The Kremlin has welcomed the Israel-Hamas truce in Gaza that began on November 24. The pause, however, does not fit into Russia’s larger designs for the Middle East. From Moscow’s perspective, further escalation would have been a much better option in disrupting the US-led world order.
Month: November 2023
Unlocking Opportunities: Income Generation for Rohingya Refugees in Bangladesh
The Rohingya are an ethnic group, the majority of whom are Muslim. They have lived for centuries in Myanmar, which is a predominately Buddhist.
Three Factors Put Egypt in a Fix
Egypt plays a key role in the conflict between the Palestinians and Israel. Now the Egyptians are nervous. With its almost 100 million inhabitants and its borders with both Gaza and Israel, Egypt plays a key role in the conflict between the Palestinians and Israel. Right now, the Egyptian regime finds itself in an awkward… Read more »
Hezbollah Is Holding Lebanon Hostage
In 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon in order to drive out the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The invasion marked the start of a dangerous balance of terror between Israel and Hezbollah. Lebanon held its breath on Friday 3 November. People stood by their packed suitcases, ready to travel to the airport to leave the country. Even… Read more »
Is the Time Ripe for Peace Diplomacy Regarding Ukraine?
In the war between Russia and Ukraine, the distance between the parties seems insurmountable. Ukraine has proposed a ‘peace formula’, and various other peace plans have also been put forward. Now Ukraine’s supporters are starting to signal that the time is ripe for diplomatic solutions.
Russia Tries and Fails to Gain a Foothold in Asia-Pacific
Few prospects worry Moscow more than a potential reduction of tensions between the United States and China. Such a development, even if half-hearted and temporary, would threaten a curtailment of Beijing’s support for Russia in the international arena — at least from Moscow’s perspective. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit set to take place in… Read more »
Chronic Refugees: A Burden on Poor Countries
We are continually reminded of how wars result in mass human migrations: think only of Palestine, Syria, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Ukraine and Sudan. In general, poor neighbouring countries shoulder most of the burden of housing these refugees, while rich countries do little to take in their share. The result has been to create ‘chronic’ refugees in… Read more »
Russian Nuclear Blackmail Remains Ineffective
The degradation of Russian morale in the trenches of Avdiivka and Bakhmut has driven Moscow to try altering the course of the war with a revival of nuclear blackmail tactics. On October 30, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stated that Western attempts to inflict strategic defeat on Russia has increased the risk of a direct… Read more »
Argentina’s Desperate Choice
No matter who wins the presidential election in Argentina on 19 November, the result will be difficult to understand. We will have to explain either why the Argentinians have elected an apparently mentally disturbed radical libertarian like Javier Milei, or why they have elected the incumbent economy minister, Sergio Massa, in the midst of a… Read more »
But “Evil” Is a Dangerous Word
The conflict in the Middle East can only be resolved with good and patient political craftsmanship. It will not end until everyone in the region has the same rights. “I understand the Jews’ need for security,” said the sheikh to Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders. The sheikh is one of the most outspoken opponents of… Read more »