Islamic State Emboldened in Afghanistan
Kerch Strait Now a Flashpoint for Russian and Ukrainian Forces
Cyber Sovereignty and the PRC’s Vision for Global Internet Governance
Russia Rejoices in Celebration of Soccer, but Bad Memories Loom
The start of the 2018 World Cup (June 14–July 15) had everything that the millions of soccer fans in Russia could wish for: perfectly prepared stadiums, a beautiful and short opening ceremony, and the spectacular... MORE
Russia’s Push for Militarization of the Arctic Continues
In 2015, speaking before the Federation Council (the upper chamber of the Russian parliament), Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin accused the West of “inflaming anti-Russian propaganda” related to Russia’s alleged militarization of the Arctic region... MORE
As SCO Admits New Members, Central Asian Countries Want Greater Focus on Economic Issues
From June 8 to 10, the Chinese port city of Qingdao hosted the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) annual head of states meeting. For the first time, seventeen years after the creation of SCO in 2001,... MORE
‘Security Belt’: The UAE’s Tribal Counterterrorism Strategy in Yemen
As international attention is focused on the Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE) led coalition's campaign to capture the strategic Yemeni port city of al-Hudaydah from the Ansar Allah (Partisans of God-Houthi) movement, the... MORE
Ansar al-Sunna: A New Militant Islamist Group Emerges in Mozambique
A series of attacks by Muslim youth targeting villages in northern Mozambique has raised fears that a new Islamist militant group is gaining a foothold in East Africa. The group goes by the name Ansar... MORE
Azerbaijan Shows off Polonez, LORA Missiles From Belarus, Israel
On June 11, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev showed off the Belarusian-produced Polonez multiple-launch rocket system (MLRS) and the Israeli-made LORA tactical ballistic missile system (President.az, June 11). The delivery of these rocket and missile systems... MORE
Moscow Quickly Expanding Ties to Africa
Moscow is returning to sub-Saharan Africa in a big way by exploiting ties and themes developed in Soviet times: it is talking about anti-colonialism, providing university training for Africans in Russia, dispatching nominally “private” military... MORE
Putin-Trump: Another ‘Historic Summit’ in the Works After Singapore
Diplomatic sources from both Russia and the United States told this author (on June 13), on condition of anonymity, that preparations for the upcoming “historic summit” between Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have intensified.... MORE