CHACRDIGEST
APRIL 25th, 2023
#18
The views expressed in this Digest are not those of the British Army or UK Government. This document cannot be reproduced or used in part or whole without the permission of the CHACR. www.chacr.org.uk
THE WAR IN UKRAINE AND MULTIPOLARITY More than a year after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, divisions between the West and Russia have solidified. Beyond Europe and the US, however, countries have been much more cautious in terms of how to position themselves. The notion that we are entering a new multipolar era is being widely debated, with some suggesting that a bipolar world order – with the US on one side and China on the other – is more likely. Regardless, many countries in the Global South, in particular, insist that they will not be forced to take sides and are instead working to navigate a multipolar world. This report by Aldo Ferrari and Eleonora Tafuro Ambrosetti at the Italian Institute for International Political Studies unpacks the question of the multipolar world order and queries how new it actually is.
WHY DID JACK TEIXEIRA HAVE ACCESS TO SENSITIVE INTEL? Following the extraordinary story of Jack Teixeira’s leaking of highly classified information to his online chat buddies, a large inquiry has taken place as to how such sensitive data was allowed to be accessed by a part-time serviceman of junior rank. This analysis by the BBC explains how Teixeira may have been allowed to both access such documents, as well as ensure that they were removed from secure facilities. While his motivations remain highly unusual, in that the leaks seem to be driven by nothing more than showing off, questions around the security ecosystem require deep introspection and a possible re-engineering of the handling of sensitive data in the post 9/11 world.
LOOKING AHEAD TO THE NATO SUMMIT This year’s NATO Summit is due to take place in Lithuania’s Vilnius in July. Inevitably, the agenda will be topped by the war in Ukraine and Finland’s (completed) and Sweden’s (still outstanding) joining of the alliance. This report by Franklin Kramer at the Atlantic Council sets out key priorities NATO should adopt to enhance its defence and deterrence capabilities. Amongst other things, he argues for increasing the standard defence spending pledge for members from two per cent to 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product; efforts to expand unmanned air and maritime capabilities, including through investments in artificial intelligence; and the establishment of a ‘sustainment initiative’ to ensure NATO stocks are sufficient to fight extended campaigns.
1 // WAR IN UKRAINE // CHACR DIGEST