French President Emmanuel Macron has long called for a stronger and more sovereign Europe, in part by pursuing stronger partnerships with the Global South and reform of the international finance architecture. But those plans won’t be enough if major powers refuse to cooperate or negotiate in good faith with Global South countries.
The Ecuador-China Free Trade Agreement has often been portrayed as a milestone for China in Latin America, but recent developments have thrown the fate of the deal into doubt. The sudden uncertainty has implications that extend beyond Ecuador’s borders, affecting the broader landscape of China’s relations across Latin America.
Russia’s role in allowing Azerbaijan to conduct its final invasion on Nagorno-Karabakh last year, despite its peacekeeping role there, has sparked a profound sense of betrayal in Armenia. That in turn has created an opportunity for the EU to forge stronger ties with Yerevan and reshape the geopolitical orientation of the South Caucasus.
As part of his tour through four African countries this week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made a point of stopping over in Cote d’Ivoire, a country with which both Washington and Paris are seeking to deepen security ties following the collapse of France’s diplomatic relations in other parts of the region.
France and India have for decades developed a strong partnership grounded in strategic affinities and a shared preference for a multipolar international order. Though the U.S. has tended to be rather suspicious of this relationship, it should reconsider its view, as it actually serves Washington’s broader interests.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has abandoned the country’s long-standing policy of seeking peaceful unification with the South. This substantial change in Pyongyang’s inter-Korean policy should not be regarded as mere bluster or rhetoric. It marks a significant and dangerous shift in North Korea’s posture toward the South.
East Africa has long been a region of great geopolitical importance and, as a result, the object of fierce competition. Now, recent developments, including Sudan’s brutal civil war and Ethiopia’s port access deal with Somaliland, have shone a spotlight on the United Arab Emirates’ influential role in regional affairs.
The war in Gaza and the Houthis’ de facto blockade of the Suez Canal have both imperiled the Mediterranean’s recently regained status as a nodal point of global trade. But at the same time, the European movement toward de-risking trade with China and adopting shorter supply chains provides an opportunity for Mediterranean nations.
Since taking office Dec. 10, Argentine President Javier Milei has launched a flurry of initiatives to implement his pro-market agenda. But his decision to push through a massive package of reforms all at once and his insensitivity toward the social costs of his policies risk alienating key supporters and dooming his administration.
Given Taiwan’s pivotal position as a flashpoint in global security, most of the coverage of its recent presidential and legislative elections viewed them through the lens of its relations with China. The relationship matters to be sure, but the campaign was also driven by domestic concerns that didn’t make the international headlines.
The coming year looks to be one of continued headaches and reactive crisis management for Germany’s ruling three-party coalition. A budget crisis, which triggered mass farmers protests, has compounded the country’s existing challenges, testing the durability of the ruling coalition and the political skills of its leaders.
Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo’s “Resilient Ghana” program, which seeks to halt and reverse deforestation while also boosting the country’s economy, has won plaudits abroad. But Ghanaians are more skeptical, and for good reason. Deforestation is a grave problem in Ghana, but successive governments have done little to address it.
For those concerned with the bottom-line humanitarian outcomes in Gaza, is a cease-fire ultimately the best way forward? The reality is that cease-fires often fail and for the most part have limited and at times even adverse impacts. There are, however, certain circumstances when cease-fires can make a difference.
Since the start of the war in Gaza, China has adopted a position that is surprisingly critical of Israel. What’s driving the shift? One overlooked factor is the relative collapse of the major pillar underpinning Sino-Israeli ties since even before they formally established diplomatic relations: trade in technology.
Since taking office last summer, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet has shown some signs that he understands the country’s need for economic growth. But his moves on the economic front will mean little if Hun Manet remains as authoritarian as his father, longtime ruler Hun Sen, whose political system he inherited upon succeeding him.
All too often, calls for nonviolent action in Palestine ignore how even a fully rejuvenated Palestinian nonviolent movement is unlikely to succeed on its own. Instead, the best hope for progress is the emergence of parallel nonviolent mobilization among Israelis, providing a necessary ally for change that would embody sustainable peace.
In Uganda, a new transport monitoring system, which recently began rolling out in Kampala, will soon allow authorities to constantly observe every vehicle on the road. But the controversial project has been criticized by human rights activists as a violation of the right to privacy, in a country known for suppressing political dissent.