By Invitation | Europe’s other flashpoint

NATO must tackle instability in the Balkans, says an ex-head

Russia and China are up to old tricks in the region, argue George Robertson and Andi Hoxhaj

Illustration: Dan Williams

A FEW DAYS before Donald Trump is formally nominated as the Republican presidential candidate, the 32 members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) will gather in Washington, DC to celebrate its 75th birthday. Even with a storm cloud of Trumpian scepticism looming over the military alliance, there will be plenty of cheering and self-congratulation.

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From the July 6th 2024 edition

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An illustration of Julius Maada, Lazarus Chakwera and Andry Rajoelina.

Three presidents on the partnerships that can at last transform Africa

Success teeters on bold, stable funding, say Julius Maada Bio, Lazarus Chakwera and Andry Rajoelina 

Assisted-dying advocates’ claims of freedom have it backward, says Danny Kruger

One of a pair of essays in which members of Parliament argue their cases


My assisted-dying bill safely solves a grave injustice, says Kim Leadbeater

One of a pair of essays in which members of Parliament argue their cases


“Middle powers” can thrive in the age of AI, says Eric Schmidt

Google’s former chief executive has a playbook for riding out the revolution

Polls get elections wrong. So use Google, says Seth Stephens-Davidowitz

The data scientist argues that stronger predictions lie in what people search for

War in Ukraine may only intensify under Trump, says Dmytro Kuleba

The country’s former foreign minister explains the powderkeg that is three leaders in a cannot-lose standoff



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View of the snow-covered Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, Kyiv, Ukraine

How will Donald Trump handle the war in Ukraine?

And how will Ukraine, Russia and Europe respond?

Footage released by a Ukranian charity show flashes over Dnipro of possible Russia intercontinental ballistic missile attack

Vladimir Putin fires a new missile to amplify his nuclear threats

The attack on Ukraine is part of a new era of missile warfare


Kazakhstan, the Ustyurt plateau. Caspian sea;

The Caspian Sea is shrinking rapidly

This has big implications for Russia, which has come to rely on Central Asian ports


The World Ahead Diplomacy in 2025

The perils of the world’s third nuclear age

Donald Trump must decide how to compete in a new arms race

The World Ahead By Invitation: United States in 2025

Sally Paine outlines how America should deal with the “quartet of chaos”

The professor of history and grand strategy at the US Naval War College says history offers valuable lessons

The World Ahead Europe in 2025

Fighting in Ukraine could wind down in 2025

What might a possible deal look like?