War in Ukraine, NATO, and European Defence

This book provides an in-depth analysis of the Russia-Ukraine war and its profound implications for European defence, examining the challenges faced by NATO and the EU. It delves into the historical origins, geopolitical context, and shifting dynamics of the conflict, tracing developments from the end of the Cold War to the annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the full-scale invasion in 2022 - shedding light on the complexities of the war and its wide-ranging impact on European security.

With expert contributors offering an Italian perspective, the book explores NATO's evolving strategies and policies in response to the crisis, including military, diplomatic, and informational dimensions, as well as its broader deterrence and defence posture. It also examines defence cooperation in Europe, particularly through European Union initiatives, and the multifaceted relationship between the war in Ukraine, the Atlantic Alliance, and the EU.

The book assesses NATO's adaptation to the new security landscape, from military deployments in Eastern Europe to its deepening collaboration with the European Union, while addressing the alliance's role in countering emerging threats in domains such as space. Through a multidisciplinary lens, combining international relations history and political science, this study offers a distinctive and comprehensive exploration of international relations, security, and defence.

Alessandro Marrone is the head of IAI "Defence, security and space" programme. He has been working at IAI since 2007, and currently manages research projects and publications related to European and transatlantic security as well as to Italy’s defence policy. Since 2018 he is also Professor at the Istituto Superiore di Stato Maggiore Interforze of the Italian Ministry of Defence, after four years of teaching at the University of Perugia. He has been mentor at the NATO Defence College, and since 2016 is member of the Scientific Board of the Armament Industry European Research Group (ARES Group). He holds a PhD in History of Europe from the La Sapienza University of Rome and a Master of Science (MSc) in International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Previously he got a Bachelor degree in Political Science and MSc in International Relations from the LUISS Guido Carli. He is a member of the Editorial Board of IAI web-magazine AffarInternazionali and collaborates with several Italian magazines including Airpress, Aspenia, Eastwest, Formiche, Huffington Post, Rivista Italiana Difesa and Rivista marittima. He frequently appears on national television, radio and newspapers in relation to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and other international security issues. He is interested in armed conflicts, European defence, NATO, Italian defence and foreign policy, defence industry and market, space, security in the Mediterranean region.

Alessia Chiriatti is the head of the IAI’s Educational programme and researcher at the Institute for the "Mediterranean, Middle East and Africa" programme. She is member of the COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). She is also mentor for GEM-Diamond (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network Joint Doctorate). She teaches at the University of Padua “International Relations” and “Transnational Security Cooperation in EURO-Mena area”. She has been also professor of International Relations and Global Politics at the University of Perugia and at St. John’s University in Rome. She obtained her PhD in 2014 with a thesis on Turkish foreign policy at the University for Foreigners of Perugia, where she was also a research fellow in Political Science and International Relations. Her research interests include: Turkish foreign policy, diplomacy, negotiation techniques and active learning in international relations.