It is 33 years since the Berlin Wall was torn down, in November 1989. It heralded the break-up of the old Soviet empire and a new hope for the fledgling democracies which would spring up across Central and Eastern Europe, writes Philip Bushill-Matthews. Some walls stayed firmly fixed: the ‘Peace Walls’ in Belfast and the…
Despite the gravity of the war in Ukraine, the focus of the new US National Security Strategy is China. The document says plenty about the importance of technology, but ignores the relevance of trade to national security, writes Carl Bildt. The National Security Strategy (NSS) issued by each US administration is always a key document. It…
China, it has been alleged, is a “more dangerous and insidious threat” to the West than Russia because it is more embedded in its institutions. That is the personal view of the author of a new book which is highly critical of the CCP. “We need to wake up to this,” is the message from…
Lula was elected president with a tight result in a divided and polarised Brazil, along with the most centre-right Congress since 1988. The economy is stagnant and expectations are high. His challenge will now be to stabilise democracy, build economic credibility, put Brazil back at the international stage and reconstruct the environmental and social agenda…
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President of Namibia Hage Geingob have signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a strategic partnership between the EU and Namibia at the COP27 in Egypt. The partnership aims to ensure the development of a secure and sustainable supply of raw materials, refined materials and renewable hydrogen to support the…
Russia and Iran Concluded an Agreement on the Supply of 1,000 New Long-Range Missiles: Putin Is Forming a New Contour of the War with Ukraine; the Democratic World Must Prevent This in Order to Defeat the New Axis of Evil Iran is preparing to send about a thousand additional weapons to Russia, including short-range surface-to-surface…
What are the advantages and disadvantages of possible future scenarios for Russia, proposed by various communities. Over the past couple of months, several large-scale discussions about the possible future of Russia have taken place in the information space. All these discussions are united by a single vision of where this future begins. Almost everyone who…
In Ukraine, one in three power plants have been destroyed. There are constant interruptions in electricity and water supply. In many cities and towns electricity is cut off for several hours every day. Ukrainian authorities together with local communities are trying to counteract this: heating locations in cities are being installed, a large number of…
The Commission has adopted a recommendation to the Council to authorise the opening of negotiations of upgraded European Border and Coast Guard Agency’s (Frontex) status agreements between the EU and Albania, Serbia, Montenegro, as well as with Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Commission is also adopting a new assistance package worth €39.2 million under the Instrument for…
Uzbekistan’s cooperation with the EU already has a long history. Uzbekistan’s cooperation with the EU has been developing especially dynamically in recent years, writes Obid Khakimov. In April 2020, August 2021 and July 2022, telephone talks were held between the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and the President of the European Council…
