Oman’s Failed Diplomacy Should be a Wake Up Call for the Sultan
The world needs mediators. As long as war remains a defining feature of humanity, peace deals can try to be reached with the help of third parties who can successfully facilitate communication between belligerents. For many years Oman successfully served as such a mediator and performed valuable services behind the scenes that were well appreciated […]
The Crown’s Moral Voice: King Charles in Washington and the Test of Western Clarity
There are moments in diplomacy when ceremony is not decoration, but strategy by other means. King Charles III’s visit to Washington belonged to that category. It came not at a quiet moment in Anglo-American relations, but at a moment of visible strain between Washington and London — above all over Iran, the Middle East, and […]
Why Taiwan Is the Indispensable Island
Since the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) returned to power in 2016 under President Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan’s national strategy has undergone a profound reorientation. Facing intensified geopolitical pressure from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the DPP government has executed a sophisticated and interconnected strategy focused on four pillars: Diplomatic Resilience, Economic Autonomy, Technological Statecraft, and Whole-of-Society Resilience. This grand […]
The Abraham Accords Go Eurasian
On April 27, Israeli President Isaac Herzog arrives in Astana on a state visit. It highest-level Israeli visit since that of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in December 2016 and the first such visit since Kazakhstan joined the Abraham Accords last November. Much of the commentary on Kazakhstani accession to the Accords greeted it with a […]
How Sanctions Can Cripple Russia’s War Machine
Sanctions against Russia are not foredoomed to failure. If the United States wants sanctions to weaken Russia’s war machine, Washington must stop waiting for existing measures to magically change the Kremlin’s behavior. The Trump administration must start closing loopholes, enforcing restrictions, and targeting the revenue streams that finance the war. For Russia, economic pain does […]
When the Iran War Ends, Keep Expectations Modest
There is no telling when and how the current war pitting the United States and Israel against Iran will end. Whether it ends with a negotiated settlement, a devastating use of military force, or something in between, both Washington and Jerusalem will have reasons to pay close attention to Iran for years after. As they […]
If the Iranian Regime Survives: What Must Be Done to Remove the Threat
Sadly, the present combination of power players in Tehran seems intent on staying in power: after all, if they were to face the full force of their people’s frustration, they are likely to end up decorating the city’s lampposts and crans – hence their tenacious and brutal grip on the tools of repression. The cracks […]
Achievements in Operation Roaring Lion
The April 8 ceasefire between Iran, the United and Israel provides an opportunity to take stock of the degradation to Iran’s core capabilities following more than five weeks of sustained airstrikes by the Israeli and American air forces, and Iranian ballistic missile attacks on Israel, US bases in the Gulf, and Gulf countries themselves. Recent […]
Crimea: Russia cannot secure it, Ukraine cannot liberate it, the West is losing interest
Russia seized Crimea in 2014 and has held it since. The full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was supposed to consolidate that position. Instead, it transformed Crimea from a strategic asset into a liability — contested, costly, and increasingly difficult to defend. Before 2022, Kyiv sought to reclaim Crimea through diplomatic means. There was no […]
Is America Losing Poland?<br>Why one of Washington’s most loyal allies is drifting toward a more European security logic
For decades, Poland has been one of the most pro-American countries in Europe, and often the most pro-American of all. That is now beginning to change, and Washington should treat this trend as a strategic warning. In 2024, 86 percent of Poles viewed the United States favorably, the highest figure among all countries surveyed by […]
