Russia, and others, are walking away with our intellectual property under the guise of "collaboration." Automotive breakthroughs, military-grade dual-use tech, green energy solutions—it’s all ripe for the picking. Europe keeps talking about “open research,” but open without protection is a wide-open door to exploitation. Like any open-door policy, the door may swing both ways. Our rivals - and enemies in the case of the Ukraine war - are only too happy to walk right in. Here's the truth: Europe needs rock-solid security protocols, full transparency from any “visiting researcher,” and a central watchdog with real authority. And let’s stop pretending the private sector doesn’t need specialised guidance. An independent Centre of Excellence in research security—outside government overreach—could plug these gaping holes and bring Europe up to speed. Thanks to our wholly incomplete definition of security (another article!), our innovation, our competitive edge, even our security are on the line. Europe can’t afford to keep its head in the sand. It’s time to guard what we’ve built. #ResearchSecurity #InnovationProtection #Europe #InnovationSecurity #IPTheft #ComprehensiveSecurity Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP) Anna Jarmuth Jagannath Panda

Xi Jinping’s new speech on “socialist culture with Chinese characteristics” is no grand cultural vision—it’s a diversion tactic. China’s economy is stalling, and Xi wants to channel public frustration into ideological loyalty. By pushing “Chinese values” and “Chinese strength,” he’s rejecting any outside influence and locking the country into a rigid, top-down narrative. The message is blunt: to the West, it’s a refusal to play by their rules; to Taiwan, it’s a not-so-subtle claim on their identity. Xi is betting that cultural pride will make up for economic struggles, but how long can this ideological gambit hold? How long will personalism keep Xi in power? When rhetoric replaces reform, people start to notice. If the economy doesn’t improve, even the most carefully crafted ideology won’t be enough to cover the gap between national pride and personal harsh realities. Read the full article, below. #China #XiJinping #Culture #CCP #ISDP #Geopolitics Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP) Anna Jarmuth Maud Descamps 邓琳 Fatoumata Diallo Yifei Zhu Agust Börjesson Yi-Chieh Chen Niklas Swanstrom Elenor Söderberg