We shall go forward together 

The post-World War II order is slowly falling apart. Russia’s war in Ukraine, the rise of China as an economic and military power, and the growing influence of emerging economies have changed the global balance of power. To cement their growing influence, states like China, Russia, Iran and North Korea have formed new alliances, even as old ones like NATO and EU have struggled to remain united. In 1942, with the allies facing many setbacks in their war efforts, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill returned to a familiar theme of coalition against tyranny, telling an audience in Leeds, ‘We shall go forward together’.  

The theme of last year’s LMC was not to despair, but act. We discussed the need to overcome feelings of exhaustion amid multiple crises and tried to look for new solutions that would provide a safer tomorrow. 

In 2025, the conference will focus on the importance of working with allies to achieve foreign policy goals. We will look at how NATO and the EU are handling the full-scale war in Europe. The future of both these alliances will depend on Europe delivering on promises to take more responsibility for its own defence. Maintaining unity in supporting Ukraine, both militarily and financially, while holding Russia accountable will be essential.  

Russia, meanwhile, has used the war to establish closer ties with China, Iran and North Korea and has received military and technical support from them. This cooperation is also fuelling instability in other regions, including the Middle East, and the Indo-Pacific.  

NATO has identified China as a decisive enabler of Russia’s war in Ukraine.  The west cannot treat Russia and China as separate problems. Indeed, the connection between Russia and China has already led to closer cooperation between NATO and Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea. 

As these different groupings of countries emerge, they also compete for resources and support from global partners who have their own perspectives on security matters. Middle powers and emerging economies must not be pressurised in this new global competition and their views on what the world order should look like need to be heard.  

We will consider these and other issues at the LMC, both as a contribution to policy making and as a vehicle to move forward the public debate.