Recent Posts

Power Struggles and Geopolitical Maneuvering: The Eighth Brigade’s Standoff with Syria’s Defense Ministry – The Syrian Observer

The ongoing back-and-forth between the Syrian Ministry of Defense and the leadership of the Eighth Brigade, led by Ahmad al-Awda—verging on an outright dispute—suggests a deep-rooted disagreement that has so far prevented their alignment within the framework of the newly established army. However, the reasons behind this discord are not …

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Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, February 13, 2025

Note: The data cut-off for this product was 11:45am ET on February 13. ISW will cover subsequent reports in the February 14 Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment. Ukraine’s European partners announced new military assistance to Ukraine amid the February 12 Ukraine Defense Contact Group (the Ramstein format) meeting. The United Kingdom …

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Iran Update, February 13, 2025

The newly-appointed Syrian Preparatory Committee provided some details about how it plans to select representatives to attend the National Dialogue Conference. This conference will reportedly facilitate the drafting of a new Syrian constitution, and therefore, the composition of its attendees will influence the trajectory of the post-Assad Syrian state.[1] The …

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Egypt to Propose Alternative Plan for Rebuilding Gaza

Latest Developments Egypt to Present Alternative Plan for Gaza: Egypt will reportedly present a plan later in February to rebuild the Gaza Strip within three to five years without displacing Palestinian civilians. The move will serve as Cairo’s counterproposal to U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan for the United States to …

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What Does Putin Hope to Gain From Ukraine Talks With Trump?

The Kremlin’s most basic task right now is to keep Washington in a constructive mindset toward Russia. That in itself is already facilitating the achievement of Putin’s goals in Ukraine. Three weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration, he had a much-anticipated phone call with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. …

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The Path to American Authoritarianism

What Comes After Democratic Breakdown Donald Trump’s first election to the presidency in 2016 triggered an energetic defense of democracy from the American establishment. But his return to office has been met with striking indifference. Many of the politicians, pundits, media figures, and business leaders who viewed Trump as a …

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Putin’s Ukraine

The End of War and the Price of Russian Occupation From afar, the situation Ukraine faces after three years of full-scale war with Russia seems clear. Over the past 12 months, Moscow has intensified its assault on civilian populations, sending drones, missiles, and bombs in almost daily attacks on cities …

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La position de l’Europe occidentale sur la scène internationale est sérieusement affaiblie

La stagnation de l’économie européenne au cours des trois dernières années est due à plusieurs raisons, mais le problème principal réside dans l’abandon du gaz russe relativement bon marché et le passage à d’autres sources d’énergie, en raison du ralentissement économique. Les sanctions antirusses et l’affectation de grandes quantités de …

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