RUSI - Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies

'The West is failing to play the one card that differentiates it from China, Russia and others more interested in government-to-government relations than in putting people first: democracy' write Ray Hartley and Dr Greg Mills in the latest RUSI Commentary.

In Angola and Mozambique, the West is Failing to Play to its Strengths The recognition lavished on Angola’s President João Lourenço by the outgoing US administration exposes the West’s failure to champion democracy over strategic convenience in Africa.

To protect the innovation and emerging technologies critical to Western military advantage, the US Bureau of Industry and Security must reconsider its expectations for banks, argues Catherine Woods.

How Export Controls Endanger the West’s Military Technology Advantage To protect the innovation and emerging technologies critical to Western military advantage, the US Bureau of Industry and Security must reconsider its expectations for banks.

🚨New RUSI Whitehall Report, ‘Did Wagner Succeed in the Eyes of its African and Middle Eastern Clients?’ by Dr Antonio Giustozzi, Dr Joana de Deus Pereira and Professor David Lewis is out now!

The Wagner Group have delivered a range of services to Mali, the Central African Republic, Mozambique, and Syria. But why did the governments of these countries seek Wagner’s services, and how did these countries assess their work?

The general perception has been that Wagner’s success was due to its willingness to provide regime survival packages to whoever was willing to pay.The reality is more complex.

Head over to our website to read out latest report that delves deeper into why clients in Africa and the Middle East chose to work with Wagner, and how unique Wagner’s role was.

Did Wagner Succeed in the Eyes of its African and Middle Eastern Clients? This Whitehall Report looks at the Wagner Group from the perspective of its African and Middle Eastern clients, focusing on four case studies: Mali, the Central African Republic, Mozambique and Syria.

'The security risk from AI insiders is here, now, and overwhelmingly likely to grow. The separate worlds of personnel security and AI research must join forces if we are to understand and confront this risk' write Dr Paul Martin CBE and Dr Sarah Mercer.

We Need to Talk About the Insider Risk from AI As AI systems gain human-like capabilities, organisations must tackle emerging risks from AI insiders, drawing on insights from managing human insider risks to enhance security.

Bashar al-Assad’s flight from Syria marks the end of an era, 'but the battles over who controls Syria and what the country will look like are only just beginning' writes Rob Geist Pinfold in the latest RUSI Commentary.

The Coming Fight for Syria Bashar al-Assad’s flight from Syria marks the end of an era, but the country’s fragmented future is now being shaped by competing foreign and internal powers.

The British Army is reliant on seaborne logistics to deploy at scale beyond the confines of the British Isles. In the latest RUSI Defence Systems article, Andrew Young explores the role of the 17th Port and Maritime Regiment.

Littoral logistics and the Importance of 17 Port and Maritime Regiment The British Army is reliant on seaborne logistics to deploy at scale beyond the confines of the British Isles. Fundamental to the Army’s strategic mobility and expeditionary capability is the UK’s only strategic-level amphibious logistics enabler: 17 Port and Maritime Regiment, Royal Logistic Co...

'A lazy consensus seems to have emerged in the West, based more on hope than serious analysis, that Putin will agree to stop his further incursions into Ukraine' writes Tim Willasey-Wilsey in the latest RUSI Commentary.

Will 2025 be a Repeat of 1938 for Europe? It is tempting to compare the two years. Any deal that Trump negotiates with Putin may have similar features to Munich: land for temporary peace. The West has already weakened its negotiating position by taking immediate NATO membership for Ukraine off the table. So what will happen if Putin renews....

"With irregular warfare escalating across land, air, sea, cyber and space, Russia's sub-threshold operations may challenge NATO's collective defence doctrine sooner than expected."

That's the view expressed by Joe Morley-Davies in the first RUSI Commentary of 2025. Read more here.

How Might the Kremlin Test NATO’s Collective Defence? With irregular warfare escalating across land, air, sea, cyber and space, Russia's sub-threshold operations may challenge NATO's collective defence doctrine sooner than expected.

🚨New RUSI report, ‘Optimizing the RNLN for its role within NATO’ by Dr Sidharth Kaushal is out now!

In the event of a major European crisis, would the Royal Netherlands Navy’s proposed force structure adequately function?

This report examines the ways in which the Royal Netherlands Navy can optimise its force structure and planning to meet its obligations under a scenario in which Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty is invoked.

It finds that while "the strategic orientation of the force is sound and its medium-term future bright, decisions in the immediate term will need to be made to both meet acute challenges and to ensure that the force retains the organisational strength needed".

Head over to our website to learn more!

Optimising the Royal Netherlands Navy for its Role within NATO This Whitehall Report examines the ways in which the Royal Netherlands Navy can optimise its force structure and planning to meet its obligations under a scenario in which Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty is invoked.

"The UK must embrace reserve forces to build affordable military mass, attract specialist talent, and meet defence needs in an era of constrained budgets." That's the view expressed in this year's final RUSI Commentary, by Sir Julian Brazier and Hamish Mundell. Read more here.

Without a Strong Volunteer Reserve, the UK Military Cannot Hope to Compete The UK must embrace reserve forces to build affordable military mass, attract specialist talent, and meet defence needs in an era of constrained budgets.

"Rising China–US tensions risk destabilising the Taiwan Strait, challenging the UK’s longstanding position and exposing its economic, security and global interests to significant risks." That's the view of RUSI's Senior Research Fellow for Indo-Pacific Security, Dr Philip Shetler-Jones, in today's RUSI Commentary. Read more here.

Time for an Update to the UK’s Taiwan Policy Rising China–US tensions risk destabilising the Taiwan Strait, challenging the UK’s longstanding position and exposing its economic, security and global interests to significant risks.

🎁Give the gift of knowledge this holiday season! RUSI membership is the perfect gift for anyone wanting to deepen their understanding of the key geo-political, defence and security issues of our time. Find out more below.

Gift RUSI Membership Individual RUSI membership is the perfect gift for anyone wanting to deepen their understanding of the key geo-political, defence and security issues of our time and engage more closely with RUSI's experts.

In today's RUSI Commentary, RUSI's CFS Research Fellow Eliza Lockhart explores the ways in which whistleblower incentivisation programmes could support the UK's efforts to tackle economic crime. Read more here.

Money Talks: Financially Rewarding Economic Crime Whistleblowers Whistleblowers can deliver valuable outcomes in the fight against economic crime, so why does the UK struggle to recognise them as intelligence assets?