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Strategic Forecast 2020
The US in the Middle East: Flux or Status Quo in 2020?
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Aswathy K
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CWA Brief, February 2020 In analysing the trends in American foreign policy in the Middle East, one witness both continuations and differences, especially with the previous presidency
Background
In the United States, the 116th Congress convened in January 2019 with the Democrats having a clear majority. In April, Trump vetoed a move by Congress to end military assistance to Saudi Arabia in context of the civil war in Yemen (Landler and Baker, 2019). Israel banned Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar from visiting Palestine in August. Formal impeachment inquiry was launched in September. In October, a house vote of 560 opposed withdrawal of US forces in Syria. In reaction to Turkey’s actions in Syria, the Congress recognized the Armenian genocide. Congress approved military aid has been withheld from Lebanon by the White House (Berger, 2019).
As the proposed Iran nuclear deal became ineffective after American withdrawal in 2018, Iran started increasing its nuclear enrichment facing American sanctions. Since then, there have been a series of attacks by one side against the other, including Tehran shooting down an American drone and an Iranian oil tanker being held by the British (Britton, 2019).The development of Iran’s nuclear programme has put on edge its perceived rivals in the region, Saudi Arabia and Israel. Saudi Arabia allege that the attack on its oil processing facilities in September were carried out by Iran despite the Houthis claiming responsibility (“Saudi Arabia oil attacks: US to deploy thousands of extra troops”, 2019).
Even if the attack on Saudi oil facilities was by the Houthis, the matter remains that they have Iranian backing. In a way, Iran is carrying out a proxy war against its rivals through mediums such as the Houthis, Hezbollah and the Hamas (Tabatabai and Clarke, 2019). ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed but the organization doesn’t seem to have been fully eradicated.
Israel has dialled up its response with direct attacks on Iran-backed factions in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and the Gaza Strip, threatening their shadow war to become an all-out war (Aboudouh, 2019; Hincks, 2019). In relation to Israel, Kushner’s Israel-Palestine peace plan hopes to end the decade long conflict (Araud, 2019). The political plan has not been released yet, while the economic plan was found unsatisfactory by the Palestinians (Spetalnick, 2019). The US has cut all aid to Palestinians in West Bank and Gaza and, in November, declared that Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine are not illegal. In October, Trump announced the withdrawal of American troops from Syria, leaving northern Kurdish areas vulnerable to Turkish attacks. Due to international backlash and the possibility of ISIS regaining foothold, some US personnel will remain to guard the oil fields while the rest will relocate to Iraq (Ali, 2019).
Major Trends in 2019
Regional Polarisation
What is evident from the developments this year is the clear regional polarization. As the US backed Israel and Saudi Arabia at the expense of being hostile towards Iran, it has accentuated regional rivalries. The diplomatic isolation and pressure on Iran has been extended to its allies, such as Qatar and Lebanon. The travel ban issued by the Trump administration (infamously called the Muslim Ban), targets citizens from Iran and its allied countries, such as Syria more than those from other Islamic nations. The pre-existing Sunni-Shia divide has further been emphasized by American actions. Obama used to diplomatically deal with regional powers to reach a compromise. Trump’s decision to back the Sunni horse has dissolved the Gulf countries of their responsibility to promote political reforms.
American Interests and Policies
It is generally said that American interests in the Middle East concentrate in three areas- oil, defense and terrorism. Many claim that the Iraq War was declared to boost American economy. Whether conspiracy or fact, it is true that the US has stakes in the area. But these stakes seem to be lowering recently. The US fracking might increase crude oil production to an extent that may eclipse OPEC counties’ domestic production by 2024. The recent killing of the ISIS chief has put the US into a sense of false security. Also if one looks at the election of Trump, one could witness the force of populism. One of the main aspects of the movement was anti-globalisation which views activities in foreign soil as benefiting others at the expense of America’s interests. People want their loved ones to come back from directionless battles (“Why are happy people voting for angry parties?” 2019). These domestic factors have influenced the tide in the favour of withdrawing.
