If Ukraine fails to find a way out of the conflict, even after enduring significant damage and losses, it risks further erosion of its sovereignty
The failure of negotiations between Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky and US President Donald Trump has been perceived by many as a pivotal moment that “broke the mould.” Indeed, over the past three years, Washington’s unconditional and large-scale assistance to Kiev has become the norm. The US has provided the bulk of arms supplies, financial injections...
Despite the efforts of Middle Eastern countries to enhance their influence in regional and international affairs, they continue to deal with issues that require external support
Becoming more evident in recent years, the latest events taking place in the Middle East may reinforce an awareness of the changing role of Middle Eastern states in international relations. Episodes such as U.S. President Donald Trump's remarks about the Gaza Strip and the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria have...
The world must encourage a diplomatic settlement that halts further bloodshed
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s rigid stance has left his country with limited choices, pushing Ukraine further into crisis. His approach to diplomacy has been confrontational, straining relations even with key allies. His refusal to negotiate and his aggressive posture have closed doors that could have led to a peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict.
Zelenskyy’s Background and Rise to Power
Andrey Kortunov:...
If the Transatlantic alliance were to fade away, everybody around should be interested in making its deconstruction as orderly and as smooth as possible
The famous “Journey to the West” is definitely something much more than just another classical novel of Chinese literature, written by Wu Cheng'en during the Ming dynasty. It is also a great symbol of spiritual enlightenment and self-cultivation, fighting against inner demons and discovering one’s destiny; it is a story about such timeless concepts...
Russia faces a tough choice in Africa: either to focus on low-risk and highly competitive markets, where projects will depend on a changeable political climate and eventualities or to explore high-risk and low-competition markets where Moscow has inherent non-market advantages and where dialogue with local authorities is mostly pragmatic
The year 2024 was quite eventful for Russia–Africa relations. A Russian contingent was deployed to Burkina Faso and Mali, at least four countries on the continent...
The new Syrian authorities cannot simply cut ties with Moscow. They know well that Russia can be helpful in many pragmatic ways, including counterbalancing other actors, e.g. Turkey, the U.S. and the Gulf states
The first two months of the new authorities in Damascus could hardly provide us with a clear vision of Syria’s future. Meanwhile, the Transitional President of Syria and former Emir of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) [
1
], Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known as Abu Mohammad al-Joulani, is trying to...
... build new long-range standoff (
LRSO
) cruise missiles for strategic aviation.
Prospects for strategic stability
Zhao Huasheng, Andrey Kortunov:
Prepare for the Worst and Strive for the Best. Russia’s and China’s Perceptions of Developments in International Security
The concept of strategic stability has many different interpretations, with some broadening it to include the idea of comprehensive security, which inevitably shifts the discussion into the realm of political rhetoric. In contrast,...
Still, the Trump plan in its current form is only half-baked
Finally, after many leaks, hints, intimations and procrastinations, US President Donald Trump might have come up with something a bit more specific than his initial general promises to put an end to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in 24 hours. For the first time a draft of his peace plan is on the table. The plan was revealed by various Ukrainian and European media last week and though it has never been officially confirmed by the White...
Russia currently maintains closer relations with the Sultanate of Oman than ever before
In 2023–2024, relations between the Sultanate of Oman and the Russian Federation saw major positive shifts. This period can be considered a breakthrough in collaboration between the two countries. It is evident that amid Russia’s pivot “to the East” and unilateral Western sanctions, Muscat is emerging as a potential strategic partner for Moscow. In fact, it is already fair to say that the ties between the two...
The main things to watch this year
Predicting the future of international relations is always a risky endeavor. History shows that even the most confident forecasts can fall flat. For instance, the last Pentagon propaganda pamphlet on 'Soviet Military Power' was published in 1991 – the year the USSR ceased to exist. Similarly, the Washington-based RAND Corporation’s 1988 scenario on nuclear war included the Soviet Union engaging Pakistan over Afghanistan in 2004. Nevertheless, the urge to anticipate...
