What Did We Learn From South Africa's Local Elections?
Marius Roodt, AA
The 2021 elections saw both turnout and the ANC vote drop to record lows. Small parties meanwhile collectively doubled their vote.
Marius Roodt, AA
The 2021 elections saw both turnout and the ANC vote drop to record lows. Small parties meanwhile collectively doubled their vote.
M. Kimmage & M. Kofman, For. Affairs
Ominous signs indicate that Russia may conduct a military offensive in Ukraine as early as the coming winter. Moscow has quietly built up its forces along the Ukrainian border over the past several months, which could be a prelude to a military operation that aims to resolve the political deadlock in Ukraine in its favor. Although Russian President Vladimir Putin may once again be engaging in coercive diplomacy, this time around Moscow may not be bluffing. Читать дальше...
Baher al-Kady, Al Monitor
CAIRO — Egypt, as well as the entire international community, is in a state of anticipation after the regional and ethnic conflict in Ethiopia further escalated as the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) continues to take over strategic cities, namely Dessie and Kombolcha in the Amhara region, which are only about 400 kilometers from Addis Ababa. The TPLF has also seized areas in the
William Yuen Yee, Jamestown
In a speech about the impact of the ongoing trade war with China on Australia, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said that the "economy has shown itself to be highly resilient" (Department of the Treasury of Australia, September 6). In his address, Frydenberg conveyed a defiant message to Beijing that Australia will not be deterred by economic coercion. Frydenberg's speech is part of a series of recent episodes that have...
Andrew Lohsen, CSIS
The European Union is facing a crisis on its border with Belarus as migrants, primarily from the Middle East, seek to enter the bloc outside formal crossing points with the help of Belarusian authorities. Near the Kuźnica-Bruzgi crossing point at the Polish border, nearly 4,000 people are living in makeshift camps amid freezing temperatures, as Belarusian security officials reportedly refuse to let migrants who are turned away at the EU border leave the area. Several deaths... Читать дальше...
Max Boot, CFR
Fears of a Russian military offensive against Ukraine are back. NATO should bolster support for Kyiv and the United States should signal new efforts to thwart a controversial Russian energy pipeline.
Joshua Meservey, RealClearWorld
U.S. policy in East Africa rests, in part, on a myth. Washington treats Somaliland, a region in northern Somalia, as if it were a part of the rest of the country, yet the territory has been functionally independent for 30 years. By ignoring this reality, the U.S. undercuts its own effectiveness in an important part of the world.
N. Doll, Worldcrunch
BERLIN — It may well be that in just a few weeks there will be a Green Party politician at the helm of the German diplomacy. It may be co-party leader Annalena Baerbock, or someone else. Either way, what would it mean if the foreign minister was from the Green Party?
Kim Olsen, Internationale Politik Quarterly
The European Union is increasingly leveraging its economic might as an asset in foreign and security policymaking. This complex "geoeconomization" of EU foreign policy will necessitate an improved focus on private sector involvement.
Michael Horowitz, War on the Rocks
As it drafts its new national defense strategy, the Biden administration has argued that China is the pacing challenge that should drive U.S. military planning moving forward. However, to plan for a conflict with China — most likely over Taiwan — Washington needs to think harder about the timeframe in which it is most likely to happen. The default U.S. defense strategy is to hedge against the risk of war in all timeframes. In a...
Jimmy Quinn, NRO
Halifax, Canada — A top adviser to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said his government expects that Russia will launch a new conventional military assault against Ukraine next January or February. And, he claimed, the U.S. intelligence community shares Kyiv's assessment.
Matthew Karnitschnig, Politico EU
So far that question has been a footnote in ongoing coalition talks between the three winners of the country's September election. Yet for both the rest of Europe and the transatlantic alliance, it couldn't be more explosive.
Financial Times
Europe resorts to ever tougher measures to contain Covid-19.
Benjamin Young, WPR
In the final months of his single term in office, South Korean President Moon Jae-in is making a strong push to formally end the Korean War. As part of his efforts, Moon is reportedly seeking a summit between the leaders of the four main participants in the conflict—the United States, China and the two Koreas—to coincide with the Winter Olympics in Beijing. In response, the North has signaled its openness to the proposal, provided its conditions are met.
James Holmes, 1945
What do Russians want? Moscow seems to be going out of its way to keep its "near abroad"—Russian-speak for the erstwhile Soviet empire, in particular former Soviet republics adjoining the Russian Federation—stirred up. This seems strange.
Mark Episkopos, National Interest
The Kremlin's sharpened rhetoric is accompanied by what some experts believe to be the early signs of Russia's growing preparedness to escalate the military conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Gustav Gressel, ECFR
Russia is mobilising its forces, but much more covertly than in the past. Moscow's belief that the EU and US will not step in to protect Ukraine could lead it to take direct military action.
Jack Detsch, Foreign Policy
Deeper U.S. engagement comes as the wisdom of strategic ambiguity is increasingly questioned.
Walter Pincus, Cipher Brief
OPINION — During Monday's dialogue, President Biden described Chinese President Xi Jinping as "a major world leader."