25 Jul 2022
France-Australia: Moving beyond AUKUS
A change of PM has certainly helped, and the latest Lowy Poll suggests no enduring damage has been done to relations.
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30 Jun 2022
War fatigue in the West
The democratic world passed the compassion test for Ukraine. Now it faces the real challenge. -
6 Jun 2022
A flare up in China’s deliberate pattern of aggression
The intercept of an Australian patrol over the South China Sea escalates a “grey zone” conflict to a dangerous level. -
27 May 2022
Ukraine: The view from Warsaw
More than offering neighbourly support, Poland wants to ensure Russia suffers a strategic defeat. -
26 May 2022
“Black ships”, the Quad and space
Satellite technology underpins the attempt to tackle China’s illegal fishing. -
20 May 2022
A strategy for uncertain times
Is a case-by-case approach good enough for Australia to respond to the great and developing regional challenges? -
17 May 2022
What went wrong? How Morrison lost control of the khaki election
A government determined to make national security a central campaign issue fell into the trap of fighting the last war. -
17 May 2022
AUKUS: More than meets the eye
A series of small, overlapping initiatives are combining to bolster the security architecture of the Indo-Pacific. -
10 May 2022
Chinese bases in the Pacific: A reality check
Frustrating Beijing’s ambitions to create a sphere of influence is overwhelmingly a diplomatic task, not a military one. -
22 Apr 2022
Does commemorating war really promote peace?
Contrary to popular belief, reminiscing on past sacrifices actually increases the perceived value of future combat. -
21 Apr 2022
Solomons security pact: Sogavare, China, and Australia
There is no shutting China out of the South Pacific, but if Australia gets real on climate the game will truly change. -
14 Apr 2022
Australian cyber: What’s “Redspice” for?
Canberra should explain why Australia needs a larger offensive cyber capability and how it will be used. -
6 Apr 2022
Protecting law and order at sea means educating people on their rights
Broad understanding about the need to balance and compromise interests will strengthen the system of international law. -
4 Apr 2022
Cause and effect: The right security architecture for the Indo-Pacific
Limitations in the established rules and forums have led the region to innovate. -
4 Apr 2022
AUKUS can be a good platform for cooperation with India
And it wouldn’t be the first time the partners had worked together, either. -
31 Mar 2022
Order at sea: Southeast Asia’s maritime security
Regional capacity building and the maintenance of good order in its waters are vital for the region’s ongoing stability. -
24 Mar 2022
Can states have strategic personalities?
Understanding Australian traits and behaviours could explain how the country works with others – and how it’s perceived. -
21 Mar 2022
The Gulf’s diversification dilemma
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine puts Saudi Arabia and the UAE in an awkward spot in relations with the United States. -
21 Mar 2022
Does the Quad Plus add up?
The four-way security group should walk its talk about an inclusive region by stepping up dialogue with other countries. -
17 Mar 2022
Defence’s bullet for disaster isn’t silver, it’s brass
Rushing in with troops in emergency response could make matters worse at home and muddle efforts to engage the region. -
17 Mar 2022
We need to stop talking about the grey zone
And instead learn more about the many measures short of war. -
4 Mar 2022
Squaring the circle in Ukraine
Moscow is likely seeking victory on the cheap against Kyiv – which offers an opportunity to influence its strategy. -
4 Mar 2022
Back in the USSR – surprises in the Russia-Ukraine conflict
It’d be funny, if it wasn’t so deadly serious. -
3 Mar 2022
Australia and the crisis in Europe: threats and opportunities
A global contest of values and interests – and sharply divergent visions of order - is now dramatically intensified. -
1 Mar 2022
What if Trump wins again?
It would be folly to ignore the threat to US democracy. Australia needs to prepare against the possibility. -
28 Feb 2022
Putin’s hubris foreshadows tragedy – for Ukrainians and Russians alike
The invasion will drive Ukrainians even closer to Europe and bind the NATO alliance with a greater purpose. -
25 Feb 2022
China’s grey zone tactics amount to far more than just laser games
A Chinese warship’s use of a laser on an Australian surveillance plane was no accident but purposeful aggression. -
23 Feb 2022
Russia-Ukraine: Lessons for Australia’s defence
Great powers seek spheres of influence – but there are limits. -
22 Feb 2022
Damage limitation and US nuclear strategy
In an atomic world, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. -
21 Feb 2022
Putin’s choice
It’s a wintry outlook for Russia/NATO relations, over Ukraine and beyond. -
14 Feb 2022
The curious case of Blenheim Reef
A coral reef in the middle of the Indian Ocean, owned by no-one, is fast becoming a focus of international controversy. -
9 Feb 2022
Delivering promises will show steel in Quad
Presidents Xi and Putin make a deliberate show of solidarity, but Quad partners should focus on boosting defence ties. -
2 Feb 2022
How China views “strategic competition” with the United States
Contrasting official readouts of the recent Biden-Xi summit offer an insight in Beijing’s attitudes on world order. -
25 Jan 2022
AUKMIN shows the UK is a world away from Australia
London’s global focus on malign authoritarian actors makes clear thinking and prioritisation impossible. -
11 Jan 2022
Japan and Australia ties blossom
A new defence pact marks a stronger partnership for countries driven together by shared values and regional dynamics. -
29 Dec 2021
An AUKUS surprise – Best of The Interpreter 2021
An extraordinary decision put Australia at the centre of regional defence debates. -
23 Dec 2021
What’s the worst that could happen? Tackling existential risk
A pandemic is bad. But humanity is inviting greater dangers by toying with technologies that could end the species. -
23 Dec 2021
Myths that stir trouble in the South China Sea
A major shipping route, yes, but vital? False claims about the value of these waters only make diplomacy harder. -
22 Dec 2021
India remains divided about AUKUS
Something about the new Australia, UK and US deal suggests it could detract from the value and usefulness of the Quad. -
20 Dec 2021
European security: Putin ups the ante with NATO
Why is Moscow making proposals it must know are unacceptable? -
15 Dec 2021
Crisis stability as a priority in US-China relations
Arms control with China will look very different from arms control with Russia. -
14 Dec 2021
Why isn’t Australia putting diplomacy first?
Canberra is out of step with its key allies with one of the most potent tools its international arsenal. -
13 Dec 2021
Changing my mind about AUKUS
What I said then, and what I think now, about the nuclear-powered subs announcement that caught everyone by surprise. -
8 Dec 2021
AUKUS debate “influenced France’s attitude towards New Caledonia”
Local leaders – loyalists and independence advocates alike – believe the subs cancelation has coloured the French view. -
7 Dec 2021
Taming the “grey zone”
It has become something of a catch-all phrase. But if everything is a grey zone tactic, to what extent is this helpful? -
3 Dec 2021
Only a truly national security strategy can forestall disaster
It’s not China but a changing climate that will most threaten Australia’s way of life in the century ahead. -
2 Dec 2021
Honouring the dead on the path to Korean peace
Recovering troop remains and negotiating denuclearisation are vital to end-of-war declarations on the Korean peninsula. -
30 Nov 2021
New Zealand: No longer Australia’s Pacific security partner?
Wellington has appeared slow to respond to a crisis in Solomon Islands where once it would have been a regional leader. -
24 Nov 2021
Maldives: India first or India out?
Relations between one of the largest countries in the world and one of the smallest inevitably brings sensitivities. -
23 Nov 2021
Regulating unmanned underwater vehicles in Indonesian waters
Deep sea drones are revolutionising marine science. But the military potential makes transparency essential.