Prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Chinese President Xi Jinping was likely adding up the benefits of his warming relationship with Vladimir Putin. His Russian counterpart was pushing back against U.S. power, straining American alliances in Europe, and harassing a young democracy next door in Kyiv—all at almost no cost to China. Read More Here
A week into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China is coming under growing pressure to rein in its Moscow ally. Beijing has tried to walk a tightrope by simultaneously emphasising the sanctity of national sovereignty and territorial integrity of smaller nations as well as the security interests of major powers. Read More Here
A bellicose Russia, shorn of its empire and suffused with resentment, is being led by a leader intent on payback for the wrongs that he believes were inflicted upon his nation after the end of the Cold War by vengeful and unscrupulous Western powers. Read More Here
Beijing will abide by its fundamental diplomatic principles of non-interference and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity by not recognising the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. Read More Here
The current conflict over Ukraine is the latest installment in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s effort to reprise his country’s nineteenth-century imperial glory days. To ground imperial ambitions in old national myths is as dangerous in Russia’s case as it is everywhere else – and the main casualty could be Russia itself. Read More Here
The Biden administration is in talks with economic powerhouses in Asia to gain their support for severe sanctions and export control packages against Russia as tensions mount over Russian troops deploying to breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine. Read More Here
Few events in modern diplomatic history have astounded the world as much as Nixon’s visit to China. Only Egyptian president Anwar Sadat’s official visit to Israel in November 1977, which ended the diplomatic boycott of Israel that existed since its foundation in 1948, can be compared to it. Read More Here
Perhaps the most stunning rapprochement has been between the UAE and Turkey — few saw that one coming. The two were pitted against each other in almost every regional conflict for the better part of the past decade and found themselves on opposite ends of the ideological spectrum. Read More Here
India’s decision to stay away from commenting on the Ukraine issue at last week’s Quad foreign ministers’ meeting in Melbourne should come as no surprise. It is in keeping with the stance it adopted at the United Nations Security Council, when it abstained on a vote on the Ukraine issue. Read More Here
It is no secret that the Biden administration is hoping to recalibrate and “deprioritize” America’s focus on the Middle East. For domestic and foreign proponents of such a strategic shift, this is welcome news. However, America’s partners in the region are still unclear as to what this means in practice. Read More Here
looking beyond borders 