Recent Posts

Putin Wants to Rewrite the End of the Cold War

When the Soviet Union collapsed three decades ago, the European security architecture suddenly became uncertain, its future put in play. After all, much of the postwar balance of power in Europe—and the world—had rested on the icy pillars of the Cold War, pillars that in 1991 abruptly melted. It didn’t …

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Conflict Trends Update

U.S.-RUSSIA U.S., European, and Russian officials embarked on a series of diplomatic meetings with Russian officials this week in Geneva, Brussels and Vienna. The meetings follow months of mounting fears of a Russian offensive against Ukraine and Moscow’s demand for negotiations with the U.S. on halting, and in some ways …

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CZECHIA IN 2022: GATHERING FORCES

If 2021 was a test of the Czech Republic’s resilience to populism in a time of pandemic, this year will offer all parties on both sides of the divide a chance to gather their forces. Sandwiched between last October’s parliamentary election and a presidential vote due to take place in …

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China’s Expansion Could Meet Challenges in Balkans in 2022

The rising superpower may confront some checks from its rivals in the Western Balkans this year – though probably not enough to significantly curb its regional ambitions. The second year of the COVID pandemic has deeply transformed global relations. Major world powers underwent significant political and economic changes while learning …

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Uncertainty Ahead For Xi’s China – Analysis

In 2021 China was, and in 2022 again will be, dominated by the domestic economy, relations with the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic and President Xi Jinping. Despite spectacular bounce-back growth in the first half of the year, China’s economy had slowed dramatically by year’s end. Worries centred on the …

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