Every leader wants a legacy, a thing they are remembered when they are long gone, Trump is not different. The Middle East, a thorn by America’s side, offers several opportunities for the President to work through. The proposed peace deal between Israel and Palestine should be understood in this context. Though Trump’s migration restrictions, especially on selective Middle Eastern citizens, have a racist element, his economic policies needed to be understood within the context domestic concerns. His catchy slogan “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) hints at recovering American Exceptionalism, a concept Obama has previously criticised (Kirchick, 2019). “America First” also points at reversing Obama’s policies which were comparatively pacifying and compromising, to reflect America’s self-interests more overtly. But Trump’s inability to cope with minor compromises, especially in the Middle East, will hurt American interests in the long run.
A House Divided
The fluctuation in foreign policy needs consideration in the context of the friction between a Republican headed White House and Democrat majority House of Representatives. While the latter had approved military aid to Lebanon, Trump stopped the package due to Israel’s concerns with Hezbollah’s influence on the Lebanese government. Similarly, the Trump ended Congress’s move to end American funding of the Yemen crisis. Trump also agreed with Israel’s decision to ban Congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib from visiting the conflict area in Palestine due to their involvement in Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel (“Israel bars Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib from visiting”, 2019).
It is interesting to note that Trump’s actions, especially the decision to pull out of Syria, has generated criticism from within the Republican Party. Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham, staunch Trump defenders, have condemned this move by Trump (“Institutional conservatives would condemn Donald Trump”, 2019). Republicans voted against Trump 2-1 in a resolution condemning Trump’s decision to abruptly withdraw from Syria (Benen, 2019). One could wonder whether Trump took such radical steps within the Middle East to take attention away from the impeachment hearings.
The Trust Factor
Volatile actions by the global hegemon which abandons its friends at the time of need will definitely lower the trust of any current and future American allies. A country’s foreign policy is generally considered to be based on a consensus no matter how brutal the domestic rivalry is. Even if there are changes, the modifications are developed gradually to create a single narrative for diplomatic purposes. Trump’s actions make it seem like that American backing is fickle and dependent on the current President. Thus a deal agreed upon in the past will not hold sway in future. This will make the current partners insecure and future allies hesitant.
Russian Inroads
A lesson that Trump is yet to learn is that economic sanction cannot hold out forever. He is using that against Iran and lately used it as threat against Turkey if it decides to invade the Kurdish region in Syria. Similarly, the EU has also imposed sanctions. At the same time, Russia is trying to be friendly towards both nations. This gives Russia stakes in the region and the ability to influence policy. Russia has also started becoming friendly towards the Gulf countries and bridging gap between them and Syria (Rumer, 2019). Russia has kept all its promises, such as supporting Syria. In contrast, American allies have been disheartened that Trump has not followed through with his promised tough actions against Iran, especially after the attack on the Saudi Arabian oil facilities.
Differences, Continuities and Trump
Thus, in analysing the trends in American foreign policy in the Middle East, one witnesses both continuations and differences, especially with the previous presidency. Aspects of continuity, which can be traced back to Obama’s presidency, can be witnessed in the way America still prioritizes combating ISIS in the region (even though there is a chance that might change in the future) and works its regional allies. Previously, Obama tried to de-escalate the situation in the Middle East to create a gradual withdrawal. The differences are stark in the way the US has gradually strengthened the Israel-Saudi axis while increasing hostility towards Iran. These measures favours Trump’s political base while undermining Obama’s efforts in the region. In comparing continuities and differences to last year, there are more continuities. Trump had announced sudden withdrawal of troops from Syria in December 2018 but had to reverse on the policy after consultation with advisors. The advisors were not able to coax him (Syria conflict: Trump slows down troop withdrawal, 2019). Similarly, recognition of Israel at the expense of Palestine has been strengthened. The announcement of the shift of the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem was announced in 2017 and acted on by 2018 (Halbfinger, D. M., I. Kershner & D. Walsh, 2018).
