Paradoxically, despite Britain’s exit from the European Union, she now finds herself playing a leading role in European security
Britain’s traditionally hostile attitude towards Russia—starting at least as early as 1791, when Prime Minister Pitt the Younger lambasted Russia for wishing to carve up the Ottoman Empire, continuing with the Crimean War and then the Great Game—has again come to the fore with the Ukrainian conflict. Sir Keir Starmer must therefore be in a bit of a tangle, given the momentous...
The current challenge Pakistan faces is dangerous and surrounded by concerns and risks
On the day of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Chief, General Faiz Hameed, was seen sipping coffee at the Serena Hotel in Kabul. A news channel reporter captured this moment on video and asked, “Will you be meeting with the senior leaders of the Taliban?” The then-Director General (DG) of ISI replied: “No, I am not sure,” pointing to then-Pakistan Ambassador to...
If Ukraine fails to find a way out of the conflict, even after enduring significant damage and losses, it risks further erosion of its sovereignty
The failure of negotiations between Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump has been perceived by many as a pivotal moment that “broke the mould.” Indeed, over the past three years, Washington’s unconditional and large-scale assistance to Kiev has become the norm. The US has provided the bulk of arms supplies, financial injections...
Despite the efforts of Middle Eastern countries to enhance their influence in regional and international affairs, they continue to deal with issues that require external support
Becoming more evident in recent years, the latest events taking place in the Middle East may reinforce an awareness of the changing role of Middle Eastern states in international relations. Episodes such as U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks about the Gaza Strip and the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria have...
The world must encourage a diplomatic settlement that halts further bloodshed
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s rigid stance has left his country with limited choices, pushing Ukraine further into crisis. His approach to diplomacy has been confrontational, straining relations even with key allies. His refusal to negotiate and his aggressive posture have closed doors that could have led to a peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict.
Zelenskyy’s Background and Rise to Power
Andrey Kortunov:...
If the Transatlantic alliance were to fade away, everybody around should be interested in making its deconstruction as orderly and as smooth as possible
The famous “Journey to the West” is definitely something much more than just another classical novel of Chinese literature, written by Wu Cheng'en during the Ming dynasty. It is also a great symbol of spiritual enlightenment and self-cultivation, fighting against inner demons and discovering one’s destiny; it is a story about such timeless concepts...
Russia faces a tough choice in Africa: either to focus on low-risk and highly competitive markets, where projects will depend on a changeable political climate and eventualities or to explore high-risk and low-competition markets where Moscow has inherent non-market advantages and where dialogue with local authorities is mostly pragmatic
The year 2024 was quite eventful for Russia–Africa relations. A Russian contingent was deployed to Burkina Faso and Mali, at least four countries on the continent...
The new Syrian authorities cannot simply cut ties with Moscow. They know well that Russia can be helpful in many pragmatic ways, including counterbalancing other actors, e.g. Turkey, the U.S. and the Gulf states
The first two months of the new authorities in Damascus could hardly provide us with a clear vision of Syria’s future. Meanwhile, the Transitional President of Syria and former Emir of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) [
1
], Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad al-Joulani, is trying to...
... build new long-range standoff (
LRSO
) cruise missiles for strategic aviation.
Prospects for strategic stability
Zhao Huasheng, Andrey Kortunov:
Prepare for the Worst and Strive for the Best. Russia’s and China’s Perceptions of Developments in International Security
The concept of strategic stability has many different interpretations, with some broadening it to include the idea of comprehensive security, which inevitably shifts the discussion into the realm of political rhetoric. In contrast,...
Still, the Trump plan in its current form is only half-baked
Finally, after many leaks, hints, intimations and procrastinations, US President Donald Trump might have come up with something a bit more specific than his initial general promises to put an end to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in 24 hours. For the first time a draft of his peace plan is on the table. The plan was revealed by various Ukrainian and European media last week and though it has never been officially confirmed by the White...
