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William D. James

@wdjames.bsky.social
3.5K followers 463 following 99 posts

Asst. Professor in Strategic Studies at NTU Singapore. Author of British Grand Strategy in the Age of American Hegemony (OUP, 2024). Research: Alliances, grand strategy, UK defence policy, European security & transatlantic relations. www.williamdjames.com

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William D. James @wdjames.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
A real pleasure to have Professor Thierry Balzacq of Sciences Po at RSIS this trimester as a visiting professor, co-teaching my grand strategy course. Our students have loved his teaching & his public lecture on ideology and grand strategy was a tour de force. Merci, Thierry!
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William D. James @wdjames.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Pleased to see 'Transatlantic Storms in Anglo-American Relations' (@georgetownup.bsky.social) reviewed in the Air and Space Power Journal: www.airuniversity.af.edu/ASPJ/Book-Re...
airuniversity.af.edu
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William D. James @wdjames.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Quoted in this @channelnewsasia.bsky.social explainer on the Greenland deal: www.channelnewsasia.com/world/greenl...
channelnewsasia.com
CNA Explains: What does the US-Greenland security deal actually change?
The US, Denmark and Greenland signed a security pact on Tuesday, granting Washington a stronger military presence on the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
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William D. James @wdjames.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Interesting piece in @iseas-singapore.bsky.social by James Bosbotinis on Singapore potentially joining the Global Combat Air Programme. Good to see my argument about core allies stewarding a wavering order extended and applied here. fulcrum.sg/singapore-an...
fulcrum.sg
Singapore and GCAP: Developing Future Defence Capabilities Amidst Strategic Uncertainty | FULCRUM
Singapore’s reported interest in the Global Combat Air Programme would provide the island strategic choice and autonomy at a time of global uncertainty and US retrenchment.
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William D. James @wdjames.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
Good to join Steve Lai on BBC World earlier today to discuss Milei's speech on the Falklands, the importance of respecting the islanders' right to self-determination, and how the British government should respond to this coercion.
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William D. James @wdjames.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Thanks to @andrewmueller.bsky.social and the team at Monocle Radio for having me on to discuss past crises in UK-US relations and what the future holds for the alliance. My segment starts at 29:35 - though the rest of the episode is worth your time too. monocle.com/radio/shows/...
monocle.com
Has Germany lost its aversion to war?
As Chancellor Merz prepares to point the finger at Moscow for hybrid attacks in Leipzig, how has Germany’s foreign policy...
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Andrew Mueller @andrewmueller.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Latest Daily on Monocle Radio. @tessaszy.bsky.social and @vinnymcav.bsky.social on Germany shaping up to blame Russia for doing Russia stuff, plus @wdjames.bsky.social on his new book chronicling a history of fallings out and back in by the US and UK. monocle.com/radio/shows/...
monocle.com
Has Germany lost its aversion to war?
As Chancellor Merz prepares to point the finger at Moscow for hybrid attacks in Leipzig, how has Germany’s foreign policy...
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Engelsberg Ideas @engelsbergideas.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Diplomatic deals based on the pursuit of short-term interests tend to be short-lived. The price of Trump’s transactional diplomacy | Ziyi Wang engelsbergideas.com/notebook/the...
engelsbergideas.com
The price of Trump's transactional diplomacy
Diplomatic deals based on the pursuit of short-term interests tend to be short-lived.
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Engelsberg Ideas @engelsbergideas.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
The postwar US-led world order tamed efforts to redraw international boundaries by force, but eliminating such impulses entirely is not a realistic basis for a grand strategy. Revisionism reconsidered: grand strategy in a post-imperial age | Francis J. Gavin engelsbergideas.com/essays/revis...
engelsbergideas.com
Revisionism reconsidered: grand strategy in a post-imperial age
In the postwar period, the US-led world order succeeded in taming efforts to redraw international boundaries by force, but eliminating such impulses entirely is not a realistic basis for an effective ...
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International Affairs @iajournal.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
In his latest article, @wdjames.bsky.social finds that 4 of the US’s core allies have been doubling down on the US-led order even if others are drifting towards rival powers. Read more about Australia, Japan, Poland and the UK’s strategies: doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiag059
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William D. James @wdjames.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
"While the UK may benefit more, the United States also benefits in significant ways. As officials and experts in Washington chart the course ahead for the transatlantic partnership, they would do well to remember this." www.defenseone.com/ideas/2026/0...
defenseone.com
Don't abandon the US-UK nuclear relationship
Washington should not underestimate what it gets.
