Eurasia

At the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) foreign ministers meeting in Cape Town early June, there were high expectations. The first on the agenda was International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant issued from The Hague for Russian President Vladimir Putin if he travels to the country. From historical …

Middle Eastern violence has come to be associated with the area, which is rich in history and cultural variety. The area is gripped by an ongoing sequence of violence and political instability that seems to never stop, ranging from the current civil conflicts in Syria and Yemen to the long-running …

Turkey is a country that straddles two continents, Europe and Asia, and has a pivotal role in regional and international affairs. It is also a country that faces many challenges, both internally and externally, that shape its destiny and identity. In May 2023, Turkey held its presidential election, which resulted …

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Ukraine is ready to launch a counteroffensive against Russia. In a Wall Street Journal report published Saturday, the Ukrainian leader said, “We strongly believe that we will succeed.” “I don’t know how long it will take,” he said, “but … we are ready.” He said …

Lebanon has had no president since the departure from office of Michel Aoun in October last year, and the jockeying for position continues. Hezbollah and the Amal movement were banking on Christian division to push their candidate, Sulaiman Franjieh, but the Christian blocs surprised them by supporting the candidacy of …

Politicians in Kyrgyzstan have for years attempted to push through controversial legislation that would impose restrictions on nongovernmental organizations that receive funding from abroad. But lawmakers have rejected multiple draft bills, fearing it would harm the Central Asian country’s democratic credentials and lead to donors pulling foreign aid. Now, there …

Putin’s cult of personality, Vladimir Pastukhov says, “is not only the main but apparently the only political institution in Russia that is fully operational and that has been gradually pushing all the other mechanisms for maintaining public order there to the sidelines.” “It is not Putin that performs this role, …

Iranian Loitering Munitions Threaten Ukraine The Russian military has intensified its drone and missile salvos, hitting Ukrainian population centers continuously. Recent weeks have seen a dramatic increase in strikes from Iran-manufactured Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 loitering munitions. On May 30, 29 Shahed-131 and Shahed-136 drones targeted Ukraine. During the night of …

The nature and ideology of the chief, as well as the situation he is in, command hardening. Moreover, it will now be based on the most right-wing parliament in the history of the republic. It’s hard not to open the “Gates of Hell” all the way. One thing is certain: …

To mark the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, SIPRI is releasing new data on multilateral peace operations in 2022. This topical backgrounder summarizes the key findings from the new data along with important developments related to multilateral peace operations during the year. In 2022, 64 multilateral peace operations were …