Many observers have downplayed Chinese President Xi Jinping’s trip to Moscow last week to meet with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, saying it did little for Moscow. Others argued that it even sealed Russia’s fate as a vassal of China, whose domination of their partnership is now “complete.” But this might be short-sighted.
Tareck El Aissami has resigned as Venezuela’s oil minister after a wave of arrests for alleged corruption at the state-owned oil company. It’s unclear whether the arrests signal an internal power struggle within the regime. But El Aissami, an influential confidant of Nicolas Maduro, likely is an important piece of the puzzle.
The European Union and U.S. often fixate on democratic elections as the basic foundation of political legitimacy. But in West African states such as Mali and Guinea, elections have led to contested outcomes or enabled authoritarian power grabs, profoundly unsettling the hopes of many in and outside the region for a more stable future.
Last week, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia since the start of the invasion of Ukraine. The ICC’s decision to focus on the deportation of children, rather than other horrific crimes allegedly committed by Russian forces, is not as surprising as it might seem.
Argentine President Alberto Fernandez’s recent address to the nation, in which he was expected to roll out his proposed policies to address the country’s economic crisis ahead of elections later this year, did not go as planned. The speech was poorly received and represented a missed opportunity to reshape the political narrative.
Last week the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for organizing the scheme by which Ukrainian children have been taken from their families and deported to Russia. The move has been described as “unsurprising” and “encouraging.” But there is another word that can describe the ICC’s decision: unhelpful.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro is suddenly facing two scandals triggered by the alleged misdeeds of his son and brother. The question now is whether his family matters will turn out to be much ado about not very much, or the kind of controversy that cripples his presidency, which is still only in its first year.
Following recent turbulence in Western financial markets, many states without vast resources at their disposal are teetering at the edge of financial collapse. As an increasing number of emerging markets face brutal choices, the impact of inflation and austerity could increase the likelihood of political crises and armed conflicts.
Three years ago, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on warring parties to “put armed conflict on lockdown” to allow health workers to fight COVID-19. The call for a global cease-fire created a glimmer of hope during the early days of the pandemic. But today it feels like a historical footnote from a very different time.
Last week, Honduras became the latest country to sever its diplomatic relations with Taiwan and instead recognize the People’s Republic of China. Taiwan has a choice: continue watching countries get picked off one by one due to Beijing’s checkbook diplomacy, or work with its allies to find a new way to relate to the world.
The 20th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq is sparking much introspection. Some now see it as a grave error, others still think it was the right decision and others still who never supported the war now feel vindicated. With the benefit of 20 years of hindsight, three lessons from the invasion stand out.
The news that Saudi Arabia and Iran reestablished diplomatic relations in a deal mediated by China startled observers around the world. Beyond the question of whether it will hold, the agreement raises another important question: Does it signify a shift by Saudi Arabia away from its alignment with the U.S. to one with China?
The flow of people across the Mediterranean has been fueled by the social turmoil experienced by societies on both sides of the sea in the past decade. It’s clear that these societies are inextricably linked when it comes to politics and economic development, and nowhere is this more apparent than Italy, Libya and Tunisia.
International Women’s Day drew renewed media attention to the situation in Afghanistan, where ever since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, conditions for women have continuously deteriorated. This situation is particularly paradoxical because for the majority of Afghans, protecting women’s human rights is a key priority.
Though Peru’s protests have entered a lull in recent weeks, its neighbors in the Andes are now experiencing their own political challenges, with the presidents of Ecuador, Colombia and Bolivia having all hit their own rough patches in recent weeks. While the details of their political crises are different, two big trends connect them.
Washington’s seemingly unconditional support for Israel stretches back across presidential administrations, and one could be forgiven for thinking that the bond between the U.S. and Israel is “unbreakable.” But it does have limits. What would it take, then, for Israel to bring the era of unquestioned U.S. support to an end?
Ever since the unveiling of OpenAI’s ChatGPT program, the field of AI has taken center stage in the competition over cutting-edge technology. And its impact on geopolitical contests, particularly in the political and military spheres, has the potential to be just as significant as its impact on business pursuits.