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Olivia O'Sullivan

@oliviaosullivan.bsky.social
1.3K followers 465 following 29 posts

Director, UK in the World programme, Chatham House. Formerly HMG's Open Innovation Team, Cabinet Office, & DFID.

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Reposted by Olivia O'Sullivan
Finbarr Bermingham @fbermingham.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Ministers ready to match the EU’s 45 per cent tariffs on Chinese EVs to avoid pain of Made in Europe proposals
thetimes.com
Britain expected to impose tariffs on Chinese electric cars
Ministers are ready to match the EU’s 45 per cent levy to avoid pain of Made in Europe proposals
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Reposted by Olivia O'Sullivan
Jamie Gaskarth @jamiegaskarth.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
This is great news and something @rorycormac.bsky.social and I have been arguing for privately and publicly. We’ve authored a whole report on how to make it work available via KCL… www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
UK to fight Russian disinformation and push new global AI standards, Burnham says
The UK could act as "an honest broker" on AI and other global challenges, the prime minister tells world leaders at the UN.
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Reposted by Olivia O'Sullivan
Matthew Holehouse @matthewholehouse.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Burnham remarks on Antonia Costa en route to Kyiv: Britain “had to be bolder in terms of getting closer to the bloc”.
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Graham Lanktree @glanktree.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Confirming our scoop from last week: Britain, Japan and Italy are bringing Canada in on their project to field a sixth-generation fighter jet by 2035, defense ministers from the nations announced jointly on Tuesday. www.politico.eu/article/cana...
politico.eu
Canada joins British-Italian-Japanese fighter jet project
Ottawa joins Global Combat Air Programme as an observer nation.
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Olivia O'Sullivan @oliviaosullivan.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
On the same day, I was pleased to add a quote to this excellent - and more downbeat - assessment by @lucyfisher.ft.com of Britain's power - great to read analysis that assesses defence, development, and diplomacy as parts of a whole, rather than fiefdoms competing for resources tinyurl.com/4d8wf3fk
ft.com
Britain’s power problem
The UK’s military firepower is not what it was. Nor is its global influence
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Olivia O'Sullivan @oliviaosullivan.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Last week at @chathamhouse.org 's annual London Conference we hosted the Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper for a closing keynote - where she expanded on her article for Chatham House's @theworldtoday.org on how Britain navigates a more difficult world - www.chathamhouse.org/publications...
chathamhouse.org
Britain’s place in the new world order
We are facing a storm of geopolitical instability, economic coercion, AI and climate change – and it’s likely to get worse. But by working more closely with Europe and seeking greater cooperation outs...
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Reposted by Olivia O'Sullivan
Lawrence Freedman @ldfreedman.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
50 years ago I began work at Chatham House on the future of British foreign policy. Very much enjoyed this conversation with Olivia O’Sullivan who is now also running a Uk foreign policy project at Chatham House.
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Olivia O'Sullivan @oliviaosullivan.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Why can we never get a straight answer about defence spending? Timely and relevant research from @chathamhouse.org UK in the World Associate Fellow @jamiegaskarth.bsky.social along with Maeve Ryan and @anglo-japan45.bsky.social
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Reposted by Olivia O'Sullivan
Jake Benford @jbenford-berlin.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
Second EU-UK Summit set for 22 July, it seems www.gov.uk/government/n...
gov.uk
PM meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen: 16 June 2026
The Prime Minister met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at the G7 Summit in Evian today.
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Olivia O'Sullivan @oliviaosullivan.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
One thing to add: this is not just about this govt. Johnson and Sunak made higher defence spending promises too, and never credibly reckoned with paying for them. Dishonesty is persistent in UK defence conversations, as CH's @jamiegaskarth.bsky.social wrote here: www.chathamhouse.org/2026/06/will...
chathamhouse.org
Will the UK’s Defence Investment Plan finally be honest about Britain’s defence?
Here are the key questions that should be asked when assessing the much-delayed plan.
