Populist authoritarians have recast themselves as champions of peace. Donald Trump, Viktor Orbán, Robert Fico, and others argue that standing up to aggressors only prolongs conflict – they’re wrong. 

Indonesia, the largest economy in Southeast Asia, should have assumed a leadership role in the region. However, under President Prabowo Subianto’s leadership, its policies and agreements with the United States and China lack of direction, impacting the ASEAN as a whole. 

The fall of Assad opened a new chapter in Syria, but rushed dialogue, stalled talks, and elite-led politics risk keeping peace out of reach. Lasting stability depends on a national dialogue that gives Syrians real ownership of their future.

Is Europe ready for the era of hybrid warfare? To defend against hybrid attacks, we must urgently build civil preparedness and societal resilience. When updating security assets, we must not only invest in hardware and software but also in 'wetware'.

Hybrid threats, rooted in authoritarian uses of technology, cause everyday harm. Collective resilience requires dismantling their ecosystems through reconceptualising these threats, comprehensive countermeasures, and cross-regional cooperation.

Europe and Canada can only protect their digital ecosystems against US interference if they start investing in tech sovereignty now.