There is no indication of a clear foreign policy concerning the Middle East. This might be due to the unstable cabinet surrounding Trump, whose presidency saw three National Security Advisors and one Secretary of State resigning. Despite hiccups, Trump went against consultation by his advisors. He refused tough stance against Iran, the way John Bolton wanted him to. The amount of power Trump holds and the way he wields it, has numerous implications. As the paper focuses largely on the period 2019-20, it focuses on Trump’s policies. Thus, American foreign policy in many areas, in the form it exists currently has been equated to Trump’s actions.
Forecasts for 2020
Selective Withdrawal
Based on the analysis that American foreign policy in the Middle East is both in flux and consistency, what could be visible is a selective withdrawal. The US might physically leave the Middle East in 2020 or least reduce its visible presence drastically if Trump has his way. But that doesn’t translate to ending US’s influence over the area. This is evident in the present scenario where American troops are still stationed around oil facilities in Syria (Friedman, 2019). The US would continue to fund the various wars through sale of weapons and military aid to allies. For some time now, the US has been a moderator in the Middle East, but its decision to back some players at the expense of others will put the region in disarray.
Higher risks of open conflicts
With the US withdrawing not only physically but also as a mediating force, there will be a high chance of regional wars. The volatile nature of Iran’s proxies might just be the match which lights the flame. One is reminded in this instance of the role of the Serbian Black Hand in starting the First World War. In such a situation, the cold wars in the region could transform to hot wars which means that Iran against Saudi and Israel will have to physically fight each other. Areas like Syria, Iraq and Yemen will become extended centers of conflict. Another way a war could possibly break out is if Iran feels boxed into a corner and feel that the only way out of economic sanctions is an all-out war. This might push Iran seek support from Russia, the other great power in the region, to even out the playing field.
Increase in Russian influence
With foothold in Syria, this could create further inroads into the region for Russia. Russia could increase its influence in the region by filling the American vacuum. Russia’s relations within the neighbourhood will increase at the expense of the US. Turkey, if pushed enough, could turn towards Russia. In addition, it faces isolation even within NATO, it faces isolation. This will be harmful the EU, an American ally, as Turkey is the one preventing further refugee crisis. If it is not provided a “safe space” as it has proposed in Syria, it might stop holding back Syrian refugees. This will create another round of Refugee Crisis.
Arab Spring 2.0
Another avenue that could follow is that of a Second Arab Spring. The civilian rebellions in Iraq, Iran and Lebanon have started being called the Arab Spring 2.0 (Muasher, 2019). These countries, are areas with considerable Iranian influence, that provide avenues for the US to fund the conflict and create disharmony in the region, as some claim it is doing in Hong Kong. But with the Americans backing out, this won’t be the case. It has been in the American interests to maintain status quo in the Middle East so to not upset the global oil production. Thus it has always given tacit support to the dictatorial regimes who function in American interests. So in a void of American power, another round of democratic struggles might actually get chance as America loses its self-gifted voice for implementing democracy.
Loss of Confidence in America
As Americans show that they do not hesitate to abandon allies, the latter will have to forge new ties. The Kurds will have to turn to Bashar al-Assad for protection against Turkey that will weaken their claim for autonomy. It also means they might be hesitant to ally with the US again if the latter decides to come back to the Middle East. The issue of distrust will factor in future alliance the US might try to build up in this region. If the US decides to leave the region in entirety, the previously blocked links between Iran and Hezbollah will be functional again. This will be the ultimate betrayal of the strongest American ally in the region, Israel. But due to the strength of the Jewish lobby, such a situation will not come to pass. Additionally, one cannot guarantee that Israel will not lose confidence in American competency in the region.
