The world in 2026: Challenges, risks and opportunities for the UK

Welcome back to Season 2 of ‘Defence Talks: Securing UK Advantage’.

In Episode 15, Viktorija Starych-Samuolienė, our Co-founder (Strategy), and Paul Mason, journalist, author and our Adjunct Fellow, are joined by Prof. Peter Frankopan, Professor of Global History at the University of Oxford, and James Rogers, our Co-founder (Research).

What is the strategic outlook for 2026? We unpack the current geostrategic power balance to understand the Britain’s place in a volatile world. The discussion tackles major challenges facing the United Kingdom (UK) and its allies in 2026, including Russian aggression, the future of the ‘special relationship’ with the United States (US) and the deepening cooperation between the ‘CRINK’ nations – the People’s Republic of China (PRC), Russia, Iran and North Korea. Finally, we explore how Britain might effectively leverage areas of strength to secure advantage in 2026.

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