Recent Posts

The Age of Energy Insecurity

How the Fight for Resources Is Upending Geopolitics As recently as 18 months ago, many policymakers, academics, and pundits in the United States and Europe were waxing lyrical about the geopolitical benefits of the coming transition to cleaner, greener energy. They understood that the move away from a carbon-intensive energy …

Read More »

Iran and Russia Cooperation in the Construction of Rasht-Astara: The Only Remaining Railway of the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC)

The 164 km Rasht-Astara railway route in Iran’s Gilan Province is of great importance in the International North–South Transport Corridor (INSTC), because it is the only remaining rail part of this corridor, writes Valdai Club expert Vali Kaleji. In his article, Dr. Vali Kaleji, a Tehran-based expert on Central Asia …

Read More »

UAE Leader Consolidates Power Amid Regional Uncertainty

Recent leadership appointments by United Arab Emirates President and Abu Dhabi ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan (MBZ) have clarified the succession during a time of significant regional challenges.There is debate over whether the appointment of a second UAE vice president, joining Dubai emirate leader and UAE Prime Minister …

Read More »

“Does This Compromise President Biden?”

The notion that a declining power like Russia, which has domestic problems, a shrinking economy, a shrinking demographic base, is somehow a bigger threat than China is laughable. It is indicative of a larger issue, which is that Biden essentially has a soft spot for Beijing. The question, of course, …

Read More »