Latest Articles about Foreign Policy
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Taiwan-Japan Ties Deepen Amid Chinese Assertiveness
If there is one issue leaders in Taipei and Tokyo can find common ground on, it is China’s destabilizing and assertive behavior. Beyond the impact of Chinese actions within the region, both Taiwan and Japan also share an economic dependency upon the mainland Chinese market.... MORE
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Belarus the Object of Two Peculiar Tugs of War
Although Belarus has resolved its argument with Russia about the price of natural gas, the parameters of this resolution are still subject to different interpretations. The two sides have apparently not yet reached a consensus on the scale of the price discount (if any) or... MORE
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Putin Casts Shadow Over US Presidential Campaign
One striking feature of this year’s United States presidential election campaign has been the invisible but remarkably persistent background presence of Russia and its leader, President Vladimir Putin. Putin can perhaps be proud of this achievement: no other world leader (except for Syrian President Bashar... MORE
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Turkey and Russia Work on Normalizing Relations, Sign Agreement on Scaled-Back Turkish Stream Pipeline
Earlier this month, Turkey hosted the 23rd World Energy Congress in Istanbul. The theme of the Congress, held on October 9–13, was “Embracing New Frontiers.” The participants—who included 3 presidents, 56 ministers, as well as academics and energy experts from 82 countries—came together to address... MORE
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Russian Suspension of Plutonium Agreement With US: An Excuse for Extracting New Concessions
On Wednesday, October 19, the Russian Duma almost unanimously approved the bill, proposed by President Vladimir Putin on October 3, on the suspension of the plutonium disposal agreement with the United States (TASS, October 19). The original agreement was signed in 2000. It obliged both... MORE
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Russian Actions in Syria Overshadow Kremlin’s Diplomatic Maneuvers on War in Eastern Ukraine
Three conflicts occurring simultaneously along separate fronts are currently vying for international attention: Russia and its allies continue to besiege the Syrian opposition forces in Aleppo, and a massive Russian naval force is assembling in the Eastern Mediterranean. Meanwhile, Iraqi and international coalition forces led... MORE
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Russian Meddling in the Balkans Threatens to Reverse Region’s European Integration
While international attention focuses on the United States presidential election, the war in Syria or Brexit, Moscow continues to stir the pot in the Balkans. Illustratively, as Montenegrins prepared to vote in parliamentary elections on October 16, Prime Minister Milo Đukanović warned that Moscow was... MORE
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Belarus Charts Course Between Russia and Poland
The nine-month-long argument about the price of Russian natural gas for Belarus has finally been resolved—for now. Belarus will compensate Russia for underpayment from January 1 to July 1, 2016 (during that period, Belarus payed only $73 per 1,000 cubic meters instead of $132, as... MORE
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Russia Deepens Middle East Military Footprint With Joint Exercises in Egypt
Over the past two years, the most significant political development in the Middle East has been Russia’s increasing political and military presence. Aside from its deepening military and political footprint in Syria, Russia is improving its relations with Egypt, where, beginning on October 15, the... MORE
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Russia Building New Bases to Counter United States
Last week (October 7), the Russian Duma unanimously ratified an agreement signed in August 2015 with the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to indefinitely lease for free the Khmeimim airbase, near the port city Latakia, on the Syrian Mediterranean coast. Russian jets have been... MORE