Eurasia

It will be three years next week since presidential elections in Belarus that many believed to be fraudulent. The outcome led to the biggest protests and greatest civil unrest the country had ever seen. In the months after the August 2020 elections, hundreds of people were arrested for protesting against …

CNN, in an analysis (Why a stalled Ukrainian offensive could represent a huge political problem for Zelensky in the U.S., August 9, 2023) by Stephen Collinson, said: One of Ukraine’s greatest tragedies as it pursues a critical offensive that has, so far, failed to meet its own and Western expectations …

There has been widespread recognition of the ongoing Ukraine war as a proxy war. It is a proxy war involving very high costs in terms of the loss, already, of several hundred thousand human lives as well as other extreme distress. Four dimensions of the high costs and losses suffered …

The situation in Niger is still in flux. On 26 July 2023 a military coup took place in that West African state that led to the ouster of its elected President, Mohamed Bazoum, by Brigadier General Abdourahmane Tchiani. The Brigadier General has proclaimed that he is the new president of …

Three Years Ago While press conferences conducted by Pakistan’s Foreign Office [FO] are a routine affair, the one held on November 14, 2020 was different. Instead of being conducted by a FO spokesperson, it was addressed by Pakistan’s then Foreign Minister [FM] Shah Mehmood Qureshi and co-chaired by the Director …

It was the very first visit by an American Secretary of State to Niger, only five months ago. Secretary Antony Blinken’s list of praise for Niger’s government was long and sought to portray it as a model partner. Not surprising, Russia and the Wagner private military company were also on …

Escalating clashes between Turkey and Kurdish militants in northern Iraq have left six Turkish soldiers dead. Six Turkish soldiers were killed in clashes with Kurdish militants in northern Iraq this week, Turkey’s Defense Ministry said Thursday as the fighting between Turkish forces and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) escalated …

Under a detainee deal negotiated between Washington and Tehran, several US citizens imprisoned in Iran have been transferred to house arrest in a step toward their full release. Iran has transferred five US citizens held in Evin Prison to house arrest as part of a long-awaited deal that would involve …

Saudi Arabia’s cooperation with China on technological and scientific innovation is on the rise—and it is Saudi priorities that are steering the relationship. CHINA LOCAL/GLOBAL China has become a global power, but there is too little debate about how this has happened and what it means. Many argue that China …

On 26 July, high-ranking Nigerien officers announced on national television that they had overthrown President Mohamed Bazoum, who was democratically elected in 2021. In this Q&A, Crisis Group analysts lay out the reasons for the coup as well as the stakes going forward. What happened in Niger on 26 July? …