Russia-CIS

The United States is racing to secure dominance over critical minerals—the raw materials that underpin everything from electric vehicles and wind turbines to semiconductors and missile systems. Framed as a national-security imperative, Washington’s push reflects a growing fear of dependence on China, which controls large parts of the …

Samantha Fox For years, the idea of an economic “divorce” between United States and China has migrated from academic debate to official policy talk. What once sounded implausible is now openly discussed in Washington, especially after the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and rising tensions over Taiwan. Yet …

As U.S. and Israeli forces launched large-scale strikes against Iran on February 28, 2026, China made a deliberate choice: condemn the attack loudly, support Tehran quietly, and avoid a direct military clash with United States. The result is a textbook case of Beijing’s preferred crisis management model—strategic patience …

Dr. Shehab Al-Makahleh Power abhors ambiguity, but it feeds on vacuum. The moment the rumor mill dares to imagine a Middle East without Ali Khamenei, the calculus of force shifts from deterrence to temptation. Whether dead, dying, or diminished, the symbol matters more than the body. Crowns are …

Robert Boston In Geneva this week, the United States and Iran returned to a familiar table—though not to familiar ground. Indirect nuclear negotiations began Tuesday under Omani mediation, bringing together U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. President Donald Trump signaled he …

Alexei Bayer Medvedev and Vance hate liberal democracy and see Western Europe as a dangerous repository of liberal democratic values. Dmitry Anatolyevich Medvedev and JD Vance have a similar background. Both are lawyers, with Medvedev getting his law degree from the Leningrad State University and Vance from Yale. …

Stavros Atlamazoglou British Secretary of Defense John Healy recently announced that the British military contingent in Norway would double in the next three years from 1,000 troops to 2,000. A Surveillance and Reconnaissance Squadron (SRS) of the UK’s Royal Marines conducting Live Firing Tactical Training during Winter Deployment …

Omar H. Rahman President Donald Trump’s maximalist demands on Iran are making the chances of US intervention more likely. A US F-35 fighter jet takes off. F-35 fighter jets may be used in a US strike on Iran ( Shutterstock/Gece333). Escalating tensions between Washington and Tehran appear to …

While the world fixates on tariffs, sanctions, and military posturing, a quieter shift is reshaping international influence. At the World Economic Forum in Davos last month, Brand Finance launched its 2026 Global Soft Power Index and the results tell a story that runs counter to almost everything dominating …