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RAND Europe Deterrence Initiative

Building the foundations of European deterrence

Nato Flag together with Baltic Sea countries' flags

Photo by Jidia/Adobe Stock

The RAND Europe Deterrence Initiative (REDI) conducts research into questions and challenges relating to nuclear and conventional deterrence. We work with governments, international organisations, and militaries to help European decision-makers shape new approaches to deterrence in the face of a widening spectrum of threats.

Structural global changes in the distribution of power, combined with Russia’s assertive nuclear posture and coercion, the expansion of the Chinese nuclear arsenal, and the reprioritisation and reorientation of U.S. strategy, have shifted security burdens within NATO, with France and the UK taking on a greater role in deterrence in the European context. These developments, occurring against the backdrop of emerging and rapidly evolving technologies which affect strategic stability, the deterioration of the non-proliferation regime, and a growing risk of regional nuclear conflicts have generated significant uncertainty surrounding European security. Amidst these changes and uncertainty, there is a need for new European thinking on deterrence.

In this page

Our mission

REDI’s core mission is to contribute to the development of European approaches to nuclear and conventional deterrence, and to provide the foundation for a European theory of deterrence.

How we work

With offices in the UK, the Netherlands, and Belgium, and decades of experience working with both nuclear and non-nuclear governments across the continent, RAND Europe is uniquely placed within Europe to contribute to the development of European approaches to deterrence, and a broader European theory of deterrence. We bring to bear our expertise on these critical questions through policy analysis, scenario-building, workshops, and wargaming.

What we do

Recent projects

  • Inadvertent nuclear escalation risks in NATO’s conventional deterrence of Russia

  • Understanding Russian strategic culture and the low-yield nuclear threat

  • Evolving Russian perceptions of the British and French nuclear deterrents

Research and commentary

  • Nonproliferation and strategic stability as U.S. extended nuclear deterrence erodes

  • New START’s Expiration Will Make the World Less Safe

  • Can More British and French Nuclear Cooperation Help Deter Russia?

  • The World Is Sliding Back into Nuclear Competition

  • What Is Europe's Strategy for Success Against Russia?

  • Understanding Russian Strategic Culture and the Low-Yield Nuclear Threat

Multimedia

  • Ramping up air defense production will take years, not months

    Paul van Hooft joins Talking with TVP World to explore the developments of the U.S.-Iran conflict in the Middle East, how Ukraine has proven a better defense provider for the Gulf states, and NATO’s evolving role as Europe takes up more of the burden for its own security amid the U.S. disengagement from the continent.

  • A World Led by Rocket Men: What Does a New Nuclear Era Mean for Global Security?

    Paul van Hooft joins the deBalie podcast to discuss what a renewed nuclear arms race means for global security; if a second, European, nuclear shield is the best guarantee of peace; and what the rise of AI means for the way nuclear weapons are controlled and deployed.

  • Video

    Can Europe Deter Russia?

    In this RAND Europe webinar, experts discuss the lengths to which Europe must go to defend itself and to deter Russia.

Team spotlights

  • Paul van Hooft

    Research Leader, Defence and Security

  • Mattias Eken

    Senior Analyst

  • AH

    Artur Honich

    Senior Analyst

Connect with us

We are always on the lookout for collaborators and partnership opportunities. Please contact us via this form so we can start a conversation.

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RAND Europe is an independent, not-for-profit research organisation whose mission is to help improve policy and decision-making through research and analysis. We benefit the public interest through the impact and wide dissemination of over 100 projects per year.

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europeanmedia@randeurope.org

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