Remarks by Russian officials following the Astana-16 meeting revealed that Russia continues to insist that Bashar al-Assad remains in power and that political settlement should be a topic separate from the reconstruction. In fact, while the West maintains its position of refusing to finance reconstruction before a UN-sponsored political settlement, …

Joseph Daher is a researcher specializing in political economy. He wrote extensively on Syria and Lebanon, and most notably authored “Syria after the Uprisings, The Political Economy of State Resilience.” He is affiliated with the European University Institute and its Wartime and Postconflict in Syria program. The Syrian Observer: Recent …

Turkey has undertaken to protect Kabul’s airport. It is a risky job, but also one which promises some substantial strategic rewards. The Taliban do not shy away from assertive statements, nor do they hesitate to commit war crimes. So, this week’s statement by the group castigating Turkey’s offer to remain …

Prolonging the UK military presence in Afghanistan would not have helped so long as the fundamental problem of the absence of a strategy remained unaddressed. But the manner of leaving and what follows still matter a great deal to the UK. It feels a lot like 1989. Once again, the …

As NATO troops prepare to leave Afghanistan by 11 September in the face of a Taliban surge, a question remains unanswered: why did the international intervenors fail in their mission to bring stability to Afghanistan? Five reasons stand out: The West’s best wasn’t good enough. The lives of 3,500 international …

С един изпреварващ, хитър ход Слави Трифонов успя да сложи всички останали политически сили в шах, обръщайки ги в оправдателен режим. Посланието на водещия, превърнал се в най-силния политик у нас към момента, е пределно ясно – “или се съобразявате с мен, или отиваме към нови избори”. Сега бившият водещ …

Сейм Литвы принял резолюцию, в которой назвал нелегальных мигрантов “гибридными агрессорами” и инструментом для “дестабилизации ситуации” в стране. А глава Минобороны обвинил белорусские власти в “покровительстве” организаторам миграционного кризиса, обрушившегося на прибалтийскую республику. Арвидас Анушаускас заявил, что нелегальные мигранты перед пересечением границы проходят инструктаж со стороны “людей в камуфляже”. Им …

Polska pod rządami Kaczyńskiego postrzegana jest w europejskich kuluarach coraz częściej jako „chory człowiek” Unii. Opinii europejskiej trudno zrozumieć i zaakceptować skrajny eurosceptycyzm obecnego obozu rządzącego. PiS rządzi Polską za pomocą trzech narzędzi: siania chaosu, przedstawiania swych przeciwników i krytyków jako rzekomych zdrajców, agentów wpływu i wrogów katolickiej tożsamości narodu …

The mobilisation follows Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s warning that his forces would repel any attacks by their enemies. Three Ethiopian regions previously untouched by the war in Tigray confirmed on Thursday that they were deploying forces to back military operations there, signalling a potential widening of the conflict. The reinforcements …

The spokesman for the Afghan government’s negotiating team in Doha said the offer from the armed group was a ‘big demand’. The Taliban have offered a three-month ceasefire in exchange for the release of thousands of fighters held in prisons, a top Afghan government negotiator said on Thursday, as the …