Promises and pitfalls in the Franco-German defense alliance in 2025

France and Germany, the European Union’s foremost military powers, renewed their public commitment to joint defense in 2025 amid mounting geopolitical pressures. With Russia’s war in Ukraine entering its fourth year and U.S. security guarantees becoming less predictable, the push for “European strategic autonomy” gained renewed urgency. Summits of leaders in Berlin and Paris have […]
France’s diplomatic balancing act in Syria: engaging the SDF amid regional rivalries

France furthered its diplomatic initiatives in 2025 in order to get closer to the Syrian Democratic Force (SDF), which demonstrated fully its status as an influential player in the tyranny of competing and uneven power across Syria. Led by the Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, this involvement can be regarded as a continuation of the long-lasting […]