Comment archive
Displaying 45 comments posted in 2026
June 2026
Does ‘ceasefire’ still have any real meaning?
We're seeing an incredibly dangerous development where ceasefires are changing character, as conflict parties accept high levels of violence within the label ‘ceasefire’.
How the G7 can reset global finance
When G7 leaders arrive in Evian-les-Bains this month, France will host more than another summit. It will host a test of whether rich-country coordination can still solve problems that no country can manage alone.
Norwegian peace diplomacy - is it facilitation or mediation? And why this matters.
It is a tradition in Norwegian peace diplomacy to say they are “only facilitators”, and theories on mediation are seen as of little relevance.
AI is neither the autocrat’s silver bullet nor democracy’s death sentence
AI does not map neatly onto a spectrum running from democratic vulnerability to authoritarian advantage.
Do we need peace research when Norway is threatened by war?
War once again threatens Norway’s security. One might ask what we need peace research for at this moment.
SPIEF’26 highlighted Russia’s growing economic troubles
Russia’s business elites went through the motions of demonstrating loyalty to Putin by attending SPIEF’26 amid mounting economic and security challenges.
Russia hits strategic ceiling with attacks, strikes, and bluffs
Each attempt at nuclear blackmail exposes the disarray in Russian elites and society.
May 2026
The war in the shadow of Iran
While global attention is focused on the Iran conflict, the war between Pakistan and Afghanistan continues.
Surge in nuclear brinksmanship cannot regain Russia’s position of strength
The accumulation of setbacks in Russian economic, military, and foreign policies this spring has reached such a scale that the pattern of deadlocked war is beginning to shift toward the prospect of defeat
Putin’s Beijing visit promises few rewards
Putin’s one-day working visit is set to be a much plainer affair than Trump’s summit.
The Gaza effect
Following the war in Gaza, killings of journalists and UN staff have become part of Israel's modus operandi. If we allow these actions to continue, we risk them becoming a model for others.
Putin missed another potential chance to work toward peace
Russians are tired of the Kremlin’s deadlocked war against Ukraine. Neither the keenest Russia observers nor analysts inside the Kremlin, however, have an accurate measure of this tiredness.
April 2026
A challenging Presidency of a Union strained by a war-challenged member state
In January 2026, the Republic of Cyprus assumed the rotating presidency of the EU Council. This marked Cyprus’ second presidency, and expectations were high, given the particularly ambitious presidency goals set by a small member state located at Europe’s geographical periphery.
Russians appeal to Putin that he is misinformed about reality
After 50 months of the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine, Russia is facing accumulating military, economic, and social problems.
The ceasefire with Iran expires on 22 April. What happens then?
The crucial question remains unanswered: What has actually been achieved politically?
As Hungary rejoices, Moscow keeps counting down its comrades and clients
The crushing defeat of Viktor Orban’s seemingly entrenched and deeply corrupt political regime in Hungary signifies a massive setback for Russia’s foreign policy.
Attacks on education cause lifelong harm
The recent bombing of a girls’ school in Iran, killing at least 165 schoolgirls, is a stark reminder of how brutally war affects children.
Deadlocked war subtly changes to Russia’s detriment
This year’s 32-hour-long Easter truce for Russia’s war against Ukraine did not lead to a lasting ceasefire nor a resumption in peace talks.
Political realism in the era of Donald Trump
Donald Trump’s behaviour lies far outside the bounds of traditional political realism, making it challenging both to conduct and to interpret international politics and diplomacy in the era of Trump.
It’s time for academics to take community action on AI
The situation is critical – Academic publishing urgently needs life support.
March 2026
Putin’s war calculus keeps oscillating as spring offensive stumbles
The effect of the ongoing conflict in the Persian Gulf on Russia’s war against Ukraine grows more complex as the parties of both conflicts experience attrition of various kinds
Lebanon in the crossfire: Ten key points about the impact of the US-Israeli war on Iran
Lebanese resilience is being tested in a population worn down by conflict, once again caught in the crossfire of regional rivalries.
Peace with an entry fee: Trump’s Board of Peace as a blueprint for ending wars
Talk of peace and war has been prevalent of late. In the last few weeks, President Trump’s Board of Peace met for the first time, tasked with securing peace amidst ongoing violence in Gaza.
Moscow calculates benefits of Gulf conflict, coming short
As the aerial conflict in the Persian Gulf moves into week three, assessments generally assume Russia is a key beneficiary.
Rights and duties in the Norwegian welfare state
How do we think about the balance of duties and rights in the welfare state: and specifically in the Norwegian welfare state?
The US may become trapped in its own escalation
In just over one week, the US, together with Israel, has struck over 3,000 targets in Iran and dropped thousands of bombs.
Russia expects Iran to endure U.S.–Israeli strikes
The shock in Moscow from the February 28 launch of ongoing U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran has eased, and extensive Russian commentary has shifted to asserting that superior air power alone cannot guarantee a meaningful victory.
Wellbeing of women goes hand in hand with wellbeing of nations
In 2024, 676 million women lived in proximity to conflict, that is almost every 6th woman in the world — the highest number and proportion ever recorded.
Dilemmas for Greece with the war against Iran
The current state of affairs, characterized by the circumvention of the law, the discrediting of institutions, the normalization of exception and the legitimization of bullying, is disastrous for us.
The wars of misconstrued opportunities and bad choices
Trump’s assertion of an “imminent threat” from Iran is no more convincing than President Vladimir Putin’s perennial claim that he had no other choice but to invade Ukraine.
Year
Series
Topics
Tags
.. and 1335 more tags.
