Finland and Sweden have handed in their official applications for membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), ending their longtime neutrality status amid growing concerns over Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine. “I warmly welcome the requests by Finland and Sweden to join NATO. You are our closest partners,” NATO …

Finland and Sweden announced they will submit their bids to join NATO together, as the two countries expect to be able to smooth out a threat from Turkey to block the military alliance’s expansion. “I’m happy we have taken the same path and we can do it together,” Swedish Prime …

It is difficult to speak of European ambitions for international crisis management against the backdrop of the images from Kabul over the past few weeks, which seem to tell a story of the failure of Western interventionist policies. But that discussion is urgently needed. Yes, it will be necessary to …

As their strategic rivalry grows, China and the U.S. are increasingly operating in close proximity in the Asia Pacific. An accident or misinterpreted signal could set off a wider confrontation. The danger level is low, but dialogue is needed to dial it down further. What’s new? The risk of an unintended …

The United Kingdom is the ninth-largest economy in the world by GDP and the third-largest energy consumer in Europe, according to Eurostat. In 2020, the United Kingdom produced 4.9 quadrillion British thermal units (quads) and consumed 6.8 quads of energy. Fossil fuels accounted for 75% of total energy supply and …

After a pause in popular protest during the first year of the pandemic, people are returning to the streets. This year, large and long-running anti-government demonstrations have occurred in some advanced economies where unrest is relatively rare, such as Canada and New Zealand. And in several emerging and developing economies, …

Since the beginning of the Russia–Ukraine war, China has been urged to give up its ‘chilling silence’ and help to stop Russian military aggression in Ukraine. Despite international pressure over its policy of expedient neutrality, China is patiently biding its time and waiting on the sidelines as the conflict unfolds. …

China’s Central Comprehensive Deepening Reform Commission (hereafter referred to as the Reform Commission) has recently highlighted the issue of fiscal and taxation system reform. The Reform Commission mandates that the sub-provincial fiscal system carry out the reform strategy outlined in the “14th Five-Year Plan”, where it is recommended to adhere …

Sweden and Finland recently abandoned their historic neutrality and declared their intent to join NATO. Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan immediately objected declaring “Scandinavian countries are guesthouses for terrorist organizations” as they harbor extremist Kurdish groups, and supporters of Fethullah Gülen, the U.S.-based preacher who Turkey says was behind the …

Although Russia’s invasion of Ukraine pushed many European issues to the back burner, Hungary has managed to claw its way back into the headlines. After decisively winning reelection, Viktor Orban is taking immense heat for blocking European Union (EU) sanctions on Russia’s oil industry and is the keynote speaker of …