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The Slow Death of the Russian Internet: How Russia Is Reshaping Its Digital Infrastructure — The Slow Death of the Russian Internet: How Russia Is Reshaping Its Digital Infrastructure

This brief by Christopher Peterstam analyzes the ongoing internet restrictions in Russia which have been unprecedented in scope. Never before has a country with a previously free and open internet environment attempted to build domestic barriers to block external influence by using such aggressive tactics. Through the passing of legislation, the installation of monitoring devices, and the buildup of a domestic digital services ecosystem, Russia appears to be attempting to sever itself from the global internet system, of which it has been a part since its inception, writes Christopher Peterstam. The ramifications of this effort have been reverberating across the Russian public and economy, with daily disruptions to everyday life occurring in major cities across the country. This has led to public discontent among both citizens and government officials, a phenomenon that would have been nearly unimaginable in post-2022 Russia, argues the author. Read the brief here.

China and the Hormuz Crisis: Fresh Momentum for the Green Transition? — China and the Hormuz Crisis: Fresh Momentum for the Green Transition?

This issue brief by Fatoumata Diallo analyzes how the Hormuz Crisis is reinforcing China’s centrality within the emerging clean energy order and the broader geostrategic implications of this shift. The author argues that the crisis is not merely a temporary disruption of global energy flows, but also a catalyst accelerating structural changes already underway in the global energy system. China’s growing role in the clean energy transition is likely to create new opportunities, but also new dependencies, for countries seeking to strengthen energy security while advancing decarbonization, writes Diallo. Read and download the brief here.

Four Futures for NATO — Four Futures for NATO

Anna Wieslander writes on NATO's likely future ahead of the Ankara summit. She writes that NATO has survived major challenges before—from the Suez crisis in 1956 to the Iraq War in 2003. The Alliance has repeatedly been declared “dead”—including Macron’s “brain-dead” pronouncement in 2019—but still, it prevails. This time, however, the transatlantic tensions are occurring while NATO is simultaneously undergoing a profound transformation from a US-led to a European-led alliance, as part of a paradigm shift that US Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby has termed “NATO 3.0”, writes Wieslander. She argues that the shift has started. But how it ends and whether it succeeds will depend on major efforts on both sides of the Atlantic. Read this piece by Anna Wieslander here.

Why It’s a Mistake to Drop the ‘Indo’ from Indo-Pacific — Why It’s a Mistake to Drop the ‘Indo’ from Indo-Pacific

Jagannath Panda writes that the debate over removing “Indo” from the Indo-Pacific Command is ultimately about much more than a name. It is about whether the United States still possesses the long-term strategic vision necessary to navigate a rapidly changing world. The future of Asia will not be determined solely in the Pacific. It will be shaped equally in the Indian Ocean, writes Panda. He further argues that it will be influenced by maritime chokepoints, energy corridors, technological networks, and partnerships stretching from East Africa to Southeast Asia. India sits at the center of this emerging strategic geography. Recognizing that reality gave birth to the Indo-Pacific concept in the first place. So, forgetting the “Indo” risks forgetting the future. And that is a mistake neither Washington nor the wider international order can afford to make, writes Panda. Read this piece in The National Interest here.

Trust, Geopolitics, and the Limits of Legalism in Global Ocean Governance: Regional Practices and Practical Challenges — Trust, Geopolitics, and the Limits of Legalism in Global Ocean Governance: Regional Practices and Practical Challenges

Global ocean governance is frequently framed as a legal and institutional success, anchored in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and reinforced by a growing architecture of specialized agreements. Yet persistent challenges in fisheries, marine environmental protection, maritime safety, and scientific research reveal a disconnect between legal norms and governance outcomes. This issue brief by Niklas Swanström argues that the principal obstacles to effective ocean governance stem less from legal ambiguity, substantial though it can be, than from geopolitical mistrust, uneven capacity for implementation, and the operational limits of legalism in contested or strategically sensitive maritime spaces. Drawing on concrete examples from regional practice, this brief demonstrates how trust‑based mechanisms, informal coordination, and regional governance arrangements function as indispensable complements to global legal frameworks. Read this issue brief by Swanström here.

The ‘Hormuz Shock,’ China’s 15th FYP, and Guangdong’s Energy Dilemma — The ‘Hormuz Shock,’ China’s 15th FYP, and Guangdong’s Energy Dilemma

This issue brief by Dominik Mierzejewski examines how the Middle East conflict, particularly the disruption of energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz, reinforces the strategic logic underpinning China’s 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030). Contrary to analyses that focus primarily on great-power competition or China’s diplomatic posture, the brief argues that the crisis highlights a fundamental challenge for China’s technological modernization agenda: the dependence of advanced industrial development on secure and affordable energy supplies. The author writes that Beijing has responded by strengthening energy security through a combination of domestic fossil-fuel production, renewable-energy expansion, strategic reserves, grid modernization, and regional power-market integration. Particular attention is paid to Guangdong and Southern China, where dependence on imported LNG exposes key centers of advanced manufacturing to external shocks, writes Mierzejewski. Read the brief here.

Report of the Taiwan-Nordic Forum 2026: Resilience as Defense — Report of the Taiwan-Nordic Forum 2026: Resilience as Defense

The 6th Taiwan-Nordic Forum, titled ‘Resilience as Defense,’ was convened on April 15, 2026, in Stockholm. The forum, organized by the Stockholm Taiwan Center of the Institute for Security and Development Policy, served as a platform for Nordic, Baltic, and Taiwanese experts and scholars to discuss emerging common defense challenges linked to gray-zone tactics in Taiwan, the Nordic, and the Baltic regions. It was the first time the forum extended its scope to Baltic states, marking an important step towards deepening cooperation and promoting knowledge exchange, elements that constitute the cornerstone of strengthened national and international resilience. Read the event report here.

