Why neutrality is no longer an option for island states

Jeffrey Salim Waheed | Issue 6 | Magazine, Uncategorised

From the Archive

Vulnerable nations face uncertain futures and complex allegiances in the face of a changing world order

On February 24, we saw the fruition of a bygone struggle clashing headfirst with the tensions of the modern world in the form of the greatest mobilisation of armed forces seen since World War II. We saw what may be the beginning of the end of multilateralism – consequentially, the last vestige of true sovereignty for small states. On that day, the reverberations of the Russian Federation’s march into Ukraine rippled across the European continent and throughout the larger world. As with any calamity, the dissolution of our understanding of security is encompassed not only in the breach of these physical borders, but also in a breach of ideological and philosophical borders as well. The notion that the global climate of peace and security has evolved was shattered. The world order was challenged on that day, and we will never be the same. As surely as with any natural disaster, we are experiencing the aftershocks of this calamity. As with a disaster, those that are most vulnerable will...

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Leader in UK Public Affairs: Dr Michelle Howard, Senior Advisor for Defence and Space, Lexington Communications: “The future of public affairs is full of promise for the creative”

Mace | September 16, 2026

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