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War Under Sanctions: Can Russia’s Economy Sustain Its Wartime Resilience?
For three years after February 2022, Russia’s wartime economy seemed to defy every Western expectation. GDP contracted a modest 1.4 per cent in 2022 — against the IMF’s initial projection of 8.5 per cent — and then surged: 4.1 per cent in 2023, 4.3 per cent in 2024 . Moscow…
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How Will the War in Iran End?
After over a month of targeted air strikes against Iranian military and government infrastructure, Iran’s leadership has remained defiant in continuing to fight on, even as much of its military capability has been destroyed. In a speech yesterday, Donald Trump claimed the war was ‘nearing completion’ and had nearly accomplished…
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How does the US–Israel Alliance Sustain American Influence in the Middle East?
To the casual observer, the foreign policy of major powers often appears guided by humanitarian concern, democratic values, and global stability. Yet a closer examination of international politics suggests that these narratives frequently coexist with, and sometimes obscure, deeper strategic calculations. In the case of the United States and Israel,…
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Is Russia Preparing for War with Europe?
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned in December 2025 that Russia could attack a NATO country within the next five years, and that Western countries must prepare for “the scale of war our grandparents or great-grandparents endured”. While Moscow has denounced the comments as “hysteria” and claims that Russia has…
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Is a Chinese Invasion of Taiwan Actually Imminent?
The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has long maintained that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and that there is only one Chinese state, with Beijing as its sole legitimate government. Despite having two separate governments and operating as two independent states since the end of the Chinese Civil…
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Is the Saudi–UAE Partnership Beginning to Fracture?
While Saudi Arabia and the UAE enjoyed close relations throughout the 2010s, Riyadh has been disturbed by the UAE’s increasingly independent foreign policy, as growing mistrust threatens to further ignite tensions in conflicts in the region and beyond. While still aligned in many areas, developments in Yemen present a concerning…
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Should Europe Form Its Own Alliance?
EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius has suggested the idea of forming a “Standing military force” of 100,000 troops to defend Europe’s borders from external threats. While he did not delve into the logistical details of his proposal, the message was clear – Europe can no longer rely on the US…
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Do Trump’s Actions in Venezuela Signify the Decline of International Law?
On the 3rd of January 2026, the US conducted military strikes on the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, after rising tensions between the two countries since President Trump’s inauguration in 2024. Alongside these strikes, US forces also captured and arrested the Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on charges of narco-terrorism and enabling…
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What’s Next for Iran After Violent Protests?
Iran is experiencing some of the largest protests in the nation’s history since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, ignited by rises in the cost of essential goods, corruption, and economic malaise. Beginning on 28 December 2025, it is thought that 500 people have already been killed and over 10,000 arrested, with…