Its leaders clearly believe China’s contradictory stance offers it the best chance of protecting Chinese interests and finding opportunity in this crisis. Mao Zedong was fond of quoting a line from a Han Dynasty historian: “Things that oppose each other also complement each other.” Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China …

The bottom line On March 25, Russia was forced to announce a major shift in strategy due to unsustainable losses in northern Ukraine. Since then, it has removed many of its forces from the area—including all those surrounding Kyiv—to Belarus and Russia to refit and reequip. We assess that Russian …

In seven weeks of fighting in Ukraine, Russia has lost an estimated three dozen unmanned aircraft, according to military analysts. Dutch warfare research group Oryx reported that Russia is now visually confirmed to have lost 30 unmanned aerial vehicles since it launched its unprovoked onslaught in Ukraine on February 24. …

The Ahrar Jabal al-Arab Gathering has pledged to stand with the people of the Suweida governorate, in southern Syria, to reach a just and democratic Syrian nation, which is founded on the principle of separation of powers — without partisan, ethnic, or sectarian discrimination. In a statement, the gathering said …

Frontlines might not be moving in Syria, but that does not mean that the fighting is over. Various factions and foreign states involved in the 11 years old conflict are still resorting to targeted attacks or assassinations, and the Syrian regime and its allies are paying a heavy price. On …

In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland, two long-standing militarily non-aligned countries, are now likely to join NATO. Public opinion in both countries had been mostly against joining the Western military alliance, but the war in Ukraine has dramatically changed attitudes. Leaders of both countries have said …

Stalin secured what is now Kaliningrad so that Moscow would have an unsinkable aircraft carrier on the Baltic Sea. Then, after the end of the Cold War, the non-contiguous region of the Russian Federation was transformed into a place for economic exchange among Russia and its neighbors with security issues …

Amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ankara’s foreign policy is set to undergo major changes. Being the most valuable ally the West has in the region, without Turkey’s support any Western strategy will fall short of achieving concrete results in stopping Russia in the long-term. Turkey’s foreign policy in the …

As the war in Ukraine unfolds, global uncertainty has surged, according to the latest reading of the World Uncertainty Index—a quarterly measure across 143 countries. This increase is a bad sign for growth. Our research finds that such increases foreshadow significant output declines. Based on our estimates, the rise in …

The war in Ukraine has damaged the reputation of Russian arms. Heavy armor has proved especially vulnerable, but other weapons have also not performed to standard. The future, moreover, is bleak. Due to crushing Western sanctions, Russia’s defense technological and industrial base, which is already plagued by debt, will now …