Russia
The deadly consequences of misclassifying foreign fighters in Ukraine
The legal classification of an estimated 20,000 foreign fighters from 52 countries participating directly in the Ukraine hostilities is not just a question of semantics…
Does democracy still matter in the ‘New Cold War’ between the US and China?
Robin Niblett, a former director of British think tank Chatham House, has published a new book that has received high praise from notables such as Hillary Clinton, Kevin Rudd and…
The global evolution of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
The annual meetings of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) – the political, economic, security and defence organisation established by China and Russia in 2001 – have long…
Modi’s Moscow miscalculation
Narendra Modi’s recent summit with Vladimir Putin was met with understandable outrage. Pictures of the Indian Prime Minister bearhugging the Russian President and receiving Russia…
Putin’s diplomacy roadshow in North Korea and Vietnam
North Korea’s decision to revive a 1961 alliance treaty with Russia during President Vladimir Putin’s visit in June is probably the country’s most remarkable diplomatic feat…
Putin goes to Pyongyang: Should we be worried?
In Pyongyang last month Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a new strategic treaty with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.This was Putin’s first visit to Pyongyang in 24…
Pariah states and the Olympic Games
As the world eagerly anticipates the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, the intersection of international politics and sport once again takes centre stage. The participation of so…
With friends like these … Russia and North Korea partner up
“Comprehensive strategic partnership” has become diplomat-speak par excellence, a phrase that now accompanies canapes and the cocktail circuit as a “like-minded” cliché…
Putin in Asia: Setting a cat among the pigeons
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit last week to Pyongyang and Hanoi captured headlines around the world. But it was hardly unexpected – indeed, a logical step in Russia’s…
Zelenskyy put a spotlight on China’s Ukraine war problem: Defend Ukraine’s sovereignty, or Russian security?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise appearance last weekend at the annual Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore, run by the International Institute for Strategic…