This week in Australian foreign affairs: legal proceedings initiated against Russia for the downing of MH17, ADF set to increase to over 100,000 by 2040, new sanctions on Russian oligarchs, Albanese’s Lowy address, and more.

The two rounds of the French presidential election will be run on 10 and 24 April. Faced with a splintered opposition to both right and left, Emmanuel Macron is highly likely to win a second five-year term.

The Ukraine crisis provides clarity as to how competition and great power rivalry will be executed moving forward. Actors will increasingly utilise the multilateral weaponisation of the financial system and cyberspace while building resilience to deter potential aggressor states.