Since early May, Iran has been rocked by protests over a precipitous rise in food prices, triggered by the government’s decision to cut existing subsidies on food products. Since then, prices have gone up dramatically, with staples such as imported wheat increasing by up to 300 percent and cooking oil …
Read More »Sweden and Finland’s NATO Bids Hit a Roadblock Named Erdogan
As of last week, NATO seemed well on its way to expanding, when Finland and Sweden formally submitted their applications for membership. When they officially join, becoming the 31st and 32nd member of the alliance, it could potentially mark the fastest accession process in the alliance’s history. This is reflective …
Read More »Russia’s Military Was Doomed by Putin’s Culture of Militarism
At least once at every conference about an international security crisis, in the midst of debate, a participant will suddenly lean back and quote Carl von Clausewitz in a booming voice to underscore a tenuous point. Sometimes, in order to demonstrate that they are not just drawing on conventional wisdom …
Read More »The Danger of Worsening Relations With Both Russia and China
Q: “Are you willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan if it comes to that?” (CBS News) A: “Yes.” (President Joe Biden, May 23, 2022) Q: “ You are?” (CBS) A: “That’s the commitment we made.” (President Biden) Once again, an unplanned and impromptu remark from President Biden has …
Read More »Russia claims capture of key transport hub, as Zelensky remains defiant
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Saturday its forces now control Lyman, a key transport hub providing access to bridges over the Siversky Donets river, and the British Defense Ministry said most of the town has probably fallen into Russian hands. However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky sounded a defiant note on Friday, …
Read More »Russia test-fires its latest hypersonic Zircon missile
The Russian navy on Saturday conducted another test of a prospective hypersonic missile, a demonstration of the military’s long-range strike capability amid the fighting in Ukraine. The Defense Ministry said the Admiral Gorshkov frigate of the Northern Fleet in the White Sea launched the Zircon cruise missile in the Barents …
Read More »The Ukraine War: Europe’s Critical Challenge
Russia’s military assault on Ukraine, now in its fourteenth week, has deeply unsettled European security and is likely to have profound implications for the EU itself. On 24 February, Russian forces attacked Ukraine from the north, south and east, transforming a simmering eight-year conflict in the country’s eastern Donbas region …
Read More »Kazakhstan Must Modernize Its Military Quickly Given Russian Threat
With Russian forces bogged down in Ukraine, ever more analysts are discussing where Putin may attack next, with many saying that Kazakhstan is likely to be the next target (glavnoe.ua/news/n357086249-vitalij-portnikov-jazykom-pohoronki), a conclusion that in turn has sparked discussions about the state of Kazakhstan’s forces. While the Kazakhstan authorities have taken …
Read More »Talk Of Expanding BRICS Ahead Of June Summit
Under the rotating chairmanship of China, BRICS—an informal intergovernmental union comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa—has held a series of high-level virtual meetings on existing significant regional and international issues, one of which focuses on the organization’s expansion proposed by China. BRICS is an organic association of countries …
Read More »Playing Games In NATO, Turkey Eyes Its Role In A New World Order
NATO’s spat over Turkish opposition to Swedish and Finnish membership is about more than expanding the North Atlantic military alliance. It’s as much about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s immediate political goals as Turkey’s positioning itself in a new 21st-century world order. On its surface, the spat is about Turkish …
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