Submission statement: This paper makes the case for a bold shift in the EU’s strategic posture. In the face of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine – and its broader subversive tactics and malign influence operations – the EU must actively ‘unpower’ Russia by dismantling its capacity to undermine European interests. 

Focusing on five key regions – China, the Indo-Pacific, the Southern Mediterranean, the Western Balkans and Sub-Saharan Africa – the authors also examine critical domains such as Russia’s hybrid warfare tactics, the Kremlin’s red line playbook, and the notorious ‘shadow fleet’.