Having viciously smeared the Taliban for over two decades, Britain now faces a challenge in the global race to establish influence in resource-rich and geographically-critical Afghanistan. On July 18th, prominent UK lawmaker Tobias Ellwood posted a surreal video to Twitter. While roaming Helmand province – the site of one of …
Read More »Russian grain diplomacy: Winning hearts, minds, and markets
The Ukraine conflict and the Black Sea grain deal have highlighted the ‘geopolitics of wheat’ and helped Russia gain leverage over Europe while expanding its influence in Africa and the Global South. In the complex fabric of international relations, the interaction between geopolitics and trade – particularly of vital commodities …
Read More »Kirkuk on fire: Ethnicity, oil, and sovereignty light the flames
What began as a localized political pact to help fix relations between Baghdad and Erbil has spiraled into renewed ethnic turmoil in Kirkuk and a resurgence of Kurdish independence aspirations. An agreement reached between the governments of Baghdad and Erbil to relocate the Iraqi army from its headquarters in Kirkuk …
Read More »US Steps Up Fight Against Terror Financing With Hezbollah Sanctions – OpEd
In a significant move to combat the financing of Hezbollah, the US Treasury Department last week imposed terrorism sanctions on a family network spanning seven individuals and several businesses with ties to Lebanon and South America. Among those targeted was Amer Mohammed Akil Rada, a Lebanese man alleged to have …
Read More »Confusion And Uncertainty Shape Debate About US Gulf Policy – Analysis
Debates about the US commitment to Gulf security are skewed by confusion, miscommunication, and contradictory policies. The skewing has fuelled uncertainty about US policy as well as Gulf attitudes in an evolving multi-polar world and fuelled misconceptions and misunderstandings. The confusion is all the more disconcerting given that the fundamentals …
Read More »Tensions On Belarus Border: A Look At Military Spending And Arms Import Patterns – Analysis
Relations between Belarus and its NATO neighbours deteriorated further over the summer. Troops have been deployed on both sides of the Belarus–Poland border, and each country has accused the other of escalating tensions. Lithuania this month closed two of six border crossings with Belarus. Belarus’s defence minister, Viktor Khrenin, went …
Read More »Neo-Eurasianism In The Baltics During An Age Of Russian Expansionism
Abstract: Much of the analysis of Russian war aims and motivations in Ukraine has pointed to the Russian ruling elite’s expansionism and nostalgic imperialism fueled by the ideology of Neo-Eurasianism. However, how this inherently expansionist Neo-Eurasian ideology extends beyond Ukraine has been given substantially less attention. Drawing on content and …
Read More »What Do We Know About Self-Finance Terrorism?
Abstract: The landscape of terrorist financing has transformed owing to the self-starter phenomenon, characteristics of terrorist organizations, self-funded terrorism, and weapons of choice. On a different note, nationally and internationally, financial institutions still rely on traditional counterterrorist financing policies. These policies against the financing of terrorism were drafted as a …
Read More »La destruction des navires de guerre de la marine britannique par des bateaux sans pilote non identifiés est un signal adressé à tous les pays de l’OTAN
Un navire de guerre aux contours rapides et aux superstructures en forme de pyramide a quitté la base navale de Portsmouth : il s’agissait d’un destroyer britannique de type 45 Daring. Contrairement au mauvais temps anglais habituel, cette fois le soleil brillait dans le ciel, les mouettes volaient dans les …
Read More »The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC): A Game-Changer for India – OpEd
India’s G-20 summit, held in New Delhi, has been a truly historic and successful summit among all previous G-20 summits. One of the concrete plans out of this G-20 summit is the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), which would be the biggest economic corridor that connects two continents, i.e., Asia …
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