Speculation is heating up in Brussels over this week’s attack on the Nord Stream pipelines carrying Russian gas to Europe under the Baltic Sea. Many in the West suspect Russia to be behind the sabotage of the pipelines, but Moscow has denied any involvement, pointing the finger at the U.S. or Ukraine instead.
The EU’s militarized security engagement in Africa is not new. What is new, however, is the institutional mechanisms by which the EU is providing security support to partner states in Africa. Often ignored is the question of whether increased EU support for militarized approaches actually increases security for Africans.
As Britain changes both head of state and government, it’s fair to ask if, moving forward, the US and UK’s “special relationship” will remain all that special. Skepticism among the British foreign policy community, imperial nostalgia and the harm a relationship of unquestioning loyalty has done in the past point toward no.
British Prime Minister Liz Truss this week held her first set of bilateral meetings with world leaders since taking office earlier this month. But there are questions about whether London can forge productive partnerships in a post-Brexit world with the U.S. and EU, and Truss’ meetings did little to assuage those doubts.
Of the many recurring tropes in debates about European politics, perhaps the most persistently misleading is the lament over Italy’s supposed decline. This simplistic narrative draws attention away from how Italian society is at the forefront of political and economic trends that may eventually reshape the EU as a whole.
Once again, the fate of the Iran nuclear agreement is in limbo. While in theory a deal is still possible, in practice, the longer the negotiations to revive it drag out, the more difficult it will be for both sides to compromise. With that in mind, it’s worth revisiting the question of what a no-deal future might look like.
The week before last, the U.K. experienced unprecedented change, with both a new head of government and then a new head of state in just over 48 hours. King Charles III and Prime Minister Liz Truss will be left leading a United Kingdom that is profoundly divided, in large part due to still unresolved consequences of Brexit.
The war in Ukraine took a dramatic turn last weekend when the Ukrainian military launched a massive counteroffensive, crystallizing what has been a gradual transformation of the war into a multilateral conflict between Russia and a Western coalition that has supplied arms, training and intelligence to Ukraine.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered her annual State of the European Union speech to the EU Parliament this week, where she spoke of the EU’s solidarity and invigoration following the outbreak of war in Ukraine. But the rise of the far right in Italy and Sweden may undercut her message of unity.
The practice of bullfighting has long been controversial and is already forbidden, outright or effectively, in several Latin American countries. Now, though, reeling from the pandemic, losing popularity everywhere, and facing political and social pressure, the bullfighting industry’s fate is hanging in the balance.
The welcome Queen Elizabeth found on the island of Ireland in the final years of her life and the sympathy expressed there after her death should give London food for thought. Confrontation over Brexit’s implications for Northern Ireland risks undermining decades of work to build better relations between Britain and Ireland.
Since Queen Elizabeth II died last week at the age of 96, tributes to her have poured in from the U.K. and across the world. But many Africans regard the late queen as the symbol of a cruel institution that subjugated millions, plundered wealth from their lands and imposed conditions that continue to haunt them to this day.
Last week’s change of government in the U.K., followed by the death of Queen Elizabeth II, put the spotlight on the country’s global role. Many regions got their share of news coverage in the memorials of Elizabeth’s life, but not the Middle East, reflecting its low importance on the list of London’s priorities.
Just days after Liz Truss became the U.K.’s fourth prime minister in six years, Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch in the country’s history, died at the age of 96. The wide range of reactions to her death, both within the U.K. and around the world, say a lot about the country, but also about current global politics.
In the aftermath of Mikhail Gorbachev’s death last week, many observers wondered if another Gorbachev-like figure could reverse Russia’s course after President Vladimir Putin leaves power, like Gorbachev did for the Soviet Union. But that’s unlikely. And the image of Gorbachev that guides such hopes is less than accurate.
Swedish voters head to the polls on Sept. 11, with no clear sign of what the outcome will be, and the leading coalitions running neck-and-neck. The general election comes at a time of global geopolitical and economic instability due to the war in Ukraine, which has had a major impact on Sweden’s foreign policy orientation.
Documents are flying around Brussels with various proposals to resolve Europe’s energy crisis, ahead of a pivotal emergency meeting of the EU’s energy ministers scheduled for tomorrow. But there remain several unanswered questions, including whether those proposals will be durable or sustainable in the long term.