Finland and Sweden have handed in their official applications for membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), ending their longtime neutrality status amid growing concerns over Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine. “I warmly welcome the requests by Finland and Sweden to join NATO. You are our closest partners,” NATO …
Read More »Sweden, Finland To Submit Bids To Join NATO Together
Finland and Sweden announced they will submit their bids to join NATO together, as the two countries expect to be able to smooth out a threat from Turkey to block the military alliance’s expansion. “I’m happy we have taken the same path and we can do it together,” Swedish Prime …
Read More »Risky Competition: Strengthening U.S.-China Crisis Management
As their strategic rivalry grows, China and the U.S. are increasingly operating in close proximity in the Asia Pacific. An accident or misinterpreted signal could set off a wider confrontation. The danger level is low, but dialogue is needed to dial it down further. What’s new? The risk of an unintended …
Read More »Hungary’s Real Significance
Although Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushed many European issues to the back burner, Hungary has managed to claw its way back into the headlines. After decisively winning reelection, Viktor Orban is taking immense heat for blocking European Union (EU) sanctions on Russia’s oil industry and is the keynote speaker of …
Read More »Putin’s Black Sea blockade leaves millions facing global famine
During the first three months of the Russo-Ukrainian War, Ukraine’s ability to defeat Russia on the battlefield has astonished the watching world and led to mounting speculation that Vladimir Putin’s invasion will end in defeat. At the same time, the situation at sea remains significantly more favorable for the Kremlin …
Read More »Disarming Russia’s energy weapon: Ukraine begins electricity exports to Moldova
Less than two months after synchronizing with the European electricity grid, Ukraine has begun landmark commercial energy exports to neighboring Moldova in a move that is likely to further dent Russia’s grip over the region. Ukraine’s state-owned hydro producer Ukrhydroenergo has booked between 80-150MW per hour of transmission capacity to …
Read More »Foreign Fighters: The Terrorism/IHL Conundrum and the Need for Cumulative Prosecution
The attack launched by ISIS on 20 January 2022 against the Al-Sina’a Prison in Al-Hasakah, an area situated in North-Eastern Syria and currently under the authority of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, with the intention of freeing ISIS fighters held there, once again demonstrated the importance of adequately addressing the …
Read More »Le conflit est-il une guerre Occident-Russie par procuration ?
(Paris) Les Occidentaux défendent la volonté de mettre fin à la guerre en Ukraine sans la faire, mais l’ampleur de l’aide à Kyiv et des sanctions contre Moscou soulèvent une question plus crue : s’agit-il d’une guerre par procuration entre l’Ouest et la Russie ? L’affrontement direct semble à ce …
Read More »The Food Insecurity Crisis is Not Going Away
On May 16, wheat prices reached a new high, as India banned exports amid a disastrous heat wave.India, the second largest producer of wheat worldwide, conveyed growing concerns about the status of its own food supply amid skyrocketing prices and decreased harvests. Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine is a …
Read More »Unhinged Russian Aggression is Leading Directly to NATO Enlargement
Late last week, Finland’s prime minister and president jointly announced Helsinki’s intention to move ahead with its application for NATO, a move that, if completed, would be a significant boon for the transatlantic alliance. Putin believed a strong and swift invasion of Ukraine would intimidate NATO and non-pliant nations on …
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