Geostrategic Media Political Commentary, Analysis, Security, Defense
Dimitra Staikou As the ancient Greek historian Thucydides observed, “The strong reach as far as their strength allows, and the weak reach as far as their weakness permits.” In Pakistan, the weak—its tiny Christian minority—are struggling under the weight of relentless persecution and legal vulnerability. Comprising just 1.6% …
August, 2025
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25 August
Geopolitics vs. Development: G20-Africa Pushes a New Vision for the Global South
In an interview with Modern Diplomacy in mid-August 2025, Ms. Tandiwe Thelma Mgxwati, Minister Plenipotentiary and Charge d’Affaires a.i. at the South African Embassy, discussed South Africa’s presidency of the G20 and its influence on Africa in the context of geopolitical changes. Tandiwe Mgxwati further underlined the African …
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25 August
From Isolation to Integration
Noureen Akhtar It was no normal day in Kabul on the 20th of August 2025. The city, once ravaged by war and suspicion, welcomed an event that could redraw the region’s map, the sixth Pakistan-Afghanistan-China trilateral meeting. For decades, Afghanistan has been considered a theater of disorder, characterized …
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25 August
The End of New START: Is a New US-Russia Arms Race on the Horizon?
Bushra Ikram The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), the only remaining bilateral arms control agreement between the United States (US) and Russia, is set to expire on February 5, 2026. The New START, which accounted for 90 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons, was signed in …
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25 August
Ukraine: The War Nobody Knows How to End
ATHANASIOS G. PLATIAS Wars Are Easy to Start—and harder to End Starting a war is simple; ending one is far harder. The problem of war termination has long been neglected in both international relations theory and diplomatic practice. The assumption has always been that battlefield victory would automatically …
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20 August
Commercial Diplomacy Needs Good Governance
Good governance is imperative for successful private sector operations. Stable, predictable, and efficient business operations relyon a strong enabling environment with predictable rules and practices. How to ensure that such conducive conditions continue was the subject of a pair of roundtables hosted in July at the Center for …
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20 August
What Would Security Guarantees in Ukraine Look Like?
In the August 18 meeting between European leaders, Ukraine, and the United States, multiple officials stressed the importance of security guarantees for Ukraine that were Article V–like. These guarantees, especially in the absence of a ceasefire to support negotiations, would need to include foreign troops and monitors on …
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20 August
Seizing the Global Momentum for a Two-State Solution
Alon Ben-Meir The unfolding horror in Gaza has galvanized a powerful international momentum calling for the establishment of a Palestinian state. On July 29, France and Saudi Arabia, with the support of the Arab League and 16 other co-chairs, issued the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement …
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20 August
Israel-Gaza War: The Cost of Conflict
Israel has long been defined by its security imperatives, but rarely has the price of war been so steeply visible in its economy as it is today. In 2024, Israeli military expenditure soared to 8.8% of GDP—a staggering figure for a developed economy. Projections suggest that defense spending …