Beyond Hormuz: Japan’s Strategic Balancing Between Iran and the United States — Beyond Hormuz: Japan’s Strategic Balancing Between Iran and the United States

Anne Weiler writes that Tokyo has successfully navigated a period of heightened U.S.-Iran tensions in the Hormuz crisis, balancing its national priorities without alienating Washington. However, questions remain about the sustainability of this strategy: how long can Japan maintain this delicate balancing act? The next emergency may occur much closer to home, and when it does, Japan will have to decide whether its postwar restraints remain a source of stability or have become a strategic liability, writes Weiler. Read this piece here.

FACTSHEET: Reading CPEC 2.0 Beyond Connectivity: A Corridor, a Strategy, or a Strategic Dependency? — FACTSHEET: Reading CPEC 2.0 Beyond Connectivity: A Corridor, a Strategy, or a Strategic Dependency?

This ISDP Fact Sheet on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), prepared by the Stockholm Centre for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs (SCSA-IPA), offers a timely reminder that CPEC should no longer be understood merely as an infrastructure initiative. It must be read as the evolving strategic architecture of China’s long-term presence in Pakistan and the wider Indian Ocean region. Beginning as a transport and energy corridor connecting Xinjiang to Gwadar, CPEC has now entered a more complex second phase that emphasizes industrialization, technology, agriculture, Special Economic Zones (SEZs), and digital connectivity. This Fact Sheet is a part of the SCSA-IPA's research project titled "The Silk Noose: China's Power Architecture in South Asia and Indian Ocean Region". Read and download it here.

Events »

19 Aug

Digital Taiwan Lecture Series – Taiwan’s Electoral System and the 2026 Local Elections
22 Sep

Will China deliver? China’s next decade and the consequences for Europe: Final Conference – EuroHub4Sino
Brussels

Publications »

The Slow Death of the Russian Internet: How Russia Is Reshaping Its Digital Infrastructure

Christopher Peterstam

China and the Hormuz Crisis: Fresh Momentum for the Green Transition?

Fatoumata Diallo

Four Futures for NATO

Anna Wieslander

Why It’s a Mistake to Drop the ‘Indo’ from Indo-Pacific

Jagannath Panda

Trust, Geopolitics, and the Limits of Legalism in Global Ocean Governance: Regional Practices and Practical Challenges

Niklas Swanström

FACTSHEET: Reading CPEC 2.0 Beyond Connectivity: A Corridor, a Strategy, or a Strategic Dependency?

Jagannath Panda, Anne Weiler, Sevil Khikmatova and Tristan Eng

ISDP Spotlight

ISDP Co-hosted the ICES Inaugural Annual Conference in Brussels — ISDP Co-hosted the ICES Inaugural Annual Conference in Brussels

On 10 and 11 June, ISDP participated in the inaugural Annual Conference of the Institute for China-Europe Studies (ICES) in Brussels. Convened by ICES and co-hosted by ISDP and two other partners, the conference brought together leading diplomats, academics, and researchers for critical dialogues on EU-China relations amid great power competition and global order reconfiguration.

Trends in China-India Relations: The Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs hosted a panel discussion with Dr. Ivan Lidarev and Dr. Abhishek Pratap Singh — Trends in China-India Relations: The Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs hosted a panel discussion with Dr. Ivan Lidarev and Dr. Abhishek Pratap Singh

On June 8, 2026, the Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs at the Institute for Security and Development Policy (ISDP) hosted a panel discussion with Dr. Ivan Lidarev, a research fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS) at the National University of Singapore (NUS), and Dr. Abhishek Pratap Singh from the University of Delhi. The panel discussion was moderated by Dr. Jagannath Panda, the Head of the Stockholm Center for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs at ISDP.

Looking back at Professor Ryosei Kokubun’s visit to Stockholm — Looking back at Professor Ryosei Kokubun’s visit to Stockholm

ISDP had the great pleasure of welcoming Professor Ryosei Kokubun, Non-Resident Distinguished Fellow, to Stockholm last week. During this stay, ISDP arranged a roundtable discussion on “Managing Sino-Japanese ties in the contemporary East Asian context” during which he presented future perspectives of the geopolitical balance in the East Asia region, highlighting the complex relations between China and Japan.

Roundtable with Dr. Shan-Jan Sarah Liu: Taiwanese Women’s Experiences in Taiwan’s Military — Roundtable with Dr. Shan-Jan Sarah Liu: Taiwanese Women’s Experiences in Taiwan’s Military

On June 4th, the Stockholm Taiwan Center had the pleasure of hosting a roundtable discussion with Dr. Shan-Jan Sarah Liu. The roundtable discussion was moderated by Yi-Chieh Chen. Dr. Shan-Jan Sarah Liu is Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Gender and Politics at the School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh. The discussion explored Dr. Liu’s findings from her research on Taiwanese women’s experiences in the military and was joined by ISDP research staff and experts from Stockholm’s academic community.

Niklas Swanström and Jagannath Panda participated in the 11th Ulaanbaatar Dialogue (UBD) International Conference — Niklas Swanström and Jagannath Panda participated in the 11th Ulaanbaatar Dialogue (UBD) International Conference

ISDP, represented by Dr. Niklas Swanström and Dr. Jagannath Panda, participated in the 11th Ulaanbaatar Dialogue (UBD) International Conference held in Ulaanbaatar. The Dialogue focused on critical themes such as security challenges and opportunities for peace in Northeast Asia, preventive diplomacy and mediation pathways, artificial intelligence and emerging security risks, regional connectivity between Northeast and Central Asia, and green power corridors linking the two regions.