The Prize: Why Taiwan and its Place in the Global Semiconductor Supply Chain Matter to the United States
Seven Years of Deadlock: Why Ukraine’s Military Reforms Have Gone Nowhere, and How the US Should Respond
Tunisia’s Tense Political Situation and Consequences for Counterterrorism
Early Warning Brief: Implications of Xi’s Revival of the Maoist Slogan “Common Prosperity”
Introduction The Chinese President Xi Jinping has masterminded a major policy shift for the world’s second largest economy by underscoring the imperative of “common prosperity” (共同富裕, Gongtong fuyu). At a recent meeting of the Central... MORE
Lukashenka Says No to Russian Military Base and Deeper Integration With Russia
In his marathon question-and-answer session on August 9, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka again ruled out the integration of Belarus with Russia at the level of institutions as well as the stationing of Russian combat forces... MORE
Taliban Triumph in Afghanistan Echoes in Russia’s North Caucasus
The Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan threatens to destabilize the North Caucasus for three interrelated reasons. First, the Taliban victory is certain to inspire Islamist rebel groups in that region of southern Russia to act, just... MORE
Russia Warns Ukraine and Other Neighbors to Draw Lessons From Fall of Kabul
The sudden collapse of the Afghan National Army and security forces, the fall of Kabul without a fight, President Ashraf Ghani fleeing the country, and the victorious Taliban taking everything are currently a source of... MORE
The Cyprus Dimension to the Azerbaijani-Turkish Alliance
Following the Second Karabakh War (September 27–November 9, 2020) between Armenia and Azerbaijan and Turkey’s support for the latter in that conflict, Ankara has been pushing for Baku to become more involved in Turkish geopolitical... MORE
Hydrogen Production in Ukraine: Escape From Energy Dependency and a New Source of Revenue After Nord Stream Two
On June 19, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, speaking at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, in Antalya, Turkey, underscored that the use of alternative energy sources will have strategic meaning for Ukraine, helping the country to... MORE
New Appointments in the Ukrainian Military: Occasion for Restrained Optimism?
From August 9 to 13, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) conducted large-scale military exercises in the southern part of the country, including on Zmiinyi (“Serpent”) Island, off the coast of Odesa Oblast (Zsu.gov.ua, August... MORE
Kazakhstan Surges to Third Place in Global Crypto-Currency Production, Behind China and US
While many crypto-currency advocates worldwide promote this sector as the next step in international finance, multiple governments are becoming increasingly leery because of digital currencies’ energy-intensive mining requirements, volatile price swings, potential for fraud, associated... MORE
Russian Interference in Georgian Politics: The Activation of Ultra-Right Forces
On August 2, Irma Inasvhili, one of the founders of the Georgian pro-Russian political party Alliance of Patriots, posted her faction’s open letter to “Your Excellency,” Russian President Vladimir Putin, asking for his assistance in... MORE