Return of the ISIS
There are chances for the resurgence of the ISIS in the region. Earlier, the US’s involvement in the Middle East was to counter ISIS. American retreat in Syria might lead to ISIS regaining its foothold in the regions it had earlier lost. Yet another font may open if Iran decides to wage war on Israel and Saudi Arabia. Subsequent chaos will accelerate ISIS’s regrowth as its enemies attack each other. Its sudden rise in 2014 was possible due to massive jailbreaks and a repeat is possible in 2020. As the US cleans its resources from the area, it will be ill-equipped to deal with ISIS again. There are chances of renewal of ties between ISIS and Al-Qaeda which will spell doom for the region.
Republican backlash
Many hardliner Republicans have generally backed Trump through some questionable policy decisions. But it was on the issue of sudden withdrawal, leading to abandonment of allies while inadvertently benefitting rivals, that many Republicans draw the line. Though Trump has about 90 per cent approval ratings within the party (“Presidential Approval Ratings -- Donald Trump”, 2019), the impeachment proceedings might turn the tide. It is highly likely that the House of Representatives will impeach the President that will be up to the Senate to vote. The general prediction is that due to the Republican majority in the Senate, Trump’s presidency is secure. But there is a chance that Trump’s decisions regarding the Middle East and other scandals that may arise during the impeachment just to tip the scale against Trump within the GOP. In such a case, Mike Pence will become the President and the Republicans will have to rally behind another candidate for the Presidential elections.
End of Manifest Destiny
American actions seem to state an end to the one and a half centuries long ideal of Manifest Destiny. Though originally, it was used in the context of westward expansion, it later fit well in the narrative of American imperialism and interventionism. The US, for a long time, justified interference in foreign land for the cause of freedom as the self-appointed leader of the world. Now, Trump states that the Middle East is “7000 miles away.” There might be a shift on how the US views itself and its mission. Though this might seem to extend predictions, but if seen in the light of the Long Cycle Theory, it might herald the beginning of the end of the American hegemony, replacing itself by another power.
Wildcards
The most visible wildcards in this scenario is the 2020 Presidential Election. As one questions whether domestic reasons exist for foreign policy initiatives, one thing is sure- Donald Trump could undertake fancy steps for appeasement to win over the swing votes. The drastic pull-out in Syria seemed Trump was keeping up on his electoral promises which could extend to Afghanistan. In the case of withdrawal from Syria and Afghanistan, it is unsure whether the next President will try to reverse Trump’s decision to close what can be considered the sore on America’s side for a long time. But a Democratic win in 2020 might lead to reversal of foreign policies in the Middle East and is less likely to back Israel and Saudi Arabia thoroughly.
References
- Landler, M and P. Baker. (2019). Trump Vetoes Measure to Force End to US Involvement in Yemen War. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/16/us/politics/trump-veto-yemen.html
- Berger, M. (2019). The US uses aid to lean on foreign states — but not always with the same intentions or results. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/11/02/us-uses-aid-lean-foreign-states-not-always-with-same-intentions-or-results/
- Britton, B. (2019). Here's what you need to know about the US-Iran crisis. Retrieved 23 December, 2019 from https://edition.cnn.com/2019/06/21/politics/iran-us-brink-of-war-explainer-intl/index.html
- Saudi Arabia oil attacks: US to deploy thousands of extra troops. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50021138
- Tabatabai, A. and C.P. Clarke. (2019). Iran’s Proxies Are More Powerful Than Ever. Retrieved from https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/10/16/irans-proxies-hezbollah-houthis-trump-maximum-pressure/
- Aboudouh, A. (2019). Middle East Explained: Why are Iran and Israel on the brink of war? Retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/iran-israel-war-airstrikes-syria-middle-east-a9085316.html
