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Melting Arctic Sea Ice Opens New Maritime Shipping Route
The Arctic Ocean may be the world's smallest and most shallow, but this by no means negates the region's…
The Geopolitical Implications of Expanding Ties Between the Gulf and Central Asia
Though the differences between the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula and the cold steppes of Central Asia might be…
What’s the Future of the E.U.’s Eastern Partnership Program?
The politically-divisive Eastern Partnership Program (EPP) has been in existence for nearly a decade.
The European Neighborhood Policy—the program's predecessor—was initiated in 2004 to promote cooperation and stability in former Soviet…
The Resilience of Jihadi Extremist Groups in North Africa
Eight years after Qaddafi's fall, Libya remains in a state of chaos due to the fragmentation of power and contrast between West and East Libya (Tripoli and Tobruk)—as well as tribal conflicts (especially in the Fezzan). This affects both…
The Pulwama Incident Part Two: Pakistan and India Have Much to Learn
The world stood on the precipice of a nuclear war in the final week of February 2019.
This article is a continuation of a previous analysis of the Pulwama attack that examined how the attack and the way in which India responded threatened…
The Pulwama Incident Part One: The Razor’s Edge
The Pulwama Bombing, India’s Response, and its Impact on South Asian Security
The Pulwama bombings in Kashmir on February 14th, 2019 sent shockwaves throughout South Asia. An unstable and tense region, to begin with, the bombing brought…
Hungary’s Relationship with Russia Poses a Risk for Europe
As the conflict between Russia and Ukraine enters its fifth year, another Eastern European state is appearing on the Kremlin's radar, albeit in quite a different regard: Hungary.
This is hardly surprising to many—Hungarian Prime Minister…
Russia Faces Rising Costs 5 Years After Crimea’s Annexation
For the Kremlin, Crimea is a suitcase without a handle.
The Crimean Peninsula may have strategic significance for the Russian military, but Russian President Vladimir Putin can no longer play the Crimea card at home for political gain.…
Two Ways for the United States to Deepen Diplomatic Engagement with ASEAN
The time has come to demonstrate again that the United States seeks to engage partners in Southeast Asia at the highest levels of government.
As the region’s economic and security landscape continues to evolve, and as Chinese interests in…
Durand Line Border Dispute Remains Point of Contention for Afghanistan-Pakistan Relations
On multiple occasions over the past several years, Afghan and Pakistani forces have clashed with one another along the Durand Line that demarcates the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Durand Line was drawn in 1893 by Britain,…
The Next Middle East Conflict Could Emerge Out of a Cyber Clash
Pandora's Box of cyber warfare was opened when the United States and Israel initiated the Stuxnet attack on Iranian nuclear infrastructure in the summer of 2010. In response, Iran hit back by attacking the computer systems of Bank of…
Belarus: The State in the Middle
Although Belarus is typically associated with Russia and the East, Belarusian President Viktor Lukashenko recently stated that he believes that Belarus must cultivate a balance between the East and the West.
Such rhetoric is unusual for…
Tailoring Expectations: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Scenarios for Afghanistan
From the very beginning, the war in Afghanistan has been about managing expectations.
Why is the United States there, what does it intend to achieve, what is the desired end-state, and what is the theory of victory? Nobody expected the…
New Delhi’s Foreign Policy in the Indian Ocean
Originally published on Foreign Brief by Nicholas Burkett
What's Happening?
As part of a renewed pushback against Chinese influence, India announced in February that it would allocate $361 million for aid to the Maldives, a fourfold…
The Price of Inequality: The Dangerous Rural-Urban Divide in Afghanistan
In Afghanistan, coups and regime changes are often initiated from the mountainous countryside by heavily-indoctrinated and disgruntled young men.
These young men, who live in severe poverty and are without much in terms of economic…
Give Ordinary Afghans a Voice in Any Peace Deal With the Taliban
Recent negotiations between the U.S. peace envoy Zalmai Khalilzad and the Taliban’s newly appointed political chief Mullah Ghani Baradar have made rare progress, bringing the two sides closer to signing a pact.
Negotiations in Doha,…
Negotiating With Extremists Threatens Pakistan’s National Security
Negotiating with extremist groups—militant or otherwise—undermines the state's sovereignty and security.
In January 2019—in a landmark turn of events—the Supreme Court of Pakistan acquitted and ordered the immediate release of Aasia Bibi,…
United States-China Rivalry Will Dominate Geopolitics in East Asia
Great power competition between the United States and China will define the geopolitical landscape of East Asia.
The Indo-Pacific region will see a fundamental shift in the geopolitical status quo throughout 2019. This shift is the result…
The Future of the War in Ukraine
The conflict began when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
The war in the Donbas has been in a state of frozen conflict since May of 2014. As the upcoming Ukrainian presidential elections near, many have started to wonder what the…
Will Russia Return the Kuril Islands to Japan?
Moscow and Tokyo are negotiating the status of the Kuril Islands, which have been an integral part of Russia for over seventy years.The Kuril Islands were annexed by the Soviet Union at the end of World War II. Japan, however, still refers…
Global Britain: A New Vision
Since Prime Minister Theresa May and then-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson announced in 2016 a new Global Britain approach to the United Kingdom's (UK) position on the world stage, much speculation has been cast over precisely what this…
Conflict and Competition in the Middle East Will Persist Throughout 2019
In previous years, interest in the Middle East was largely focused on ISIS (DAESH). This year, however, that focus will shift towards Iran.
As the threat from the extremist Sunni group dwindled, Iran-backed militias have been strengthening…