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Olivia O'Sullivan @oliviaosullivan.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
I was glad to go on the @chathamhouse.org podcast this week to grapple (pretty much in real time) with John Healey resigning and the UK's defence plans, alongside my excellent colleague @mgmessmer.bsky.social. www.chathamhouse.org/2026/06/defe...
chathamhouse.org
Defence Investment Paralysis: Why the UK’s defence minister quit, and what it means
In this week’s episode of Independent Thinking, our experts discuss the UK’s defence funding crisis and Europe’s struggle to coordinate its rearmament effort.
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Reposted by Olivia O'Sullivan
Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Big blow for Starmer and the credibility of the UK - defence secretary John Healey resigns, arguing Starmer was not willing to increase defence spending to the level Healey regards as necessary.
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Olivia O'Sullivan @oliviaosullivan.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
Good to ask @tomfletcherun.bsky.social today at @chathamhouse.org if international diplomacy is broken - and get his answer - broken for who? www.youtube.com/shorts/1sD3X...
youtube.com
In Gaza, Sudan and other crisis areas: 'international order is already broken' - UN aid chief
YouTube video by Chatham House
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Reposted by Olivia O'Sullivan
Ciaran Martin @ciaranm.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
This paper represents a small but deeply impressive and genuinely important achievement by the much maligned British state in what is probably the most important global issue of our era. Hear me out ( 🧵) 1/ www.aisi.gov.uk/blog/our-eva...
aisi.gov.uk
Our evaluation of Claude Mythos Preview’s cyber capabilities | AISI Work
We conducted cyber evaluations of Anthropic’s Claude Mythos Preview and found continued improvement in capture-the-flag (CTF) challenges and significant improvement on multi-step cyber-attack simulati...
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Reposted by Olivia O'Sullivan
Helene von Bismarck @helenebismarck.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
The Strategic Defence Review, which Robertson spearheaded, came out in September 2025, as I was writing the last chapter of my book, which is focused on foreign policy and strategy. I read that entire document and interviewed a number of experts about it. A few thoughts. 🧵
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Reposted by Olivia O'Sullivan
Jim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Britain’s leaders have shown a “corrosive complacency” towards defence, putting the country “in peril” while it is “under attack”, a key government adviser has warned, in a stinging rebuke of Sir Keir Starmer’s military policy. via @lucyfisher.ft.com www.ft.com/content/88b1...
ft.com
Starmer accused of ‘corrosive complacency’ on UK defence by former Nato chief
Lord George Robertson, author of British military review, says premier is not willing to make the necessary investment
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Reposted by Olivia O'Sullivan
Finbarr Bermingham @fbermingham.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
UK government has put out a call for input relating to its own future anti coercion instrument Doc "sets out the rationale for why the UK government is considering new powers to protect the UK from adverse economic pressure and how these might work" www.gov.uk/governmen...
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Richard J @preachypreach.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
Will everyone please accordingly update their class takes, which will take effect from 5pm today
Greggs, selling matcha
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Reposted by Olivia O'Sullivan
Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
CNN reporting a "regional source" saying there may be some kind of ceasefire deal tonight. edition.cnn.com/2026/04/07/w...
edition.cnn.com
Live updates: Trump threatens ‘a whole civilization will die tonight’ ahead of his Iran deadline | CNN
Trump’s warning comes ahead of his 8 p.m. ET deadline for Iran to make a deal, as the US also struck military targets on Iran’s strategic Kharg Island. Follow live news updates.
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Reposted by Olivia O'Sullivan
Ursula von der Leyen @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu · 02/04/2026
Good call yesterday with Keir Starmer. We discussed the situation in the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s actions are putting global economic stability at risk. We will work with our partners to ensure freedom of navigation can resume as soon as possible.
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Jim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
FT exclusive: The UK government is on the verge of fully nationalising British Steel, almost a year on from using emergency legislation to take control of the business www.ft.com/content/f885...
ft.com
UK government on verge of full nationalisation of British Steel
Talks with Chinese owner Jingye continue while losses mount
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Reposted by Olivia O'Sullivan
Helene von Bismarck @helenebismarck.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
Start your day with a very moving lunch with the FT, sensitively told by @edwardluce.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/4c17...
ft.com
Death row lawyer Bryan Stevenson: ‘Hope is our superpower’
The attorney and activist on overturning capital convictions — and his fears that civil rights gains are being dismantled
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Olivia O'Sullivan @oliviaosullivan.bsky.social · 26/03/2026
Really pleased to have this piece from our UK in the World and Middle East and North Africa Associate Fellow @cjophillips.bsky.social on the tightrope Starmer is trying to walk on Iran, and what it means for the UK's relationship to American power:
s.bsky.social
Bluesky
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Pippa Crerar @pippacrerar.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
Keir Starmer confirms suspension of crypto-donations to political parties. “I can tell the house, we will act decisively to protect our democracy – that will include a moratorium on all political donations made through cryptocurrencies.”
