Con Coughlin

Defence Editor

Con Coughlin is the Telegraph's defence editor and chief foreign affairs columnist

Britain must be prepared to go to war with Russia
Putin’s latest threats show he is not beaten, but we are dangerously ill-equipped for a conventional conflict
Con Coughlin23 Jun 2022, 6:00am

The West should stop tiptoeing around Putin
Modern-day Russia is a gangster state. It will respond to steely strength not diplomatic niceties
Con Coughlin9 Jun 2022, 6:00am
A divided West is giving Putin a second chance to win
This is not just about the fate of Ukraine. It’s about the lesson it offers to rogue states across the world
Con Coughlin2 Jun 2022, 6:00am
US threatens to limit intelligence cooperation in row over Britain's secret submarine tech
American officials warn that delaying sale of Ultra Electronics risks security relationship
ByCon Coughlin27 May 2022, 7:23pm

Putin could be about to pull off a shock triumph
The West is becoming dangerously complacent and failing to provide Kyiv with the weapons it needs
Con Coughlin26 May 2022, 6:00am
Vladimir Putin is goading the West into joining the war by creating global food meltdown
Western leaders face the challenge of resolving blockaded exports and the prospect of famine without instigating direct conflict with Russia
ByCon Coughlin20 May 2022, 6:39pm
Putin may target Europe by triggering a new migrant crisis
There are fears the Kremlin will exploit high food prices and Russian ties in Africa to open a new front in the war
Con Coughlin19 May 2022, 6:00am
Total victory over Putin cannot be bought cheap
Britain is still living under the delusion that we do not need to radically increase spending on defence
Con Coughlin12 May 2022, 6:00am
Humiliated Russia faces an epoch-defining defeat
The invasion of Ukraine isn’t a fiasco on the same scale as the Soviet assault on Afghanistan. It’s worse
Con Coughlin5 May 2022, 6:00am
Poland is now the true leader of free Europe
The Poles have shamed Germany and France, who have shown weakness in the face of Putin’s invasion
Con Coughlin28 Apr 2022, 6:00am

Putin’s war has been a fiasco. It’s about to get worse
There can be no peace deal with the Kremlin. This would be the worst time for Nato to lose its nerve
Con Coughlin21 Apr 2022, 6:00am
The West is better off without ‘Taliban Khan’
The downfall of Imran Khan, Pakistan’s virulently anti-American PM, is a vital strategic opportunity
Con Coughlin14 Apr 2022, 6:00am
It’s gross folly for Britain to give up on tanks
Ukraine is desperate for heavy armour to push back the Russians. Britain now has barely 40 of them
Con Coughlin7 Apr 2022, 7:00am
The West is beating Russia at its own game
British and American intelligence agencies have denied Putin control of the narrative
Con Coughlin3 Apr 2022, 6:00am
Erdogan’s double-dealing will backfire on Turkey
The Turkish president has posed as a peacemaker between Kyiv and Moscow. Soon he’ll have to pick sides
Con Coughlin31 Mar 2022, 6:00am
Britain will never be safe with Armed Forces this weak
Rishi Sunak blew a vital chance to ensure we retain our position as Europe’s pre-eminent military power
Con Coughlin24 Mar 2022, 6:00am
Iran’s secret offer to help Russia evade sanctions in exchange for new nuclear deal
Russian and Iranian officials have been meeting to discuss future trade ties after demands made earlier this month were refused
ByCon Coughlin23 Mar 2022, 6:20pm
Friendship alone will not save Boris’s mission to Saudi Arabia
The PM needs the Saudis to assuage Europe’s energy crisis, but they have their own problems with Iran
Con Coughlin17 Mar 2022, 6:00am
The inside story of how Britain armed Ukraine’s resistance to Russia
From spooks to special services and secret airlifts, the UK has been at the forefront of international efforts to help Zelensky’s army
ByGordon Rayner12 Mar 2022, 5:00am
Joe Biden can’t stop making America look weak
The White House’s mixed signals on how to arm the Ukrainian military is music to the Kremlin’s ears
Con Coughlin10 Mar 2022, 6:00am
The world order is falling apart
The West may be united, but the decision by India and Pakistan to abstain on a UN motion criticising Russia is troubling
Con Coughlin6 Mar 2022, 8:00am
Vladimir Putin is using the nuclear card to threaten Nato – but it must not back down
If security of the alliance is directly threatened by Russia's carelessness, Western leaders will have no choice but to take hardline stance
Con Coughlin4 Mar 2022, 8:00pm