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William D. James @wdjames.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
"The core participants in the exercise on Polish territory will be France and the United Kingdom, acting as the framework nations of the Coalition of the Willing". Stewarding in action. www.defensenews.com/global/europ...
defensenews.com
Poland readies Ukraine ‘Coalition of Willing’ drills, eyes NATO support for border defense
Poland is preparing to host the first military drills for the 'Coalition of the Willing,' a group of nations established to provide support for Ukraine.
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Gill Bennett @gillhistory.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
I think this is an excellent and thought-provoking book, based on Beatrice's extensive experience and knowledge.
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William D. James @wdjames.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
My latest for @engelsbergideas.bsky.social on how Poland and the UK, among other core US allies, are stepping up to preserve the existing order while Washington's leadership wavers. engelsbergideas.com/notebook/how...
engelsbergideas.com
How America's allies can preserve the West
Faced with a more transactional and unilateral presidency in Washington, western nations are forging new partnerships in an effort to steward the US-led world order through a time of geopolitical turb...
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Engelsberg Ideas @engelsbergideas.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
At the heart of Europe’s crisis is a neglect of the common good and the prerogatives of the state. Europe’s lost reason of state | @jackfdickens.bsky.social engelsbergideas.com/notebook/eur...
engelsbergideas.com
Europe’s lost reason of state
At the heart of Europe’s crisis is a neglect of the common good and the prerogatives of the state.
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Gesine Weber @gesineweber.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Really good deep dive into defence financing - including the DSRB, Defence Security and Resilience Bank. www.rusi.org/explore-our-...
rusi.org
Allies Should Unite on Defence Finance
NATO Allies should come together to form a defence financing instrument that supplements national defence spending, improves companies’ access to affordable capital, and incentivises joint procurement...
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Engelsberg Ideas @engelsbergideas.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Faced with a more transactional and unilateral presidency in Washington, western nations are forging new partnerships to steward the US-led world order through geopolitical turbulence. How America’s allies can preserve the West | @wdjames.bsky.social engelsbergideas.com/notebook/how...
engelsbergideas.com
How America's allies can preserve the West
Faced with a more transactional and unilateral presidency in Washington, western nations are forging new partnerships in an effort to steward the US-led world order through a time of geopolitical turb...
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H-Diplo with the Jervis Forum @h-diplo.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
Jervis Forum Roundtable 17-51 on Rovner, Strategy and Grand Strategy In Strategy and Grand Strategy, Joshua Rovner sets out to examine the relationship between strategy and grand strategy, guided by… issforum.org/roundtables/roundtable…
issforum.org
Jervis Forum Roundtable 17-51 on Rovner, Strategy and Grand Strategy
In Strategy and Grand Strategy, Joshua Rovner sets out to examine the relationship between strategy and grand strategy, guided by two key objectives. One is to properly delimit each concept’s scope: “theory of security” (grand strategy) and “theory of victory” (strategy) (10-11). The second, and this is a significant commitment, is to reorient the discussion away from conceptual contestations toward the sphere of practice.
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William D. James @wdjames.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Making my debut writing for @aspi-org.bsky.social today – on why the Australia-Japan 'quasi-alliance' isn't hedging, but something I call stewarding: allies propping up the existing order themselves, without waiting for Washington's lead.
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William D. James @wdjames.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
50 ungated copies to my new @iajournal.bsky.social article, 'Stewarding Pax Americana: how core allies respond when the hegemon wavers', available here: track.smtpsendmail.com/9032119/c?p=...
track.smtpsendmail.com
Stewarding Pax Americana: how core allies respond when the hegemon wavers
This article examines how four core allies of the United States—Australia, Japan, Poland and the United Kingdom—are adapting to its unreliability amid inte
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William D. James @wdjames.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
An enjoyable few days in DC last week launching 'Transatlantic Storms in Anglo-American Relations' at the AEI & @johnshopkinssais.bsky.social. A particular highlight was sharing the stage with two PhD students who contributed to the book - Reja Younis & Jonathan Esty. They're both ones to watch 👀
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William D. James @wdjames.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Pleased to see that 'Transatlantic Storms in Anglo-American Relations: How the Alliance Weathers Crises' has been reviewed favourably in @usni.org: www.usni.org/magazines/pr...
usni.org
Book Reviews
Experts review The Devil Dog Dictionary, and other new and noteworthy books.
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International Affairs @iajournal.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
🚨NEW ISSUE ALERT! 🌍Special section on Security provision in & beyond Europe 1️⃣5️⃣ articles on China’s special envoys, nuclear disarmament, gender apartheid & more! 📝Policy paper on NATO amid full spectrum drone warfare 1️⃣8️⃣ reviews of the latest IR books Read here: academic.oup.com/ia/issue/102/4
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Engelsberg Ideas @engelsbergideas.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Britain’s other age of instability | Max Skjönsberg engelsbergideas.com/notebook/bri...
engelsbergideas.com
Britain's other age of instability
The late-18th-century British political system was shaken by a series of domestic and imperial crises, unleashing a period of turbulence only settled by a prime minister who combined skill and vision ...
