... extension, countering its rapprochement with China and Russia. In 2025, this pressure took the form of interference in Brazil’s domestic affairs—most notably the
imposition
of 40% tariffs on several hundred categories of Brazilian exports, following accusations of politically motivated prosecution of Jair Bolsonaro. This episode vividly illustrates the extent to which economic relations have been politicized by the U.S. leadership, particularly in the Brazilian case.
By a ruling of the Supreme Court ...
A geopolitical whirlwind unleashed by the US-Israeli attack on Iran is sweeping across the Middle East
A geopolitical whirlwind unleashed by the US-Israeli attack on Iran is sweeping across the Middle East and spilling out beyond the troubled region.
Timofei Bordachev
, Valdai Club Programme Director, explores the stakes global powers have in the unfolding crisis, pondering the conflict’s consequences for great power rivalry and the international system as a whole.
The unprovoked attack by the...
... prototype, although it is expected to be ready for testing next year. Arguably, Elon Musk’s extensive involvement in politics last year caused significant setbacks for SpaceX in its efforts to develop and test Starship—the new-generation super-heavy reusable spacecraft—and its lunar lander.
Additionally, in February 2026, NASA announced revisions to the architecture of its Artemis program. As of the original plan, Artemis III should have attempted a lunar landing by 2027. Under the updated plan, ...
... consider surrender, then we will be left with only one option—delivering powerful (in extreme cases, nuclear) strikes against the enemy’s logistical, military-industrial, and military-political targets. Thus, a reckless European strategy of “a thousand cuts” in the context of “extreme restraint” on Russia’s part could pave the way to disaster for Europe. To avoid having to go down this path, it is useful to demonstrate to Europe through our actions that we mean business.
Another factor ...
Washington has many allies, but there is no sign of active support from them. Russia’s position completes the diplomatic puzzle that has currently taken shape, and Minister Arakchi’s visit to Russia reinforces it
The visit of Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Russia once again raises questions about Moscow’s position regarding the conflict between Iran on one hand, and the United States and Israel on the other. The Iranian minister’s trip should come as no surprise. Russia is a major...
Dmitriy Trenin: The world is already multipolar; the key question now concerns the order within this world
Since the second half of the 1990s, the “struggle for a multipolar world” has been a central pillar of Russia’s foreign policy. This notion has been repeatedly reiterated ever since. Yet, in reality, this “struggle” has already been won. The multipolar world is already a fact—and has been for more than a decade. Its emergence signifies that the era of unipolarity—when U.S. hegemony went largely...
The war that erupted in West Asia, on the last day of winter, has immediately spread beyond the region. The U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran is a watershed in world politics, even amid the expanding stormy conflicts of the 21st century
The war that erupted in West Asia, on the last day of winter, has immediately spread beyond the region. The U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran is a watershed in world politics, even amid the expanding stormy conflicts of the 21st century. The last remaining norms—and even formal...
China is a power with an economy that remains intimately dependent on foreign markets
China is a power with an economy that remains intimately dependent on foreign markets—be it energy and raw resources to fuel an extensive industrial sector, consumer markets abroad to provide demand for manufactured goods, foreign capital to stimulate growth and innovation, or other major benefits derived from unimpeded access to the international economy.
Timofei Bordachev
, Programme Director of the Valdai...
On April 21, 2026, the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) and the Horizon Insights Center (China) held a closed roundtable titled “Trump 2.0 and the China-Russia-U.S. Triangle”
On April 21, 2026, the Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) and the
Horizon Insights Center
(China) held a closed roundtable titled “Trump 2.0 and the China-Russia-U.S. Triangle.” Russian and Chinese experts analyzed the international situation ahead of Donald Trump’s visit to China and assessed the evolving...
While war may significantly reshape the Middle East, it will not alter the capabilities of global powers
The de-escalation of the conflict between Israel and the United States, on the one hand, and Iran, on the other—as occurred in June 2025—is usually accompanied by triumphant declarations from all sides. Even the Gulf Arab monarchies, which have become unintended victims of a war not of their making, proclaim victory. Yet, as was also the case in June 2025, such statements do not mean that the...
