As the economic problems grow, Putin’s government has increased its efforts to distract its population from the extent of the financial and political disaster it has brought upon them. This is evident in the holiday atmosphere that fills its capital city, featuring pop-up gardens, light shows, fountains, and theme parks. Street festivals are the most common form of such celebrations, with over 10,000 events held in Moscow this summer alone.
President Trump is now talking tougher on Ukraine, but the White House clearly still holds out hope that negotiating a just peace between Moscow and Kyiv might be possible. To do that, however, the United States will need to fully grasp how Russia is targeting Ukraine’s future. And it will need to make a return of these innocents a core demand of its approach toward the Kremlin.
At first blush, the world seems universally outraged over Israel’s strike against Hamas leaders in Qatar – with Washington expressing unhappiness, Western leaders threatening retaliation, Arab nations convening in Doha, and the UN’s Human Rights Commission holding an “urgent debate.” But looks may be deceiving.
Many wealthy Chinese cherish the elegance and artistry of rosewood (hongmu) furniture. Famous for its rich burgundy color, its intricate Ming and Qing dynasty-style carvings, and its shockingly high price tag—a single bed can fetch $1 million—hongmu is distinctly Chinese.
Beijing is gradually linking South America together with its massive investments in infrastructure—right under Washington’s nose.
Just a few months ago, U.S.-India relations were on an upswing. But that was then, and this is now. Ties between Washington and New Delhi have deteriorated dramatically since, for both political and economic reasons.
In Russia’s view, the Western world has a big problem: It doesn’t like Russians. The reason, in the Kremlin’s telling, is not Russia’s devastation of Ukraine or its nuclear threats. Instead, the culprit is “the propaganda of Russophobia, unleashed by the West.”
Iran’s political opposition is in no position to challenge the regime. That doesn’t mean popular dissent has gone away.
When the international community descends on Manhattan next month for the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly, one issue will loom exceedingly large on the collective agenda: the intention of France, Britain and Canada to imminently recognize Palestine as a state, absent significant changes in Israeli policy.
Ahead of last week's summit in Alaska between President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, many feared the meeting would result in some sort of grand bargain that abandoned Ukraine to the Kremlin's predations. That, however, didn't happen.
Since this summer’s humiliating Twelve-Day War, Iran’s regime has shown no signs of collapse.
A new analysis reveals a critical vulnerability in Russia’s war machine: its heavy reliance on imported cotton byproducts to manufacture gunpowder and explosives.A new analysis reveals a critical vulnerability in Russia’s war machine: its heavy reliance on imported cotton byproducts to manufacture gunpowder and explosives.
Russia has a dirty little secret. It faces a dire – perhaps even a fatal – population problem.
“We need an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and massive humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza,” French leader Emmanuel Macron declared in announcing that France will recognize a Palestinian state next month—an announcement that British prime minister Keir Starmer and Canadian prime minister Mark Carney quickly echoed.
In over six months after disputed parliamentary elections, Georgia’s democracy is on life support. The ruling Georgian Dream party is moving towards full authoritarianism at breakneck speed, passing a battery of laws that threaten the very existence of independent civil society. Party leaders regularly threaten to go even further and institute an outright ban on much of the opposition.
With the return of the Trump administration, the concept of great power competition has seen something of a renaissance.
“We need an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and massive humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza,” French leader Emmanuel Macron declared in announcing that France will recognize a Palestinian state next month—an announcement that British prime minister Keir Starmer and Canadian prime minister Mark Carney quickly echoed.
In an era of shifting global power dynamics, Central Asia is becoming a more unified region through emerging diplomatic, economic, and cultural ties. Uzbekistan is prioritizing these efforts within its foreign policy, believing cooperation will be Central Asia’s opportunity to accelerate regional development. Central Asia must also take advantage of its integration efforts to form cultural ties among its regional peoples. While Uzbekistan hopes to emulate international multilateral economic and diplomatic organizations, such as the early European Coal and Steel Community, within Central Asian frameworks, Uzbekistan also supports a policy of engagement towards Afghanistan. Instead of sanctioning and excluding Afghanistan, Uzbekistan hopes to integrate it into the Central Asian community and leverage economic interconnectivity for stability.
The inconsistency of US foreign policy in the Wider Middle East and Greater Central Asia is stark. Over the last three decades, American priorities have cycled erratically between supporting state sovereignty, promoting democracy and state-building, and disengagement, before reverting to re-engagement. Such unpredictable shifts only confuse allies and embolden adversaries.
With Iran facing the threat of global “snapback sanctions” this Fall over its nuclear program, the United States and its European allies have a golden opportunity to coordinate a campaign of military and economic pressure against a regime that seems increasingly concerned about its grip on power at home.