At the NATO summit in Vilnius starting Tuesday, the transatlantic military alliance will plan the future of Western support for Ukraine, including a multiyear assistance package and upgraded political ties. Repelling Russia’s invasion will be top of mind. But longer-term security decisions will be just as important—if not more so—to …
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Tunisia-Italy cable project part of effort to connect energy grids with Europe: World Bank
Other North African countries are also interested in connecting grids with Europe. Tunisia’s project to join its power grid to the much larger European electricity network through a 600-megawatt undersea cable to Italy is part of a broader effort by North African countries to connect their energy grids with the …
Read More »Turkey’s Erdogan anticipates ‘serious investments’ from Gulf ahead of visit
Ahead of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Gulf tour which will include Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, Ankara is working to maximize economic cooperation with regional states in a bid to ease its foreign currency crunch. Speaking ahead of his Gulf tour on that starts on Monday, Turkish President …
Read More »Erdogan’s NATO moves agitate Russia but don’t spell Turkey’s sharp shift to West
The Turkish leader is navigating Ankara’s relationships in ways that he believes best benefit Turkey’s interests and above all his own political survival. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s “U-turn” on Sweden’s accession to NATO during the alliance summit in Vilnius has prompted a flurry of Western commentary on how Turkey …
Read More »Weak Global Economy, High Inflation, And Rising Fragmentation Demand Strong G20 Action – Analysis
When the G20 finance ministers and central bank governors meet in Gandhinagar next week, the world will be looking for joint action to address rising economic fragmentation, slowing growth, and high inflation. Agile multilateral support is vital to tackle common challenges posed by debt vulnerabilities, climate change, and limited concessional …
Read More »Moscow Closes Finland’s Consulate In St. Petersburg – OpEd
Even before it shuttered the Finnish consulate in St. Petersburg last week, Moscow had closed the consulates of the Baltic countries, the United States, the UK, and the Netherlands. But the closure of the Finnish outpost there effectively slammed shut Russia’s famed “window on Europe” because it had issued more …
Read More »A New Wagner Opera As French Spring Unfolds – OpEd
Topped off by a curious ‘coup’ attempt in Russia, June was a fascinating month with new geopolitical, economic developments, twists and turns on many fronts: As US President Joe Biden wooed, wined and dined India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi (who was once refused a visa to America), France’s Emmanuel Macron …
Read More »Ukraine Military Situation Report – Analysis
The United States Sends Cluster Munitions to UkraineThe Biden administration has decided to send cluster munitions to Ukraine in its latest military assistance package. Cluster munitions, also known as dual-purpose improved conventional munitions (DPICMs), comprise a broad range of rockets and artillery rounds, ranging from 105mm-class, 155mm-class, and 203mm-class artillery …
Read More »Following Prigozhin’s Aborted Mutiny, What Will Happen To The Wagner Group? – Analysis
The future of the Wagner Group is in doubt. Less than a week after Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin launched his march on Moscow on June 23, which was then aborted mid-coup, Russian President Vladimir Putin offered Wagner fighters who participated in the rebellion the option of relocating to Belarus. Putin …
Read More »The Nuclear Plan To Decapitate Russia And China (And The Planet) – OpEd
Even as the whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg of the Pentagon Papers passed away, his second secret remains hushed. On June 16, the 92-year-old Daniel Ellsberg passed away. At RAND, he contributed to a top-secret 47-volume study of classified documents on the Vietnam War. Even though the war had been acknowledged to …
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