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William D. James @wdjames.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Thanks to Dr Andrew Ehrhardt and @csns-uk.bsky.social for hosting the UK launch of 'Transatlantic Storms in Anglo-American Relations' (@georgetownup.bsky.social) earlier this week. Thanks also to the audience for braving the heat (a full house with no AC!) and for their challenging questions!
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Centre for Statecraft & National Security @csns-uk.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
📚 Book talk alert! 📚 Join us next Tuesday for the launch of @wdjames.bsky.social's new co-edited book: 'Transatlantic Storms in Anglo-American Relations: How the Alliance Weathers Crises'. 📅 Tue, 23 Jun, 12:00-13:15 📍 King's College London
csns.uk
Transatlantic Storms in Anglo-American Relations: How the Alliance Weathers Crises - CSNS | Centre for Statecraft & National Security
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William D. James @wdjames.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Much to mull over in this excellent piece of research by @jamiegaskarth.bsky.social, Maeve Ryan, and @anglo-japan45.bsky.social in which 60 policymakers spill the beans on the process behind the UK's strategic defence reviews. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com
British strategic defence reviews: The jellyfish model of policymaking - Jamie Gaskarth, Maeve Ryan, William Reynolds, 2026
Britain’s strategic defence and security reviews are regularly characterised as failures. This article presents original empirical data from UK policymakers and...
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William D. James @wdjames.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Much sage advice here from Jeremy Hunt on the trade-offs required to *properly* fund defence. Just a shame it's several years late... www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
thetimes.com
Jeremy Hunt: How I’d have found defence cash if I was still chancellor
Borrowing isn’t an option for Rachel Reeves. The chancellor should instead look at welfare reform and helping people find work
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William D. James @wdjames.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
A sharp new paper by Harsh V. Pant & Sanjeet Kashyap on the grand strategy conceptual debate and its relevance for India. The 'Classical Plus' approach - security goals, mixed means - is a neat contribution. Added to my syllabus. www.orfonline.org/research/a-p...
orfonline.org
A Proposed ‛Classical Plus’ Approach to the Grand Strategy Conceptual Debate
Explore how the Classical Plus framework redefines grand strategy and strengthens India’s National Security Strategy amid global security challenges.
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Engelsberg Ideas @engelsbergideas.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
The encroachment of AI into literature is catastrophic for writers, not because of how bad its outputs are or how unoriginal it makes us, but because of what it does to the practice of writing. The case against AI: writing isn’t meant to be easy | Alexander Lee engelsbergideas.com/notebook/the...
engelsbergideas.com
The case against AI: writing isn't meant to be easy
The encroachment of AI into literature is catastrophic for writers, not because of how bad its outputs are or how unoriginal it makes us, but because of what it does to the practice of writing.
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William D. James @wdjames.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Heading to London later this month to speak about my new co-edited book on crises in the Anglo-American alliance @csns-uk.bsky.social. Do join if you're in town. ⏰ 12pm on 23 June 📌 KCL's Dockrill Room on the Strand www.kcl.ac.uk/events/book-...
kcl.ac.uk
Book Launch: 'Transatlantic Storms in Anglo-American Relations: How the Alliance Weathers Crises' with Dr William D. James | King's College London
With President Trump's designs on Greenland and disputes over the Iran War, many argue that the UK-US alliance - often dubbed "the special relationship" - is close to breaking point
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William D. James @wdjames.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
"You have been unable, and the Treasury has been unwilling, to commit the resources that the nation needs to defend the country at this time of rising threats." And there it is. x.com/JohnHealey_M...
x.com
John Healey (@JohnHealey_MP) on X
My letter to the Prime Minister https://t.co/j9z9nmLCb1
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Jamie Gaskarth @jamiegaskarth.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
10 questions we should be asking of the Defence Investment Plan @chathamhouse.org (based on research with Maeve Ryan and @anglo-japan45.bsky.social of @csns-uk.bsky.social, @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social), @oupolitics.bsky.social, @openuniversity.bsky.social: 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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William D. James @wdjames.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
The view from my hotel in Nagasaki, where the eagle-eyed can spot a trio of sleek Mogami frigates.
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William D. James @wdjames.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
How are America's core allies in Europe & the Indo-Pacific responding to the oscillations in its foreign policy at a time of rising great power competition? I offer an answer in a new article for @iajournal.bsky.social, focusing on Australia, Japan, Poland & the UK. doi.org/10.1093/ia/i...
