Advertisement June 24 saw the swift beginning and end of a puzzling series of events in Russia. The mercurial Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the private military contractor Wagner Group, announced that his fighters would be undertaking what he termed a “march for justice” aimed squarely against the “incompetence” of the leadership of the Russian Ministry … Read more
China Power | Diplomacy | East Asia The reassurance came as Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko made a previously unannounced trip to Beijing. Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen on monitors as he addresses the nation after Yevgeny Prigozhin, the owner of the Wagner Group military company, called for armed rebellion and reached the southern city of Rostov-on-Don … Read more
Advertisement In recent months, growing tensions between Washington and Moscow as well as intensified attacks in Ukraine have raised questions over the role of Russia’s neighbors, particularly Kazakhstan. In Washington and Europe, leaders are now considering the potential for secondary sanctions on countries found to be helping Russia obtain prohibited goods. In looking to achieve … Read more
Advertisement Much has been written about the potential of the International North South Transport Corridor (INSTC) as a geopolitical game changer and, at least among some Indian commentators, a better and fairer alternative to the China-led Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). INSTC would run from Russia through the Caspian Sea, with a stop in Azerbaijan, … Read more
ASEAN Beat | Diplomacy | Southeast Asia The agreements point to the advancing strategic convergence between the two pariah states. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meets with Wunna Maung Lwin, the then foreign minister of Myanmar’s military government, in Naypyidaw, Myanmar, August 3, 2022. Credit: Twitter/MFA Russia Advertisement Myanmar’s military junta signed deals on wind energy projects and direct … Read more
Advertisement Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has left Moscow with few trade alternatives other than China. Beijing thus continues to enjoy the upper hand in the bilateral relationship, including in negotiations over the long-planned Power of Siberia-2 (PoS-2) Russia-to-China natural gas pipeline. Beijing will dictate the tempo and outcome of the negotiations, which are highly unlikely … Read more
Abdul Salam Hanafi, a deputy prime minister in the Taliban’s interim government, left, speaks to members of his delegation during talks involving Afghan representatives in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021. Credit: AP Photo/ Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool Advertisement Russia found a rare strategic opportunity to regain its foothold in Afghanistan as the United States withdrew … Read more
Advertisement On May 24-25, 2023, Moscow hosted a forum and meeting under the auspices of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), an economic association led by Russia. The EAEU was created in 2015 on the basis of the Customs Union established by Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan. Since its inception, the members of the EAEU — which … Read more
TheStarsHub — Dozens of heat records have fallen in Siberia, as temperatures climbed above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.7 Celsius). Despite only being early June, records are tumbling across parts of Siberia as extreme heat pushes into unusually high latitudes. Last Saturday, temperatures reached 37.9 degrees Celsius (100.2 Fahrenheit) in Jalturovosk, its hottest day in history, … Read more
Flashpoints | Diplomacy | South Asia Ukraine is not a G-20 member, but President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was invited to participate in last year’s G-20 summit in Bali, Indonesia. Advertisement India is not planning to invite Ukraine to the summit of the Group of 20 industrialized and developing nations in September, its external affairs minister said Thursday. “In our view, … Read more