September, 2023

• 1 September

  What’s Behind China’s Strategic Partnership With Georgia?

  

  With Western powers distracted by the war in Ukraine, China appears to be making cautious moves to cement its position in the wider Black Sea region. The strategic partnership agreement released by Beijing and Tbilisi on July 31 surprised many in Georgia and in the West. While this diplomatic advance …

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• 1 September

  Prigozhin’s Death Shows Ultra-Patriots Are No Threat to the Kremlin

  

  Russia’s ultra-patriots are not a cohesive force. They are a motley collection of amateur groups that coalesce around leaders who are ambitious, jealous, and incapable of working with each other. The late mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was until recently considered a leading Russian politician—with some even believing he could be …

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• 1 September

  How Turkey Became A Drone Superpower – OpEd

  

  Turkey’s advancements in defense technology, particularly the Bayraktar TB-2 drone, have played a pivotal role in conflicts such as the war between Russia and Ukraine. Turkey has also emerged as the largest exporter of drones since 2018, highlighting the importance of drone technology for its defense and projection on the …

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• 1 September

  What Does The ‘Aleppo Model’ Mean For Assad? – OpEd

  

  In a recent article, the Turkish pro-government media outlet Daily Sabah introduced the concept of the “Aleppo model” — a scheme to make areas in northern Syria safe, secure and livable in order to encourage the repatriation of Syrian refugees. This follows a survey by the UN refugee agency UNHCR …

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• 1 September

  Time To Tap Growth Opportunities In The Middle East And North Africa – OpEd

  

  For centuries, Arab nations led the world in the pursuit of knowledge and in scientific innovation and were among the most economically advanced places on Earth. Today, the Middle East and North Africa—nations with diverse political and economic landscapes—are at a crossroads. Recent decades saw major changes, including the Arab …

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• 1 September

  PMC Redut: The Wagner Group’s Potential Replacement – Analysis

  

  The death of Yevgeny Prigozhin and his right-hand man, Dmitry Utkin, can signify huge changes in the realm of private military companies (PMCs) in Russia. Particularly, there is a PMC that has been emerging and, now that the chain of command in Wagner has collapsed, at least temporarily, PMC Redut …

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• 1 September

  How Can NATO Overcome Russia’s Black Sea Blockade?

  

  Following the breakdown of the grain deal between Russia and Ukraine, how can NATO partners help to mitigate the impact of Russia’s effective blockade of Ukrainian ports? In a recent article, Admiral James G Stavridis, the former NATO SACEUR, suggested that a NATO-led convoying system in the Black Sea could …

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• 1 September

  The Nigerien Coup That (Should Not Have) Surprised the World

  

  Regional and international actors were unprepared for the coup in Niger. They should now plan for further instability. In a shocking turn of events, an attempted coup has thrown Niger into turmoil as President Mohamed Bazoum found himself held captive by the very people meant to protect him – the …

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• 1 September

  Building Up the BRICS: An Emerging Counter-West Order?

  

  While it is too early to declare the end of the US-led liberal international system and the rise of a BRICS-led counterweight, the Johannesburg summit highlights that the West is increasingly confronted by a multipolar world in which its position and the idea of a single global order are being …

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• 1 September

  Furthering Global Britain? Reviewing the Foreign Policy Effect of UK Engagement in East Africa

  

  This paper provides background on recent UK policy towards East Africa, summarises the research findings for RUSI’s project ‘Furthering Global Britain? Reviewing the Foreign Policy Effect of UK Engagement in East Africa’ and offers recommendations for the UK government with relevance both to the region and to an integrated foreign …

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