Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik

A memorial — © picture alliance / NurPhoto | Kostas Pikoulas

Johanna Fietze
Judith Vorrath

The UN mission in Cyprus is indispensable for Europe

The crisis of UN peacekeeping not only concerns distant conflict zones. The case of Cyprus shows how important such missions are for Europe, say Judith Vorrath and Johanna Fietze.

Point of View, 19.12.2025

A long table with people on the left and on the right — © picture alliance / Kyodo | -

Kento Fukuta
Alexandra Sakaki

The End of the Diplomatic Thaw between Japan and China

How Geopolitical Rivalry Shapes Bilateral Relations

SWP Comment 2025/C 52, 18.12.2025, 8 Pages

doi:10.18449/2025C52

Flags in front of building — © picture alliance / Tobias Steinmaurer / picturedesk | Tobias Steinmaurer

Nadja Douglas

The OSCE as a Yardstick for Multilateral Security

SWP Comment 2025/C 51, 16.12.2025, 8 Pages

doi:10.18449/2025C51

A poster with an image of the Golden Dome — © picture alliance / ASSOCIATED PRESS | Mark Schiefelbein

‘Golden Dome’ and the Illusory Promise of Invulnerability

US Missile Defense under Trump: Risks and Opportunities for Europe

SWP Comment 2025/C 50, 05.12.2025, 8 Pages

doi:10.18449/2025C50

Man in front of flags — © picture alliance / Anadolu | Murat Gok

Daria Isachenko

Turkey’s Turns to Central Asia: Learning by Doing

SWP Comment 2025/C 49, 25.11.2025, 7 Pages

doi:10.18449/2025C49

Die Flaggen der EU, der Ukraine und der NATO während des Treffens der EU-Verteidigungsminister 2025 — © picture alliance / NurPhoto | Aleksander Kalka

Kai-Olaf Lang
Céline Marangé
Susan Stewart

Indispensable: Why Ukraine is becoming a fundamental part of the future European security architecture

Nearly four years after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the majority of European states see Ukraine inside and Russia outside the European security order. Susan Stewart, Céline Marangé and Kai-Olaf Lang explain why such an order is emerging and what might prevent it.

SWP Podcast 2025/eP 04, 18.11.2025

Go to SWP Podcasts

In Focus

War in the Middle East

On 7 October 2023, Hamas and other groups launched an attack on Israel, killing civilians and abducting around 250 people to the Gaza Strip. This marked a new phase in the Middle East conflict. Israel subsequently weakened the 'Axis of Resistance' militarily. In the Gaza Strip, tens of thousands were killed and livelihoods were destroyed. Since the Israeli attacks of 13 June 2025, Iran and Israel have been at war, and the USA participated in for the first time in military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. As a result, the military balance of power in the region has shifted significantly. There is a risk of an expansion of the war with far-reaching consequences. What are the interests and options of the various parties involved, and what approaches are there for achieving sustainable conflict management?

Further publications

Mapping African Migration

Insights from UN DESA Data on Patterns, Trends, and Misconceptions

Research Division Global Issues, Working Paper No. 03/2025, 39 Pages
- Download (PDF) | 3.0 MB
Pia Dannhauer

ASEAN Strategies and Partnerships in the Critical Minerals Sector

Opportunities and challenges for Germany and the EU

Research Division Asia, Working Paper Nr. 02/2025, December 2025, 25 pages
- Download (PDF) | 437 KB

Dossiers

A police officer from a special unit inspects a site after an airstrike by Russian forces in Lysychansk, Luhansk region, Ukraine. — © picture alliance / ASSOCIATED PRESS | Leo Correa

Russia's war against Ukraine and its consequences

Since February 24, 2022, Russia has been waging a war of aggression against Ukraine - with repercussions on a global scale. A new dossier bundles publications and media contributions on the war and its consequences.

Windkraftanlagen am Braunkohletagebau Garzweiler. Im Hintergrund: das Kraftwerk Neurath, Nordrhein-Westfalen. — © picture alliance / imageBROKER | Stefan Ziese

Climate Policy and Politics

Climate change is considered by many states and non-state actors to be one of the most important global challenges of the 21st century. Greenhouse gas emissions must be drastically reduced, while adaptation measures are essential to limit the consequences, and affected regions must deal with loss and damage.

Worldmap with needles — © pogonici/Shutterstock.com

Forced Displacement and Migration

The dossier introduces the topics of International Migration Trends; Forced Displacement, Migration and Development; International Cooperation; European Migration and Refugee Policy; and National Migration and Refugee Policy, and pools publications by SWP authors.

Straßburg, 25.04.2024: Ein großes Plakat an der Außenseite des EU-Parlaments in Straßburg weist auf die anstehenden EU-Wahlen hin. — © picture alliance / Panama Pictures | Dwi Anoraganingrum

European elections 2024 and the EU's next strategic agenda

From 6 to 9 June 2024, the citizens of the European Union will elect a new parliament. This dossier looks at how this will affect EU institutions, their political priorities and the European party landscape.

United Nations and Sustainable Development

Sustainable development aims to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The United Nations committed itself to this guiding principle in the early 1990s. How has global sustainability policy developed since then?

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Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik

The German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) advises the German Bundestag and the German government as well as international organisations on questions concerning foreign and security policy.