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Reuters @reuters.com · 19/03/2026
UK pumps extra funding into BBC World Service as conflicts escalate reut.rs/3PuRxHs
reut.rs
UK pumps extra funding into BBC World Service as conflicts escalate
Britain said on Thursday it would increase funding for the BBC World Service over the next three years, citing the growing need ​to provide international audiences with impartial news at a time of ‌conflict and media blackouts around the world.
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Reposted by Olivia O'Sullivan
Matthew Palmer @so3brocktree.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Good news.
ft.com
UK and Ireland pledge joint exercises to protect cables from Russian spy ships
Update to defence and security pact will see countries ‘tackle hostile threats and crack down on the shadow fleet’
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Reposted by Olivia O'Sullivan
Chatham House @chathamhouse.org · 13/03/2026
"I think the worst-case scenario for the Gulf states is playing out. They’re seeing a US-Israeli operation being executed with no day-after planning." Read Sanam Vakil's interview with @ichotiner.bsky.social for @newyorker.com on the impact of the US-Israel war with Iran on the Gulf states.
newyorker.com
How Donald Trump’s Iran War Is Destabilizing the Gulf
Despite their animosity toward Iran, America’s allies in the Middle East are worried that the region is headed for wider conflict.
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Reposted by Olivia O'Sullivan
YouGov @yougov.co.uk · 09/03/2026
Opposition to the United States' military action against Iran has risen by 10pts among Britons over the last week Support: 25% (-3 from 2 March) Oppose: 59% (+10) yougov.com/en-gb/daily-...
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Reposted by Olivia O'Sullivan
Lawrence Freedman @ldfreedman.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
Latest assessment on US/Israeli attack on Iran. The administration continues to give the impression that it is making it up as it goes along. The choices for the Iranian regime remain dire but it continues to show defiance and cause international economic turmoil. open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/m...?
open.substack.com
Making it up as they go along
Where does the war in Iran go from here?
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Reposted by Olivia O'Sullivan
David Anderson @bricksilk.bsky.social · 01/03/2026
Legal advice re use of UK bases for attacks on Iranian missile bases now published www.gov.uk/government/n...
gov.uk
Summary of the UK Government legal position: The legality of defensive action in respect of Iranian regional attacks
Summary of the UK Government legal position: The legality of defensive action in respect of Iranian regional attacks
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Ulrike Franke @rikefranke.eu · 26/02/2026
Good to see that there is *finally* some movement on this! “Neutral Ireland is seeking closer co-operation with the UK and other Nato countries to defend its vast maritime area as Russia intensifies its surveillance of vulnerable undersea cables that criss-cross Irish waters.”
giftarticle.ft.com
Neutral Ireland seeks closer ties with Nato over maritime security
New Dublin strategy against backdrop of heightened Russia concerns could involve request for UK and French naval assistance
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David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Snap judgement on Trump Supreme Court verdict - UK largely unaffected, may get lower tariffs now, but hadn't committed much to get them. EU, never ratified Trump deal anyway, now don't until the next step. China, still tariffs. More affected - those who did full deals e.g. Indonesia, Vietnam
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Graham Lanktree @glanktree.bsky.social · 16/02/2026
SCOOP: Carney constructs a mega anti-Trump trade alliance www.politico.eu/article/eu-a...
politico.eu
Carney constructs a mega anti-Trump trade alliance
The Canadian prime minister is spearheading discussions between the EU and a major Indo-Pacific trade bloc after calling on middle powers to join forces.