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The Lowy Institute @lowyinstitute.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
“Mogami presents an opportunity for Australia to trial a new model for foreign procurements,” writes in The Interpreter. www.lowyinstitute.org/the-interpret…
lowyinstitute.org
From shipbuilding to statecraft: The real test of Australia’s Mogami deal
The success of this defence project will be measured politically.
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William D. James @wdjames.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
A few from the launch of 'Transatlantic Storms in Anglo-American Relations' at RSIS in Singapore last week. Thanks to the brilliant panel - Dr Sarah Teo, Dr Adrian Ang, and Colonel Brock Hershberger - as well as the faculty, students, think tankers, and diplomats for their excellent questions.
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Nicolai von Ondarza @nvondarza.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
As an interesting example of the tension between high policy drama around Starmer and the international role of the UK, today UK defence secretary John Healey is hosting 40+ defence ministers for the British-French initiative on a potential operation safeguarding the Strait of Hormuz:
gov.uk
UK and France set to host multinational Strait of Hormuz meeting as British Warship to pre-position in the region
UK and France to host first meeting of Defence Ministers to advance the Strait of Hormuz multinational mission. This comes as HMS Dragon, one of the UK’s most capable warships, will forward deploy to ...
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William D. James @wdjames.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Great to have Sir Robin Niblett in Singapore for the RSIS Distinguished Public Lecture.
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William D. James @wdjames.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
A few from my flying visit to 🇬🇧 earlier this month for conferences on the state of Applied History and British defence. No prizes for guessing which is in better shape. Tip of the cap to both organisers for putting on such excellent events. Well worth the *long* trip.
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Council on Geostrategy @congeostrategy.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
UK and Germany should collaborate to build a sovereign, European-led sub-strategic nuclear deterrent within the #NATO framework to deter Russian aggression. 💡 Read the latest #Memorandum by @james-rogers.bsky.social, our Co-founder (Research), for #BritainsWorld
britainsworld.org.uk
How Britain and Germany could establish a sub-strategic nuclear deterrent
The Memorandum | No. 13.2026
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German Embassy London @uk.diplo.de · 02/04/2026
Germany is celebrating the late Queen! A special stamp marks what would have been Queen Elizabeth II’s 100th birthday on 21 April. It honours her legacy and work towards reconciliation between the UK and Germany.
Special stamps with the picture of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
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HCSS - The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies @hcss.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
No protracted proxy war stays local. Spain helped reshape the 1930s world order. Ukraine is doing the same today - across Europe, Asia, and beyond. Thinking regionally is a strategic mistake. Read the new HCSS guest paper by @irehman.bsky.social: buff.ly/Shs48Fq
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Dr. Dan Lomas @sandbaggerone.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Who's going to tell Mark the US already has bilateral intelligence sharing with Israel, Poland, Ukraine, UAE, Japan, ROK? Five Eyes gives the US so much more, and safeguards US lives.
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Stanley Pignal @spignal.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Another punchy The Economist cover this week
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Dr Emma Salisbury @salisbot.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Another day of trying to do my job while Monitoring the Situation
media.tenor.com
a man in a plaid shirt and tie is typing on a keyboard with flames coming out of it
ALT: a man in a plaid shirt and tie is typing on a keyboard with flames coming out of it
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University of Cambridge @cam.ac.uk · 31/03/2026
We are delighted to announce that the University of Cambridge has received a commitment of £190 million – the biggest individual donation to a British university in modern times – to establish the Rokos School of Government. youtu.be/oruSfls6jRE?si=sXGlMPuzcXB…
youtu.be
Chris Rokos on why he set up the new School of Government at the University of Cambridge
YouTube video by Cambridge University
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Dr. Dan Lomas @sandbaggerone.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
Erm, maybe we should stop taking seriously the posts of Donald. The special intelligence relationship continues, and will do, as intelligence sharing is of mutual benefit.
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Iskander Rehman @irehman.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
Looking forward to lecturing to the brilliant students of NTU Singapore on Roman grand strategy and its lessons for today. Seems strangely fitting, given Lee Kuan Yew's own extensive ruminations on the issue. Thanks to @wdjames.bsky.social for the kind invitation.
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Engelsberg Ideas @engelsbergideas.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
Why the US remains a major Middle Eastern power | @ronanmainprize.bsky.social engelsbergideas.com/notebook/why...
engelsbergideas.com
Why the US remains a major Middle Eastern power
Despite talk of US decline, the war in the Middle East shows that American power has not dwindled as much as some have claimed. It may yet prove crucial in resolving the region's crises.
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