The authors are grateful to the UK Mission to the EU for funding this research and for theirsupport throughout the research process.

A great deal of thanks must go to the comprehensive RUSI team that helped to guide and shapethis paper. Conrad Prince, James Sullivan, Peter Brorsen, Hugh Oberlander, Dina Mansour-Ille,Tom Sayner, Demi Starks and Zenab Hotelwala all provided valuable support and editing.A huge thank you should also go to the four anonymous peer reviewers who provided vitalfeedback and advice in broaching such a polarised debate.

A final thank you to the participants of this research, to all those who very kindly gave up theirtime to participate in interviews in 2021 and 2022. All insights and perspectives have beencrucial to this research and have contributed greatly to the authors’ findings.