Global Affairs

The failed rebellion of the Wagner Group troops against the Kremlin authorities on June 24 this year also had quite unexpected repercussions in Libya, a place far away from Russia.

Fascination with Russian culture and history has too many times been confused with having an understanding for Russia’s imperialist policies, disguised as justified interests in the so-called zone of influence.

China’s assertiveness has been growing on the global stage and has become one of the most significant challenges for the Western world.

The Russian large scale invasion against Ukraine on 24th February 2022 provoked a debate in Germany on the relations with China, which had become increasingly problematic over the past decade.

The Russian presence in Africa worries the West because Niger could become another ally of Russia in Sahel.

The US-China relationship appears to be becoming increasingly confrontational, with the Biden administration largely continuing the line adopted by Donald Trump.

The potential consequences of the Russian withdrawal from the Grain Deal are monumental, with many countries being affected by potential food shortages, rising food prices, and even famine.

The strategic significance of the South China Sea is primarily attributed to its geographical location, rendering it one of the world's busiest and most strategically important shipping routes.

In recent times, Saudi Arabia - a longstanding strategic partner of the United States - has embarked on a new course in its foreign policy. Riyadh has intensified cooperation with China and drawn closer to the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. Now, the House of Saud is signaling readiness to join the anti-Western BRICS bloc.

One of the somewhat unexpected (but highly welcome), consequences of the barbaric war waged by Russia against Ukraine and Moscow’s open confrontation with the West, has been a commendable show of unity not just from NATO, but also the European Union (EU).

Turkish elections were not forged but it doesn’t mean that they were free and fair. High turnout could suggest that the main winner was democracy but this is not the case.

The capital of Slovakia, even less so that of Moldova, is not used to the role of a location that produces big headlines on strategic issues of European politics. But this is exactly what happened in the last few days. President Macron chose the GLOBSEC conference in Bratislava to deliver a timely and important vision of political changes that he believes need to be applied in Europe. Then, almost fifty leaders met in Chisinau for the summit of the recently inaugurated European Political Community initiative.

The recent visit of the new Czech President Petr Pavel to Poland in the middle of March has clearly shown that there is a new common understanding and possibly also future appetite to do more together in relations between Czechia and Poland.

Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) needs to become an attentive listener if its countries want to advocate for its interests more effectively. With the war in Ukraine ongoing and the challenge of the country’s reconstruction looming on the horizon, the regional decision-makers have to show more understanding of the challenges faced by their partners in other parts of the continent. They also need to embark on the path to resolve bilateral disputes with the EU institutions and major EU Member States to increase the region’s credibility at international level in the times of changing global security landscape.

As China gained more influence in terms of its economic power, the political ambitions of Beijing have dramatically grown. These tendencies are reminiscent of the continuing centralization of authority that commenced subsequent to the 19th Party Congress in 2017.

On Friday, April 21, 2023, Lu Shaye, the Chinese Ambassador to France, made statements during an interview with the French news channel LCI that caused a general outcry in the Western world.

Recently, the Wagner Group has been on the lips of everyone interested in global conflicts. Its infamous brutal nature attracted international attention when Putin began engaging militants from a Kremlin-linked private army in the war in Ukraine.

Information on the principles and objectives of Poland’s foreign policy (the so-called exposé), delivered by Poland’s Foreign Minister Zbigniew Rau on April 13th, points at the strategic vacuum that Warsaw has been in.

I was very excited about the invitation from the Polish Embassy in Tbilisi to attend a special conference in Georgia to mark the tragic anniversary of the new, full-size invasion of Ukraine by Russia. The gathering on 24 February, hosted by the respected Rondeli Foundation (the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies) and supported by the Ukrainian Embassy, turned out to be well-attended event, bringing together diplomats, experts and media. Even Georgian President, Salome Zourabichvili, made a brief appearance. Debates reflected strong unity of views on the international consequences of the war and confrontation started by the Putin regime.

Putin’s speech has been an excruciatingly long ordeal, and one that started with aggressive yet somewhat reused statements. The first key point brought forward was a reaffirmation of Russian commitment to the “Special Military Operation” in Ukraine.