The arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for Russian President Vladimir Putin came at an opportune moment. It was, if nothing else, a feeble distraction over the misdeeds and crimes of other leaders current and former. Russia, not being an ICC member country, does not acknowledge that court’s jurisdiction. …
Read More »Yearly Archives: 2023
The Case for a Security Guarantee for Ukraine
How to Protect the Country—Without NATO Membership All wars end. Eventually, the war between Russia and Ukraine will, too. The time to begin preparing for peace is not after the last gun falls silent but now, as the conflict rages. Long before they had triumphed in World War II, Allied …
Read More »Mali: Avoiding the Trap of Isolation
What’s new? Since the coup in May 2021, Mali’s authorities have developed closer relations with Russia, now their preferred military partner. In parallel, they have distanced themselves from several Western and regional partners, notably France. Why is it important? The Malian authorities’ shift in strategy jeopardises the regional stabilisation architecture developed since …
Read More »China Russia Alliance, the West in the jaws of the trap
Moscow Tuesday, March 21, 2023, Vladimir Putin accompanies Xi Jinping on the steps of the presidential palace and takes leave of his Chinese counterpart after a spectacular official visit to the Russian capital. “ Xi Jinping : Today we are experiencing a change that has not happened for 100 years. …
Read More »A Criminal Court at the service of the West against the rest of the world
The International Criminal Court has therefore issued an arrest warrant against Putin for war crimes. These would have consisted of the deportation, that is to say the illegal transfer, to Russia of Ukrainian children who lived in orphanages or had been lost by their parents and then entrusted to Russian …
Read More »Remembering the Iraq War: Has Washington Really Learned the Lessons?
Twenty years ago, the United States invaded Iraq with faulty intelligence, inadequate planning, and the impossibly ambitious aim of constructing a new Iraqi nation to American specifications. The result was over a trillion dollars lost, thousands of U.S. service members killed and wounded, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis dead, a …
Read More »The Potential Inroads and Pitfalls of China’s Foray Into Middle East Diplomacy
China’s mediation of the Saudi-Iran normalization agreement signals a potential break from its long-standing policy of keeping to a minimal and economically oriented regional footprint. By successfully bringing two of the Middle East’s bitterest rivals to the negotiation table, China aims to build credibility as a capable partner in a …
Read More »NATO Allies Reaffirm Support To Georgia And Stress Importance Of Continuing Reforms
The NATO-Georgia Commission met on Thursday (23 March 2023), with the participation by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia Ilia Darchiashvili. The meeting provided an opportunity “to review the role and significance of our partnership with Georgia following a turbulent year, where the very premises of the European security …
Read More »Iran And Uzbekistan Unveil Central Asia’s Plan B – Analysis
March 2023 will be remembered as a good month for the Islamic Republic of Iran. First, Iran and longtime foe, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, announced they would re-establish full diplomatic relations and reopen embassies within sixty days, thanks to China’s mediation (and Iraq’s and Oman’s early efforts). The news …
Read More »China’s Shifting Middle East Policy – OpEd
Chinese President Xi Jinping this week traveled to Moscow to meet with his friend and ally, Vladimir Putin. It was the 40th time that the two have met since Xi took office more than a decade ago. The visit not only solidified China’s strategic partnership with Russia, but Xi also …
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