Another Gateway to Europe: Italy Joins the BRI
Italy has become one of the first major European economies to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). On March 23, during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s week-long Europe tour, Rome More
Roadblock to NATO Expansion: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Supporters of the far-right and ultra-nationalist Serbian Ravna Gora movement, also known as the Chetnik movement, have provoked local and international condemnation for gathering in the eastern Bosnian town of More
Macedonia’s Name Change: Western Consolidation Continues in the Balkans
On February 6, Macedonia was formally invited to join NATO after resolving a decades-long dispute with Greece over the use of the name Macedonia. The disagreements between the two countries More
INF Pullout: Is Russia or China the Concern?
On February 1, the United States announced its suspension of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), a 1987 nuclear weapons-control pact between the Soviet Union and the United States. The More
Flash Analysis: Why the Military Stands with Maduro
On January 28, Washington imposed extensive sanctions on Venezuela’s state-owned oil company PDVSA, Venezuela’s largest source of national revenue. In response, Venezuelan president Nicholás Maduro called the sanctions “criminal,” vowing More
A Second Persian Gulf? Chinese Ambitions in the South China Sea
The South China Sea has long been considered a global flashpoint, heavily exacerbated by Beijing’s assertion that much of the waters is rightfully Chinese territory. Its justification to the claim More
Back to the Future: Erdogan’s Ottoman Ambitions in Syria
Light rain peppered the cracked cement nearby. A sudden breeze unfurled a limp Turkish flag, gently swaying it with the wind. Jarablus, like many other towns in northwestern Syria, has More
Africa’s New Geopolitical Flashpoint: Emerging Sub-Saharan Clashes over the Nile
Rising speculation that the wars of the future will be fought over water has shed light on the vulnerabilities surrounding the Nile River dispute. The Horn of Africa and Egypt More
China’s Quiet Bid for Hegemony: The Belt and Road Initiative
Not far from Colombo, a docked ship sways in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Further west, a passenger train departs Mombasa to cut across rough Kenyan terrain towards More
The New Great Game: Russia’s Arctic Strategy
An old frontier from the Cold War, the Arctic is quickly re-emerging as a confrontation zone between world powers. In this cold and sparsely populated corner of the Earth, Russian More