European Council on Foreign Relations

Commentary 26 June 2026 7 minute read American and Bosnia flags made with textured patterns. Concept image depicting the negotiation dialogue of the tariff list. Base map and background concept Image by picture alliance / Zoonar | LIU HUNG CHIN Last month the US announced a new policy for the Western Balkans: henceforth its decisions are to be guided by the need to pursue “direct return” for American companies.

Commentary 24 June 2026 3 minute read Thousands of pro-European activists gather in London for the National Rejoin March, calling for the UK to rejoin the European Union Image by picture alliance / ZUMAPRESS.com / Joao Daniel Pereira It is only partly a coincidence that the tenth anniversary of the Brexit referendum—the event that provoked a toxic polarisation of British politics—was marked by another political casualty: the resignation of UK prime minister Keir Starmer.

Policy Brief 21 June 2026 This image was created with the help of ChatGPT New ECFR polling shows British voters see Brexit as a disaster. They are strikingly open to reintegration with the EU. Three quarters want a closer relationship. They see that as key to improvements on the economy, security and migration. Old red lines are falling away, with a majority open to freedom of movement and even a European nuclear deterrent.

Commentary 18 June 2026 3 minute read The Three Seas Initiative summit meeting begins at Hotel Palace, hosted by Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. Dubrovnik, Croatia, 28 Apr 2026 Image by picture alliance / SIPA | Bozic / CROPIX When the 13 EU member states of the Three Seas Initiative (3SI), their strategic partners and associate countries, gathered in Dubrovnik in April to mark the grouping’s tenth anniversary, they had reason to be proud of what they had built.

Commentary View from the Council 17 June 2026 4 minute read A union jack and the EU flags fly at the front of the Big Ben during the protest in London. Handful of pro-EU activists gathered outside parliament for their protest during the session of PMQs Image by picture alliance / Sipa USA | SOPA Images As Britain approaches the 10th anniversary of its vote to leave the EU, the British are beginning to debate rejoining what they call Europe.

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Policy Brief 17 June 2026 An image from a video provided by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on May 21st 2026, showing a Yars intercontinental ballistic missile during Russian nuclear drills in Belarus Image by picture alliance / Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP Author In 1963, French political thinker Raymond Aron published a book about strategy in the nuclear age: “The Great Debate”.

Policy Alert 17 June 2026 1 minute read President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine is answering questions from journalists during a large summary press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on 19 December, 2023 Image by picture alliance / NurPhoto | Maxym Marusenko Hungary has lifted its veto of formal negotiations for Ukraine to join the EU. Now, the core challenge shifts to the massive scale of implementing reforms in Ukraine.

Policy Brief 15 June 2026 Illustrations by Nastassia Zenovich Every time European governments accommodate American pressure, they teach Washington that European sovereignty is negotiable and invite the next demand. A two-scenario story illustrates this point.

Europe possesses the necessary political and economic tools to act against Israel’s settlement expansion. But it needs to deploy them fast, or risk the possibility of an independent and viable Palestinian state disappearing altogether. The long-term trajectory points towards greater European pressure on Israel, at least so long as it is ruled by the current far-right government.