Recent Posts

Could Italy become Europe’s newest problem child?

On September 25, Italian voters will elect a slimmed-down parliament in what polls predict will be a triumph for the conservative coalition led by Giorgia Meloni’s far-right Brothers of Italy party, which could win 45 percent of the vote. If the polls prove right, Meloni would become Italy’s first female …

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Coups in the Kremlin

What the History of Russia’s Power Struggles Says About Putin’s Future Russian President Vladimir Putin has lost touch with reality. He has declared a partial mobilization to reverse his defeats in Ukraine and, signaling his desperation, ratcheted up Russia’s nuclear saber rattling. Each day the war drags on, his country …

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The Alternate History of China

Could Beijing Have Taken a Different Path? On a visit to China in the summer of 1988, I encountered a widespread sense of drift and despair. The official inflation rate at 18.5 percent, and the actual rate was probably higher. State statistics said that 21 percent of urban workers had …

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Putin’s Next Move in Ukraine

Mobilize, Retreat, or Something in Between? For the first time in the war in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin must contend with the serious prospect of losing it. Early setbacks around Kyiv and Chernigov had been balanced by Russian gains in the south and the east; they could be justified …

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Renewing U.S. Security Policy in the Middle East

This report offers a new framing of U.S. national security interests in the Middle East in light of changed political, security, and economic contexts. The authors argue for a new approach to managing U.S. security interests in the region that avoids the pattern of recurring reactive military engagements that have …

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The Russia – Ukraine crisis: the Global South perspective

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has seriously affected Europe. In August 2022, annual inflation in the EU exceeded 10%[1]. Political leaders are looking for solutions to the looming energy crisis[2]. However, the consequences of events in Ukraine affect other parts of the world too. African countries depend heavily on …

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‘Leading from Behind’: Is Washington at War with Moscow?

Though Washington insists that it is not interested in a direct military conflict with Moscow, the latter claims that the US is, in fact, directly involved. But who is telling the truth? On September 8, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, appeared in Kyiv on an unannounced visit. He carried …

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US-NATO escalation in Ukraine risks nuclear war

A staggering recklessness has overtaken the American ruling class. It is treating the prospect of nuclear war, which would mean the deaths of millions and the potential annihilation of life on the planet, as a real possibility that must not be allowed to deter its geopolitical objectives in waging war …

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Time to Get Tough on the Taliban

Pressure, Not Engagement, Is the Best Way to Help Afghans One year after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, it is clear that the extremist group has changed little since it first seized control of the country in 1996. In March 2022, the Taliban decided not to reopen girls’ …

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