RESEARCH AREAS

Stella-Sofia Kyvelou
(Professor at Panteion University, Greece & Expert in Maritime Spatial Planning)

Note: S-S. Kyvelou serves as the focal point for the Eastern Mediterranean within the framework of the European MSP Assistance Mechanism.

Copyright: @ 2026 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 19 January 2026

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

With the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) entering into force in January 2026 as a legally binding international treaty, a significant governance gap concerning areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) is being addressed. ... Read more

Prof.dr Darko Trifunovic,
(Senior Research Fellow of RIEAS)

Copyright: @ 2026 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 19 January 2026

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

The future of Iran is not merely an Iranian domestic issue, nor is it a question limited to regional geopolitics. It is a matter of global strategic importance. The international community does not benefit from a weakened, isolated, or perpetually sanctioned Iran, nor from an Iran defined by fear, repression, and ideological export. What the world genuinely needs is a free, civic, and modern Iran—a state grounded in citizenship rather than theology, cooperation rather than confrontation, and innovation rather than coercion.... Read more

Robert Ellis
(International Advisor at the Research Institute for European and American Studies in Athens)

Copyright: @ 2026 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 20 January 2026

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

If the U.S. president was Moscow’s Manchurian candidate, he could not do better – he has just imposed punitive tariffs on the European countries that oppose his Greenland takeover bid. And Donald Trump has achieved what people thought impossible – to unite Europe and unite the kingdom of Denmark. ... Read more

“It is not enough to win a war; it is more important to organize the peace.- Aristotle

Demetrios Tsailas (ret Admiral)
(He has taught for many years, operational planning, strategy, and security, to senior offic-ers at the Supreme Joint War College. He is a member and researcher of the Institute for National and International Security)

Copyright: @ 2026 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 24 January 2026

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Re-search Institute for European and American Studies

In a bold diplomatic move, President Donald Trump has personally invited Greece and Cyprus to become founding members of the newly established “Board of Peace” for Gaza. The initiative, chaired by Trump himself and aligned with UN Security Council Resolution 2803, aims to oversee Gaza’s post-conflict stabilization, transitional governance, and large-scale reconstruction following the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.... Read more

Demetrios Tsailas (ret Admiral)
(He has taught for many years, operational planning, strategy, and security, to senior officers at the Supreme Joint War College. He is a member and researcher of the Institute for National and International Security)

Copyright: @ 2025 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 24 January 2026

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

In the evolving landscape of international conflict, hybrid warfare has emerged as a defining feature of 21st-century statecraft. Though some analysts view it as a novel development, others rightly point out that hybrid tactics, the fusion of conventional military force with unconventional and subversive tools, have deep historical roots. What sets today's hybrid warfare apart is its unprecedented scale, speed, and strategic centrality in an era dominated by digital connectivity, information warfare, and cognitive manipulation.... Read more

A Policy Framework for the United States and the European Union

Leonidas Kapetanakis
(START Services Founder, Leakey Texas, USA)

Copyright: @ 2025 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 30 January 2026

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

Executive Summary

Over the past decade, Kurdish forces in Syria and Iraq have emerged as one of the most reliable and effective partners of the United States and the international coalition in the fight against the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) and al-Qaeda–linked organizations. At extraordinary human cost, Kurdish fighters dismantled the territorial “caliphate,” liberated major cities such as Kobane and Raqqa, protected religious and ethnic minorities, and created some of the most stable zones in war-torn Syria.... Read more