Eurasia

Given the increasing activity of the US and the EU in the Caucasus, “Russia is losing the exclusivity it used to have in talks about a possible Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement,” according to Sergey Markedonov, one of Moscow’s leading specialists on the Caucasus. The director of the ethnic relations department at Moscow’s …

On July 10th, 2023, Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that his country would support Sweden’s accession bid to NATO on the condition that EU accession talks are unfrozen. Within 24 hours however, Erdogan apparently signed off on a new deal that would drop Turkey’s veto over Sweden and allow …

On 16 March 2023, Beijing released an official plan to reform Party and state institutions. This document lays out plans to address deficiencies in the ability of the Chinese government’s own institutions to lead the nation’s development. Part of the 2023 plan is to reform and restructure the financial regulatory …

Iran has formally protested to the government of Russia about its recent joint statement with the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council regarding three Iranian islands, the spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said. Speaking to reporters at a weekly press conference on Monday, Nasser Kanaani dismissed the contents of the joint statement …

Russia said Monday it is ending its participation in a wartime deal that allowed Ukraine safe passage to export grain from three Ukrainian ports past Russian warships on the Black Sea. Here is a look at how the grain deal worked and what Russia’s withdrawal from the agreement will mean …

The Defense Department Monday announced an increased presence in the U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility, including an additional Navy destroyer along with fighter jets. “In response to a number of recent, alarming events in the Strait of Hormuz, the secretary of defense has ordered the deployment of the of …

Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Jeddah on Monday on the first leg of a three-state Gulf tour with business and investment at the top of the agenda. The Turkish president is leading a massive delegation of government ministers and officials, and about 200 business leaders, investors and company owners. He …

IntroductionUzbekistan is a prominent player in Central Asian politics. In the recently held general elections, the populace eagerly engaged, with approximately 87% of eligible voters voting. However, the outcome of these elections had far-reaching consequences, since it awarded President Shavkat Mirziyoyev a third term, raising concerns about the country’s democratic …

Just after a band of mercenaries tried to oust the government in the Maldives back in 1988, I asked a Maldivian diplomat, using a familiar military catchphrase, about the strength of his country’s “standing army.” “Standing army?” the diplomat asked with mock surprise, and remarked perhaps half-jokingly, “We don’t even …

Israeli air strikes on Wednesday near Syria’s capital Damascus killed three fighters loyal to President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and wounded four others, a war monitor said. Syrian state news agency SANA earlier reported two soldiers had been wounded in the strikes overnight Tuesday-Wednesday. It quoted a military source as saying …