April, 2023

• 29 April

  Turkey detains Kurdish figures ahead of vital polls

  

  At least 126 politicians, journalists, lawyers and artists have been detained in an operation that observers call an intimidation tactic before the May 14 elections. More than 120 people were detained across Turkey on Tuesday in an alleged counter-terrorism operation that targeted mainly Kurdish politicians, journalists, lawyers and artists less …

  Read More »
• 29 April

  Most of the World Wants To Move On From Ukraine | Opinion

  

  The United States and its G7 allies wrapped up their foreign ministers’ meeting in Karuizawa, Japan this week on a note of strength and unity. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, who facilitated the gathering, couldn’t help but brag about its success during the closing press conference, stressing that “the strength …

  Read More »
• 29 April

  Daniel DePetris: Is NATO stringing along Ukraine about the possibility of membership?

  

  NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg’s trip last week to the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv was precisely what you would expect from the head of the world’s oldest military alliance. He toured the capital with senior Ukrainian officials, inspected some of the destroyed Russian military equipment left over from Russian President Vladimir …

  Read More »
• 29 April

  Can China broker peace in Ukraine? Don’t rule it out

  

  Xi Jinping’s phone call with Volodymyr Zelenskiy was a long time coming, but it should not have come as a surprise. Beijing is on everyone’s shortlist when it comes to prospective peacemakers in Ukraine. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, is no exception. “I know I can count on you to …

  Read More »
• 29 April

  How to End the War in Ukraine

  

  Over the last year Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has produced a flood tide of commentary, with largely unconstructive volleys back and forth. Roughly speaking there are two main camps. Realists and progressives blame Russia’s invasion principally, sometimes solely, on NATO expansion—a needless, provocative policy that, as they see it, posed …

  Read More »
• 29 April

  How America Is Erasing The Arab Identity – OpEd

  

  The US House of Representatives passed legislation last month to include the Middle East and North Africa as a category in the Uniform Racial Classification Act, which requires state agencies to compile and report statistical data using racial classifications, thus effectively defining which groups are recognized and which are not. …

  Read More »
• 29 April

  How A German Gas Giant’s Investments May Be Fueling Russia’s Military, Including In Ukraine – Analysis

  

  Siberian hydrocarbon fields co-owned by German oil and gas giant Wintershall and Russia’s Gazprom have been linked to fuel supplies used by Russian military and intelligence units, including some believed to be fighting in Ukraine, a new investigation has found. The findings, by RFE/RL and the British anti-corruption group Global …

  Read More »
• 29 April

  Europe’s Knife-Edge Path Toward Beating Inflation Without A Recession – Analysis

  

  Following a strong exit from the pandemic, Europe was hit hard by the economic impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Growth slowed drastically, inflation shot up, and episodes of financial stress materialized. But as a result of decisive policy action, most economies narrowly avoided a recession this winter. Europe now …

  Read More »
• 28 April

  Why Russia Won’t Disintegrate Along Its Regional Borders

  

  Despite growing talk abroad of Russia’s coming decolonization and the potential role of the war in Ukraine in bringing it about, several factors preclude the country’s disintegration along its regional borders. Since its invasion of Ukraine, maps depicting the collapse of Russia by 2025 have proliferated online. These fantastical graphics …

  Read More »
• 28 April

  Surviving the War: Russia-Western Balkan Ties After the Invasion of Ukraine

  

  Without the assistance of local actors, Russian influence in the Western Balkans would disappear overnight. But the opposite is also true. As long as local politicians can capitalize on invoking Moscow’s long shadow, Russia will remain a salient part of the Balkan landscape. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 …

  Read More »