When my dad moved to southwest Ohio in the early 1970s, the Dayton-Springfield area’s second city was home to over 80,000 people. When I was growing up nearby in the 1990s, it was 70,000. Today, it’s less than 60,000. Springfield’s decline looks like an awful lot of Rust Belt cities …

Russia’s top diplomat has expressed grudging acceptance of expanding US involvement in improving Central Asia’s trade infrastructure. But, curiously, he sidestepped commenting on China’s growing economic influence in the region. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, during a question-and-answer session with students at Moscow’s MGIMO University in early September, noted that “a …

The Western Balkans occupies an important place in European geopolitics due to its strategic position as a bridge between East and West. This region, which includes countries such as Kosovo and Albania, has a rich history as a crucial crossroads for trade and cultural routes that connect Europe with Asia …