Analysis

Russia’s bombing campaign in Syria against so-called ISIS targets has been met with widespread criticism by the other international parties with an interest in the region, but a closer glance reveals that each of the stakeholders is in pursuit of their own aims. A week has passed since …

By Alexander Golts We are witnessing the birth of Russia’s new diplomatic strategy — namely, if Moscow cannot offer anything constructive to the international dialogue, it must create new problems in order to remain relevant. It was clear from the start that President Vladimir Putin could not offer anything positive that would serve as the basis …

By Artem Kureev The decision of whether or not to host a new Russian airbase in Belarus will force Belarusian leader Lukashenko to declare either in favor of Russia or the West ahead of an upcoming presidential election. Russia’s plans to deploy airbases in Belarus could be interpreted …

Ahead of the scheduled bilateral meeting between the presidents of Russia and the US, former British ambassador to Russia Tony Brenton has opined that the Western policy, in fact, “does seem to be moving the way Putin wants”, at least with respect to two key areas of discord …

Opposition groups are currently debating the principles included by a group of Syrian politicians in exile in their initiative published under the title: A Syrian-Syrian Dialogue. The initiative aims at placing the momentum around the crisis in its current phase within a context that preserves the integrity of …

As Russia ramps up its military involvement in Syria’s civil war and defies international agreements in Ukraine, Russian president Vladimir Putin will meet with US president Barack Obama on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting, which starts next week on Sept. 28. The news was announced by the …

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the only way to solve the crisis in Syria is to support the legitimate government headed by President Bashar Assad. The only way to solve the crisis in Syria is to support the legitimate government headed by President Bashar Assad, Russian President Vladimir Putin said. In …

China’s new J-31 fighter has raised speculation about the American-made F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The website Defense One compared the two fighter jets to see which one has the advantage; America or China?  China’s J-31 fighter jet design has a striking resemblance to the single-jet F-35. But according to the …

By James Dorsey Gleaming glass skyscrapers, state-of-the-art technology, and wealthy merchant families have replaced the Gulf’s muddy towns and villages populated by traders and pearl fishers that once lacked electricity, running water or modern communications. The region’s modern day projection of a visionary cutting- edge, 21st century urban …