As the polar ice cap melts, the US and the international community are underprepared to address the growing economic dynamics of the Arctic.
The Church leadership is proving to be a dividing force in Russia that antagonizes a relatively small but active and politically significant minority.
Western commentators often dismiss BRICS as an acronym in search of an identity. Yet, as BRICS becomes increasingly institutionalized it is changing global discourse.
The best response to the crisis in Syria is the deployment of a UN peacekeeping force to oversee an inclusive political process for a new Syrian constitution.
The China–Russia veto does not prove the irrelevance of the UN Security Council. Rather, it proves that the politics of the Security Council must be got right before an R2P military intervention; and the political equilibrium should be maintained during the operation.
Barring some extraordinary developments between now and 4 March, Putin will win the upcoming presidential elections in Russia. So if winning is not the real challenge facing Putin, what is?
How Putin and Medvedev react to the resurrection of civil society and the white revolution will determine the future pattern of political order in Russia
Traditionally perceived as continental powers, Russia and China are increasingly looking to invest significantly in the development of their maritime capabilities, most notably through the development and deployment of aircraft carriers. This reflects an aspiration broader than that of simply enhancing their respective naval strength.
A simple sentence could summarize almost a decade of negotiations, both political and economic, over a field that has not brought a single drop of oil to the surface: “No oil, plenty of ink”. The case of Kurmangazy, an oil field which lies about half way between the Russian and the Kazakh coasts, helps us understand the multidisciplinarity and the importance of the role of energy in foreign policy decision-making.
Putin will remain in power until 2024, barring assassination or revolution, and will become Russia’s longest ruling leader since Stalin. He is not known for his willingness to compromise or surrender Russia’s imperial gains, suggesting that a new time of troubles is looming on the horizon. This will indicate whether the West still sees Russia as a political part of Europe or has concluded that the country cannot be changed and the days of democratization have become a historical footnote.
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