Latest Articles about Foreign Policy
![](/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Russian-Mi-8-Arctic-EDM-October-30-2017-640x427.jpg)
Militarization and Nuclearization: The Key Features of the Russian Arctic
Taking ownership of and “conquering” the Arctic are themes Russian authorities love to amplify. But sometimes, the harsh Northern reality interferes. The crash of an Mi-8 helicopter in Svalbard (Spitsbergen), last Thursday (October 26), with eight lives lost, was one such occasion. Norway launched a... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Putin-and-Salman-2-640x360.jpg)
Was King Salman’s Visit to Moscow a Turning Point in Russian-Saudi Relations?
When Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was welcomed in Moscow, on October 5–8, both Russian and Saudi media sources rushed to call his visit an important milestone in bilateral relations (TASS, October 8). But with the initial euphoria from Salman’s trip to... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Putin-Valdai-640x360.jpg)
Putin Hosts Another Valdai to Draw Attention Away From Russia’s Stagnation
The annual meeting of the Valdai discussion club provides a unique opportunity for many Western experts to “meet” with President Vladimir Putin. This year, the Kremlin sought to build up expectations by divulging that Putin was working on a draft of a particularly important speech... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Chinese-Rocket.jpg)
Chinese and Indian Competition in Space Heats Up
On May 5, India began a new diplomatic push in South Asia by launching the “South Asia satellite” into space. Built and launched by the government-run Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), the satellite will provide communications and meteorological data to India’s South Asian neighbors (Economic... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Russian-Federal-News-Agency-640x360.jpeg)
Russia Declares Victory in Syria, but Its Open-Ended Commitment Will Not End
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that his country’s military operation in Syria is “close to conclusion” (see EDM, October 17). The Islamic State—once a sizable quasi-state, stretching from the outskirts of Iraqi Bagdad to Aleppo, in Syria—has lost control of all major cities, including... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/President-Giorgi-Margvelashvili-speaking-at-GDSC-EDM-October-18-2017-640x408.jpg)
Georgian President Calls for a United Western Strategy Against Russian Aggression
The Georgian seaport city of Batumi hosted the eleventh annual Georgia Defense and Security Conference (GDSC), on October 12. The event was attended by Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili, Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili, Parliamentary Speaker Irakli Kobakhidze, as well as a number of high-ranking government officials,... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Sooronbay-Zheenbekov-EDM-October-18-2017-640x393.jpg)
Kyrgyzstan’s Thorny Road: Sooronbay Zheenbayev Inherits Burdensome Legacy From His Predecessor
Preliminary results of the presidential elections held in Kyrgyzstan, on October 15, announced by the Central Election Committee, may come as a surprise to observers who followed pre-election developments (see EDM, September 27). In a resounding victory, Sooronbay Zheenbekov, the ruling Social Democratic Party candidate,... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Naryn-River-Kyrgyzstan-640x425.jpg)
Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan Undertake Resolving Their Water Disputes
Transboundary water sharing is one of the most contentious issues dividing Central Asian countries. And as Uzbekistan continues to actively pursue better relations with its neighbors (see EDM, May 24, June 27, September 12, 18), discussions over water usage are moving to the top of... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Su-24-640x360.jpg)
Russia’s Military Explores Way out of Syria
Following recent Russian media coverage of the success of the Aerospace Forces (Vozdushno Kosmicheskikh Sil—VKS) in their operations in Syria, there are renewed indications that Moscow is seeking some kind of exit strategy. Despite earlier reports of a Russian withdrawal from Syria, which merely provided... MORE
![](/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Alyaksandr-Lukashenka-EDM-October-16-2017-640x390.jpg)
Lukashenka Receives an Invitation to Brussels
In a dramatic reversal from years of earlier policy precedent, on October 6, Brussels extended an invitation to President Alyaksandr Lukashenka of Belarus to participate in the November 25 summit of the European Union’s Eastern Partnership (EaP) (Belta, October 11). Belarus is a member of... MORE