A big step for AUKUS: the consultation has begun today for the amendments proposed to ITAR to enable the creation of a trilateral marketplace for defence and security cooperation between the United States, Britain and Australia. Submissions close 31st May.
federalregister.gov/documents/2024…

Such a wonderful few days at Harvard Kennedy School with my wonderful friend and co-conspirator Rana Mitter, talking AUKUS and China. A great privilege to have met so many curious minds and generous spirits.

🚨 SPEAKER ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨

We are excited to announce Carl Bildt, Senior Undersecretary Irineo Cruz Espino, Rebecca Skinner, Peter Tesch and Sophia Gaston will join the lineup of speakers at our 2024 conference 'JoiningFORCES'!

Join us on 4-5 June as we explore ways to bridge…

This is an extremely important decision after Scholz’s unedifying trip to Beijing and gives Macron an opportunity to reassert a strong and coherent EU position.

This is a typically astute and succinct summary, and I’m not diminishing collateral damage of US protectionism, but can we please stop conflating the risks from the US with those from China and Russia?! They’re fundamentally distinct and it plays into our adversaries’ interests.

'The truth is that this country cannot have a sensible discussion about defence', says Owen Jones, opening the most deeply unserious and nonsensical article about defence spending I have ever seen.
theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

Privileged to chair an event last night on UK-AU defence cooperation with Rear Admiral James Parkin & Brigadier Grant Mason for The Britain-Australia Society at Australia House. So rare, and important, to have two such senior officials able to speak candidly on the evolving strategic context.

New Australian Defence Strategy shows a journey from 2.1%-2.4% of GDP defence spending by 2033-4 👏🏻
Also welcome for Marles to acknowledge Indo-Pac/Euro-Atlantic indivisibility. BUT, if Aust doesn't do more to help Ukraine's victory, its own neighbourhood will be even less safe.

A very finely balanced and perspicacious piece indeed.

All concerns about Germany’s readiness for this trip and its wider implications have thus far been sadly validated.

UK continues to show real leadership in diplomatic diversity. So many women hold our top posts in DC, France, Beijing, UN, and now the first blind person appointed as British Ambassador becomes HoM in Slovenia ☺️🇬🇧

This is the second major example after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine of the USA and partners declassifying intelligence to warn of imminent warfare.

A new era in which transparency is harnessed as a strength to drive the allied alignment that underpins democratic resilience.

Direct engagement with China, while important, must only be undertaken from a confident standpoint. And, on a number of levels, it does not feel as though Germany is currently in a position to do so...

Great Labour is committing to 2.5% on defence. But we must stop this “when fiscal climate allows” caveat on both sides. Our vital security & international order can’t be aspirational. Moral authority lies with the party which makes security & economic growth mutually reinforcing.

The actualisation of the 'brains of the world' concept which has defined post-Brexit ambition (ie. R&D, innovation, convening), and which is 100% the right course of action, would undoubtedly be hampered by lingering mistrust of academia and disinterest in creative industries.