Analysis

The assassination attempt in May 2024 in the village of Handlova that gravely injured Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico offered the irascible Central European politician a clear fork in the road. He could use the near tragedy to exhibit...

Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, I have encountered questions asking why Ukraine has not ended the war. Those asking believe that ending the war at any cost would benefit Ukraine. However, such a scenario would not be fair...

At the beginning of 2025, Poland assumed the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the second time in its history. The timing is quite symbolic as it follows the celebration of the 20th anniversary of Poland’s...

Executive Takeaway China’s Civil-Military Fusion (CMF; 军民融合) strategy, combined with its artificial intelligence (AI)–driven cognitive warfare (认知战) capabilities, aims to offset the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA; 中国人民解放军) lack of modern combat experience by using big data, social control mechanisms,...

A renewed peace effort between the Turkish government and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has reignited hopes for a resolution to the four-decade-long Kurdish insurgency and the broader Kurdish question in Turkey. In a historic announcement on February 27,...

As Georgia pivots away from the West and slides into dictatorship, China emerges as its key strategic partner. While Washington and Brussels struggle to find transatlantic unity and craft a unified approach to Russia and Ukraine, Beijing methodically expands...

Introduction Russia’s influence operations in Georgia represent one of the Black Sea region’s most comprehensive hybrid warfare campaigns. The Kremlin has employed military intervention and territorial occupation, economic embargos, energy leverages, political co-optation, corruption, and information warfare. The Kremlin’s...

For nearly a century, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Taiwan have largely avoided direct military confrontations across the Taiwan Strait. However, there have been four notable exceptions: the Taiwan Strait crises of 1954–55, 1958, 1995–96, and most...

What Does Turkey Want in Africa? Turkey is not the largest power interested in Africa. Its economic engagement, arms sales, and foreign aid are dwarfed by one or more of the major powers. However, its position as a minor...

Tensions are rising across the Atlantic, and the rhetoric is heating up. For months, Europe has been bracing for the worst, which is how most European leaders and opinion makers view Donald Trump’s second presidency. This time, they swear...