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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…
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How Will the Sudan Conflict Reshape the Region’s Security Landscape?
In October 2021, the Sudanese military, alongside a paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces, took control of the Sudanese government in a military coup. These two rival factions broke out into open conflict in 2023 following a power struggle, leading to the Sudanese Civil War which continues to this day.…
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Has Libya Become a Permanently Fragmented State?
Since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has been divided between two rival administrations. Khalifa Haftar’s Libyan National Army (LNA) controls Libya’s East, and the Government of National Unity (GNU) headed by Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh controls much of the Western coastline. Only the GNU is recognised by the…
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Are the Balkans Becoming China’s Gateway to the EU?
Over the past decade, Chinese investment and trade in the Balkan region of Europe has sharply increased, facilitating the construction of over a hundred major projects totalling tens of billions of Euros. This investment is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which seeks to expand China’s economic and strategic…
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Can Cyprus be the key to ending Europe’s reliance on Russian gas?
As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine rages on, much of Europe still relies on Russian gas imports to meet demand, totalling around 13% of gas imports to EU countries. While the EU commits to finding alternatives to Russian gas, discoveries of sizeable natural gas reserves in Cyprus in recent years could…
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Has Armenia Effectively Ended Its Alliance with Russia?
Since 2020, Armenia’s relations with Russia have become increasingly fraught, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has signalled his desire to move the country out of Russia’s sphere of influence. Once Armenia’s closest ally, many Armenians felt a profound sense of betrayal and abandonment when Russia was largely absent and…