As Russian influence in Central Asia wanes, Turkey’s is on the rise.  Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and Western sanctions have reinforced economic relations between an increasingly isolated Russia and an opportunistic Turkey. Russia has become Turkey’s leading import partner, while Turkish exports to Russia have also surged. …

It’s not Joe Biden’s poll numbers that worry me, exactly. It’s the denial of what’s behind them. Among likely voters, Biden is trailing Donald Trump by one point in Wisconsin and three points in Pennsylvania. He’s ahead by a point in Michigan. Sweeping those three states is one …

Eng. Saleem Al Batayneh Mexico’s tunnels and Britain’s electronic visa system have emerged as beacons of hope for Jordanian youth seeking a better life and a more dignified tomorrow. As the current reality in Jordan fails to offer opportunities and prosperity, many young Jordanians are embarking on perilous …

The fight over who’ll innovate fastest and get the most commercial juice out of artificial intelligence is in the news nearly every day. Sam Altman won last week’s round, once again, with OpenAI’s splashy new, voice-enhanced GPT-4o. The other fight over AI is political, and here the story …

The Black Sea’s present and future are tied up with the progression and outcome of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. The world at large has an essential stake in the Black Sea’s freedom. Its security is simply too important to be left to the vagaries of the …

In the nineteenth and early twentieth century, during the “Great Game” between the Russian Empire and British Empires, Central Asia was divided into spheres of influence. Five of the modern “stans” were under St. Petersburg’s control. The Emirate (then Kingdom) of Afghanistan was neutral. Pakistan was then a …

China employs various “gray zone” tactics—moderately aggressive actions that are not egregious enough to provoke conventional military retaliation­—against multiple adversaries. One such tactic is deployed within the United States: undeclared influence operations through social media. Chinese government-linked activity has recently become more worrisome. Previously, the principal danger was …

China’s increasing overcapacity in cleantech manufacturing has heightened tensions with the West, prompting concerns among policymakers in Washington and European capitals. With President Biden’s announcement of a broad series of tariffs aimed at stemming the flood of goods imported from China and protecting American workers and businesses, Washington …

Israel does not want to run the Gaza Strip, and yet that may allow Hamas to regroup.  Israel’s military campaign in Gaza is grinding on after seven months of fighting Hamas. Since the October 7 attack, Israel has faced not only threats from Hamas in Gaza but also …