Independence on paper or in practice? On the prospects of cooperation between Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso in security and social development
On July 6, 2024, the military leaders of Mali (Assimi Goïta), Niger (Abdourahamane Tchiani) and Burkina Faso (Ibrahim Traoré) signed a treaty establishing the Confederation of Sahel States, or, more precisely, the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States—retaining the acronym AES (
Alliance des États du Sahel
in French). The document was signed in Niamey...
The possibility of Lapland becoming a central NATO stronghold in Northern Europe would be a new major chapter in the alliance's “Arctic pivot”.
NATO troops and a new command centre may soon appear right next door to Santa Claus's “village”, as Finland and its allies negotiate over the deployment of NATO troops to Lapland,
states
Finnish Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen to STT (Finnish News Agency) on August 21. Together with Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, he attended the summer meeting of the National...
Nobody wanted to fight
When the Israeli–Palestinian conflict escalated dramatically in early October 2023, many observers jumped to a grim conclusion that, from then onward, the Middle East was hurtling at an ever-increasing speed toward another major regional conflict. The military operation of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the Gaza Strip was to be followed by fierce hostilities in the West Bank, then by a large-scale border clash between Israel and Lebanon, and, finally, by an Israeli–Iranian...
The fate of the future world order still depends on the ability of the 'troika' to control rivalry and on the results of such rivalry
Minimising the number of one’s enemies while multiplying one’s number of friends is a basic principle of diplomacy that has existed for centuries. The simplicity of the principle itself is more than compensated by the complexity of its practical implementation. In international relations, the price of friendship may be too high, limiting freedom of manoeuvre, while...
Has the situation on the Korean Peninsula become more dangerous, and how should Russia proceed given these circumstances?
Throughout 2024, the two Korean states have fundamentally changed their positions on Korean unification and their relations with each other. A new situation has emerged on the Korean Peninsula that affects the interests of major geopolitical players, including Russia. Formulating relevant approaches is also critical in view of Moscow’s unprecedented reinvigoration of its Korean...
Damascus and Ankara sharing more and more interests
The leaders of Syria and Turkey have recently made frequent public declarations of their readiness to start the process of normalizing bilateral relations soon, with Russia as a mediator. Syrian President Bashar Assad, while receiving Russian President's Special Envoy on Syria Alexander Lavrentiev on June 26, 2024, acknowledged that he viewed the reconciliation positively. In turn, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
suggested
in his address...
The motives of the visit are more symbolic than substantial, as New Delhi desires to ascertain whatever role it could play in the Ukrainian peace process
On August 23, on the eve of Ukraine’s Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to Ukraine after concluding his visit in Poland. The half-day trip to Kyiv was the first ever taken by an Indian Prime Minister to Ukraine. During the visit, four agreements were
concluded
. Modi met President Volodymyr Zelensky and conducted a meeting...
... intermediate-range missiles in the Asia–Pacific, which Washington views as a means of deterring China at the regional level.
Zhao Huasheng, Andrey Kortunov:
Prepare for the Worst and Strive for the Best. Russia’s and China’s Perceptions of Developments in International Security
Innovative systems and disruptive technologies
At the short-lived consultations in Geneva that took place over the summer and fall of 2021, the main disagreement between the parties was that the U.S. proposed reducing both strategic ...
In the 21st century, the whole idea of junior and senior partners looks outdated and even archaic. True international partnerships are based on mutual respect, empathy and a carefully calibrated balance of interests
When the current dynamics of Russia-China relations is discussed, the conversation often boils down to the concept of a "senior-junior partnership." A popular view—especially in the West—is that with more cooperation between the two nations, Russia is gradually, but inevitably...
America will more-so have to adapt to the emerging world than to adapt the world to itself
Americans will hold their next national elections on November 5—in less than four months from now. These are not the only elections that take place in the world this year. In 2024 millions and millions of voters have already come to the polling stations in many countries—in Senegal and in South Africa, in Mexico and in Venezuela, in India and in Iran, in France and in the United Kingdom, in Russia and in...
