In low resource settings where it is challenging to obtain accurate weight-for-height Z-scores (e.g., equipment to accurately measure height and weight is not readily available, minimally trained community health workers, etc.), the Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) is a simple tool used to...

We study how Europe could replace US support for Ukraine both (i) financially, in terms of the fiscal effort required, and (ii) militarily, in terms of weapon production. Financial effort: The financial challenge of replacing US aid is limited. Currently, European governments are spending just...

We provide a selective overview of the literature on the linkages between interstate conflict and international trade, paying special attention to how trade openness (i) affects arming incentives, (ii) the channels through which its effects travel, and (iii) its consequences for the emergence of...

We consider a dynamic setting where two countries with competing claims to a resource/asset first arm and then choose whether to resolve their dispute through war or peacefully through settlement. War precludes international trade and can be destructive, but also locks gains and eliminates...

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 led to unprecedented sanctions aimed at denying Russia access to critical technologies essential for sustaining its war efforts. This paper examines whether trade sanctions targeting military goods were undermined by evasion, specifically through...

War is back in Europe and as it becomes long-lasting, the question of armament gains central importance. This report finds that Russian military industrial capacities have been rising strongly in the last two years, well beyond the levels of Russian material losses in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the...

At least since Russia deployed North Korean artillery and ballistic missiles against Ukraine, it is obvious that Pyongyang fuels conflicts far beyond North-East Asia. Yet, the indirect threats that North Korea poses to Europe's security and stability have developed a new quality: Pyongyang is...

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally changed the terms of Russia-China economic relations. Economic cooperation with China has become vital for the Russian economy. Trade turnover between Russia and China has increased significantly since February 2022. However, Chinese...

There are still a number of UN arms embargoes in place to prevent the flow of arms and military material into conflict zones. Although the UN Security Council is not generally deadlocked on this issue, it has only taken relevant decisions to re-design the embargoes in a few cases over the last...

This paper analyses the impact of armed groups and their taxation practices on the municipal fishing sector of the Zamboanga Peninsula in Mindanao, Philippines. Leveraging novel qualitative and quantitative data, we find clear evidence of armed group presence, social implantation, and taxation...

Over the past decade, Turkey’s defence industry has undergone rapid development and its products have repeatedly proved their military capability. The Bayraktar-TB2 drone - a product of the Turkish manufacturer Baykar - is exported to numerous countries. In Ukraine, it is being used...

This paper aims to examine the Roles of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) as a Catalyst of Terrorism in Africa. It is instructive to state that uncontrolled availability of SALWs in Africa has influenced many of the armed conflicts and acts of terrorism on the continent. This has continued to...

After many years of underinvestment in defence, EU Member States are rearming, but much criticism has been levelled at the slow pace. Many argue that more European cooperation on defence acquisition and arms procurement would not only make buying arms faster and cheaper, but also strengthen the...

After many years of underinvestment in defence, EU Member States are rearming, but much criticism has been levelled at the slow pace. Many argue that more European cooperation on defence acquisition and arms procurement would not only make buying arms faster and cheaper, but also strengthen the...

Non-state armed actors (NSAAs) come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including warlordled groups, insurgencies, militias, and organised-crime syndicates to name just the most prominent examples hereof. In war or lower-level armed conflict, as well as violence-prone contexts, these groups pose...

Against the background of the Russian missile strikes against Ukraine, Germany has launched the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI) to strengthen Europe's air and missile defence. In the short term, it seems there is little likelihood of a Russian missile attack against NATO as Moscow probably...

Armed groups play an integral role in allowing or hindering humanitarian access to civilians in violent contexts, but vary significantly in their behavior towards humanitarian organizations. In this article, I argue that the consolidation of territorial control results in armed groups being more...

While there are good reasons to assume that an adequate missile defenceis still years away — war and the threat of war is hardly obsolescent. Roguestates continue to enhance their capabilities to deliver both conventionalweapons and weapons of mass destruction by missiles with potential...

Existing scholarship examines the moral status of markets, identifying some markets as “noxious”—markets deemed morally objectionable due to the background conditions preceding exchange and the resulting consequences. This literature primarily focuses on market exchanges between private...

This paper investigates how armed groups affect the organization of local communities during armed conflict in Colombia. We estimate the effect of communities' exposure to armed groups with an econometric specification that takes into account individual and municipality-year fixed effects and an...

Military spending is not considered a productive activity that can contribute positively to GDP, however It effect indirectly through decreasing the risk and provide stability, moreover since its considered a major expenditure in many countries, it could indirectly affect the economy by...

On November 19, 2021, Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted of homicide charges stemming from his killing of two people—Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum—at a protest of police violence in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Rittenhouse had armed himself and traveled to the protest, purportedly to defend...

Many financial transactions are of a fixed-sum nature, meaning that any improvement in the terms of trade for one party comes at the expense of another party. We model how the sales of trading advantages (e.g., data or collocation services) affect traders' endogenous participation in a market...

The concept of the 'military-industrial complex'- which describes an alliance between a nation's military troops, its defense industry as its main supplier, and parts of the political apparatus - is already commonly used when speaking about the US situation. The paper investigates whether the...

The Donald Trump administration is expected to continue increasing the U.S. defense budget during its term in order to implement one of the president’s campaign pledges: modernizing the U.S. military. Congress has passed a 717 billion USD defense budget with the National Defense Authorization...