MULTILATERAL: NATO Cheaper Weapons & more – 24th Feb 2026

Saluton from BA! This is the Rorshok Multilateral Update from the 24th of February twenty twenty-six. A summary of what's going down in the world's major multilateral institutions.

First up this week, on Friday the 20th, a group of NATO members, including Germany, France, Italy, Poland, and the UK, said they will team up to build cheaper autonomous drones and related air-defense tools to respond to Russian threats. They agreed to launch what they’re calling the Low-Cost Effectors and Autonomous Platforms program, aiming to have these systems ready within about a year.

Leaders said the push comes from lessons learned in recent conflicts and a desire to keep European skies secure with equipment that doesn’t cost a fortune to field.

In more news from Europe, on Saturday the 21st, France’s trade minister said that the EU is ready to push back if the United States follows through with new import levies. Officials have been discussing options with the European Commission, including tariffs or other trade measures, in response to Washington’s plans.

This comes after the U.S. The Supreme Court struck down many of the previous tariffs on Friday the 20th and the U.S. announced fresh global levies the following day. European leaders say they have tools to respond and are watching Washington’s next steps closely.

On Wednesday the 18th, the United Nations Security Council brought together diplomats in New York to talk about the current Gaza ceasefire deal and growing Israeli control in parts of the West Bank, before the first session of a new global peace initiative takes place in Washington soon.

Generally, the United Nations Security Council has addressed Israel's war in Gaza through a series of emergency meetings, resolutions, and statements focused on ceasefires, humanitarian access, and the protection of civilians. However, its response has been marked by divisions among permanent members, with vetoes by the United States, Russia, and China at different stages preventing the adoption of several draft resolutions.

In health news, on Wednesday the 18th, the World Health Organization reported that a new generation of influenza shots could dramatically cut the flu's toll around the world. A recent assessment found that if vaccines with broader and longer-lasting protection become widely available, they might prevent many billions of infections and save over six million lives, especially among older adults, young children, and pregnant people.

Current flu shots have limited effectiveness because influenza viruses mutate rapidly, requiring vaccines to be reformulated each year based on predictions that do not always perfectly match circulating strains. Protection also tends to wane over time and varies by age and immune response, meaning some individuals may receive reduced or shorter-lived immunity.

On Tuesday the 17th, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS urged leaders meeting at the African Union Summit to stay focused on defeating HIV in Africa and make long-term plans to keep health systems strong. The UN Program highlighted significant progress in treatment and prevention over the past decade.

African countries have made major progress against AIDS, with expanded access to antiretroviral therapy dramatically reducing AIDS-related deaths and improving life expectancy. According to the UN, new HIV infections and deaths have declined significantly, though challenges remain in reaching vulnerable populations and sustaining funding.

On Friday the 20th, the Pan American Health Organization shared its latest look at dengue in the Americas and urged countries to keep prevention, case tracking, and health systems ready for shifts in how the virus is spreading.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection. It can cause high fever, severe headache, joint and muscle pain, and in some cases develop into severe dengue, which can lead to bleeding, organ impairment, and even death if it’s not properly treated.

In more updates from the Americas, on Wednesday the 18th, Brazil got approval for a roughly $100 million US Dollar loan from the Inter-American Development Bank to widen and improve early childhood schooling in Santa Catarina.

The money is part of a broader effort to modernize how the country spends on social services. It’ll help expand more full-day preschool options, build accessible facilities, introduce new tech and teaching methods, and include thousands of migrant children while boosting planning and management in the local education system.

In the digital world, on Friday the 20th, the Organization of American States and Spain’s national cybersecurity agency signed a new cooperation deal. The agreement sets up joint work on digital policy and projects that affect people in the Americas, with a focus on online rights and the safety of women using technology.

Officials said it will support efforts to keep elections and digital systems secure, help prevent online abuse, and promote women’s skills and opportunities in cybersecurity. Election security is crucial for the democratic process and is increasingly under threat globally. Training and technical assistance are part of the plan to help countries better manage digital threats and protect citizens.

Meanwhile, on Sunday the 22nd, in Ghana, the vice-president of the Economic Community of West African States urged member states’ ministers to take real ownership of a new project to put women and young people at the center of political life and link more inclusive governance to jobs, stability and long-term development. She told officials that national leaders must drive and adapt the framework at home, breaking down barriers so young people and women can play a stronger role in decisions.

Next up, on Friday the 20th, the United Nations Development Programme shared new satellite data showing that a pair of cyclones that hit Madagascar recently dealt serious damage to the poorest towns and villages. The imagery revealed that flooding spread across areas where people were already struggling to get basic services, wiping out crops and making it hard for families to rebuild their lives.

In Asia, on Wednesday the 18th, Thailand said it wants to help bring Myanmar’s military government back into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations after members of the Association pushed it out following the twenty twenty-one coup and growing conflict. The Thai foreign minister told reporters that Thailand is willing to act as a bridge so Myanmar can reduce violence and find domestic stability.

On Thursday the 19th, the International Labour Organization brought together government officials, employers, workers, and other partners in New Delhi to roll out India’s first Roadmap on Responsible Business Conduct aimed at decent work. Employer and worker groups jointly developed the plan after extensive consultations.

Also on Thursday the 19th, the International Organization for Migration and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies took over joint leadership of the brand-new Global Shelter, Land and Site Coordination Cluster. Under this setup, they will guide global coordination for shelter support, site planning, and housing and land issues in both disaster and displacement situations.

The idea is to bring these pieces together under one umbrella so aid teams can organize help around where people are living, improve planning, and work more closely with local partners and other agencies in emergencies.

In other news, on Tuesday the 17th, staff from the International Monetary Fund wrapped up their most recent mission in Azerbaijan to check in on the economy’s performance, outlook, and financial policies. They met with officials and financial leaders to assess recent trends like inflation movements and shifts in oil output. The team noted the need to keep working on macroeconomic policies, diversify the economy, and strengthen financial markets.

And to close the last episode of the Rorshok Multilateral Update, an opinion piece published on Tuesday the 17th, in Defense Priorities, written by Alexander Langlois, a contributing fellow at the organization, argued that US President Trump should pull back from his aggressive approach with Iran. The column suggests that Tehran’s government has endured internal problems and unrest that the United States can watch rather than fuel a larger conflict.

Langlois contends that escalating U.S. military pressure and expanding forces in the Middle East may deepen tensions without giving Washington meaningful leverage, and that diplomatic patience could be wiser.

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

This is our last goodbye. We are very sad that this project has to come to an end. Thank you so much for your support for our experiment. We put so much effort into making these updates, so we hope you have connected with them and with us. We are really grateful to each one of you who has stuck with us until the end.

Again, thank you so much for being on the other side.

You can still contact us at info@rorshok.com. Who knows, we might get the Multilateral update running again someday.