European security
The collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War left the North Atlantic Alliance without a clear mission. Funded mostly by the United States, it remains the chief guarantor of Europe’s security. Now, Washington is pushing for European members to foot more the cost of defence. New challenges, including migration, Russian assertiveness and the conflict in Ukraine, have all produced tensions within the EU and the NATO alliance.
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Sahel terrorism: The EU strives to avoid another Afghanistan
For jihadist movements celebrating the infidel’s humiliation in Afghanistan, it proves that patience ultimately pays off. For the Western actors engaged in anti-terrorism efforts, the quick fall of Kabul has demonstrated that containment is different from eradication. The Europeans are now trying to act on this lesson in the Sahel.
The role of the Balkans in the Afghan refugee crisis
A mass flight from Afghanistan is expected as the country sinks into chaos and the Taliban tighten their oppressive rule. Europe fears a repeat of the 2015 migration crisis when it became the preferred destination of refugees from Syria. The EU is still reeling from the political turmoil caused by ...
GIS Essay: Unforeseen results of nation-building
The Afghanistan catastrophe has put forth some hard questions about the feasibility of nation-building as a foreign policy objective. Why has it failed in Afghanistan when, as many argue, it worked brilliantly in Germany and Japan after World War II? There are nation-building rules that policymakers – not only in ...
How Russia has weaponized Belarus against the EU
For nearly three decades, Belarus’s strongman deftly played the West against Russia. Now, following the regime’s yearlong crackdown on the opposition, EU sanctions have been imposed, and the door to Brussels slammed shut. President Lukashenko’s recent anti-EU antics show how he is being smothered in Moscow’s embrace.
The betrayal of the Afghan people
The Biden administration botched the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, leaving the country in chaos. The Afghans who took part in the Western modernization attempt have been left at the mercy of the victorious Taliban. Letting a 20-year-long intervention go to waste in this manner will have negative geopolitical consequences
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More Disruptions
Expanding state
A trend toward increased government influence in economies and personal life is curbing growth, and freedom, in many Western countries. The outsized role of government results in misplaced incentives, overregulation – which restrains markets and competition – and irresponsible budgetary ...
Middle East politics
The region, one of the cradles of civilization, is going through a turbulent period of historic realignment. Its powers are vying for political, military, economic and religious dominance with local players and outside actors. Armed conflicts, mainly civil wars, are ...
