This book maps constructions of Kaliningrad's identity at three 'sites' (Moscow, Brussels and Kaliningrad) as it seeks to address the questions: (1) Can Russian and EU perspectives and policies towards Kaliningrad serve as an 'indicator' for Russian-EU relations? (2) What role do the inhabitants of Kaliningrad see for themselves in EU-Russian relations? It explores the circumstances under which the northern part of East Prussia became Kaliningrad and provides a brief Soviet-era history before discussing its 'contested past. It is argued that Russian discourses present 'warrior' and 'merchant' conceptions, while the EU's discourses talk of 'integration' but impose 'isolation'. This book not only offers a comprehensive account of the positions taken by Russian and EU authorities, but also breaks new ground by introducing responses to these positions from Kaliningrad and analogies drawn with Hong Kong and Gibraltar. While the book is intended to contribute to academic debates in political geography, foreign policy analysis and international relations, it is also of interest to policy-makers and analysts interested in the 'Kaliningrad Puzzle'.

Although there is often opposition to individual wars, most people continue to believe that the arms industry is necessary in some form: to safeguard our security, provide jobs and stimulate the economy. Not only conservatives, but many progressives and liberals, support it for these reasons. Indefensible puts forward a devastating challenge to this conventional wisdom, which has normalised the existence of the most savage weapons of mass destruction ever known. It is the essential handbook for those who want to debunk the arguments of the industry and its supporters: deploying case studies, statistics and irrefutable evidence to demonstrate they are fundamentally flawed, both factually and logically. Far from protecting us, the book shows how the arms trade undermines our security by fanning the flames of war, terrorism and global instability. In countering these myths, the book points to ways in which we can combat the arms trade's malignant influence, reclaim our democracies and reshape our economies.