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Melissa Chemam @melissaontheroad.bsky.social · 15/02/2026
And another bites the dust? The BBC World Service will run out of funding in just seven weeks. Its funding arrangement with the Foreign Office finishes at the end of March. There is no plan for what happens next. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
The Guardian view on the BBC World Service: this is London calling | Editorial
Editorial: With just seven weeks before its funding runs out, the UK’s greatest cultural asset and most trusted international news organisation must be supported
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Olivia O'Sullivan @oliviaosullivan.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
Starmer rightly warning against the ‘warm bath of complacency’ just because Rubio made a slightly more conciliatory speech than Vance last yr. Also Starmer really has thing about disliking warm baths
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Olivia O'Sullivan @oliviaosullivan.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
‘A generational shift in defence-industrial cooperation’ including looking closer at economic alignment
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Olivia O'Sullivan @oliviaosullivan.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
Starmer says Carrier strike group being deployed to North Atlantic; nuclear cooperation with France being enhanced; more to be done with the EU on defence
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Olivia O'Sullivan @oliviaosullivan.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
Starmer also pointedly emphasising Greenland’s sovereignty and hymning British troops who died in Afghanistan here
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The Kyiv Independent @kyivindependent.com · 11/02/2026
⚡️US military aid to Ukraine dropped 99% in 2025, report finds. European countries stepped in to fill the gap, increasing military aid to Ukraine by 67% and non-military support by 59% in 2025, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
kyivindependent.com
US military aid to Ukraine dropped 99% in 2025, report finds
European countries stepped in to fill the gap, increasing military aid to Ukraine by 67% and non-military support by 59% in 2025, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
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Olivia O'Sullivan @oliviaosullivan.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
It was great to chat to @philtinline.bsky.social for the writing of this excellent report, which gets to grips with why it is so hard for the state to actually do stuff, and features a cameo from my old team, the Open Innovation Team. Many insights in here apply to foreign policy too:
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
There is such huge opportunity cost to each Trump tantrum. So many people with critical jobs have lost another week when they could have been doing something useful.
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Olivia O'Sullivan @oliviaosullivan.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
Trump's Greenland threats undermine the idea US tariffs are about aligning allies against China or onshoring industry. They're a tool to get things Trump wants. This is just one marker of a new era of economic coercion. In our @chathamhouse.org comment, Jerome Puri and I look at the UK's options:
chathamhouse.org
Trump’s Greenland tariffs show the UK must prepare for a new era of economic coercion
The willingness of major powers – both the US and China – to engage in increasingly blatant economic coercion will prove a difficult challenge for the UK.
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Max Bergmann @maxbergmann.bsky.social · 18/01/2026
Feels like something cracked today in the transatlantic alliance. Europeans have been swallowing their pride, bitting their tongues, and bending the knee. That strategy may have bought them time but it has now clearly failed. It also had a major cost - it has made the WH think Europe will cave. 1/
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Chatham House @chathamhouse.org · 07/01/2026
Donald Trump hopes to get Venezuela's oil flowing again, but this will not come cheap. Tripling production, from 1 million to 3 million barrels of oil a day, would cost an estimated $183 billion.
chathamhouse.org
President Trump’s ambition to rebuild Venezuela’s oil sector will be challenging, especially if prices continue to fall
Robust long-term oil demand is needed to justify significant investment, but is called into question by the growing popularity of electric vehicles.
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Chatham House @chathamhouse.org · 07/01/2026
"This sends a very clear signal to Russia and to China that regional spheres of influence are not something to be avoided but infact embraced." Laurel Rapp on US President Donald Trump's geopolitical ambitions in Greenland and Venezuela, via BBC News.
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Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
Joint Statement of major EU/NATO countries on Greenland, together with Denmark:
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
New post from @ldfreedman.bsky.social "Trump, Maduro and the Panama Precedent" Trying to make sense of today's events... (£/free trial) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/t...
open.substack.com
Trump, Maduro and the Panama Precedent
Once again the US has undertaken a military operation that was effectively executed in support of an uncertain political objective.
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Chatham House @chathamhouse.org · 04/01/2026
Our experts give their initial reaction to President Trump’s strike on Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro. Read in full ⤵️
chathamhouse.org
US to ‘run’ Venezuela after Maduro captured, says Trump: Early analysis from Chatham House experts
Experts give their initial reaction to President Trump’s strike on Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro. What are the implications for the US, the region and the world?
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