- Hincks, J. (2019). Israel Is Escalating Its Shadow War With Iran. Here's What to Know. Retrieved from https://time.com/5664654/israel-iran-shadow-war/
- Araud, G. (2019). Is Trump Right About Middle-East Peace? Retrieved from https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/israel-palestine-peace-process-donald-trump-by-gerard-araud-2019-10
- Spetalnick, M. (2019). US opens debate on Mideast economic plan shunned by Palestinians. Retrieved 31 December, 2019 from https://af.reuters.com/article/egyptNews/idAFL8N23X16I?feedType=RSS&feedName=egyptNews
- Ali, I. (2019). All US troops withdrawing from Syria expected to go to western Iraq: Pentagon chief. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-syria-security-usa/all-us-troops-withdrawing-from-syria-expected-to-go-to-western-iraq-pentagon-chief-idUSKBN1WZ01S
- Why are happy people voting for angry parties? 2019. Retrieved from https://www.economist.com/international/2019/07/11/why-are-happy-people-voting-for-angry-parties
- Kirchick, J. (2019). Squanderer in chief. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-apr-28-oe-kirchick28-story.html
- Israel bars Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib from visiting. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-49363041
- Institutional conservatives would condemn Donald Trump. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.economist.com/united-states/2019/10/10/institutional-conservatives-would-condemn-donald-trump
- Benen, S. (2019). House delivers the most bipartisan rebuke of Trump’s presidency. Retrieved from http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/house-delivers-the-most-bipartisan-rebuke-trumps-presidency
- Rumer, E. (2019). Russia in the Middle East: Jack of All Trades, Master of None. Retrieved from https://carnegieendowment.org/2019/10/31/russia-in-middle-east-jack-of-all-trades-master-of-none-pub-80233
- Syria conflict: Trump slows down troop withdrawal. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46723603
- Halbfinger, D. M.; I. Kershner & D. Walsh. (2018). Retreived from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/14/world/middleeast/gaza-protests-palestinians-us-embassy.html
- Friedman, U. (2019). The Consequences of Donald Trump Washing His Hands of the Middle East. Retrieved from https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2019/10/donald-trump-middle-east-consequences/600610/
- Muasher, M. (2019). Is This the Arab Spring 2.0? Retrieved from https://carnegieendowment.org/2019/10/30/is-this-arab-spring-2.0-pub-80220
- Presidential Approval Ratings -- Donald Trump. (2019). Retrieved from https://news.gallup.com/poll/203198/presidential-approval-ratings-donald-trump.aspx
Aswathy K is pursuing her Masters in International Studies from CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru
This essay was published at the NIAS Quarterly on Contemporary World Affairs, Vol 2, Issue 1, January-March 2020
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NIAS Africa Team
Africa This Week
IPRI Team
Israel's Military Campaign in Rafah
NIAS Latin America Team
Latin America This Week (3-10 Feb 2024)
NIAS South Asia Team
South Asia This Week (3-10 Feb 2024)
NIAS Africa Team
Africa This Week (3-10 Feb 2024)
IPRI Team
Protests in Senegal
Jerry Franklin A
Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON): Five Questions
Padmashree Anandhan, Femy Francis, Rohini Reenum, Akriti Sharma, Akhil Ajith, Shamini Velayutham and Anu Maria Joseph
Expert Interview: Russia in the International Order
Bibhu Prasad Routray
Myanmar: Ethnic Armed Organizations, China’s Mediation and Continuing Fighting
Narmatha S and Anu Maria Jospeh
Ethiopia-Somalia tensions over Somaliland | Explained
CEAP Team
Taiwan elections
GP Team
Taiwan Election 2024
Femy Francis
Taiwan Election 2024: The return of DPP
IPRI Team
The War in Ukraine and Gaza
CEAP Team
NIAS- CEAP- China Reader | Daily Briefs
Padmashree Anandhan
The War in Ukraine: Drones, missiles and counterattacks
Anu Maria Joseph
Ethiopia and Sudan: Governance in deadlock
Hoimi Mukherjee | Hoimi Mukherjee is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science in Bankura Zilla Saradamani Mahila Mahavidyapith.
Chile in 2023: Crises of Constitutionality
Richa Chandola | Richa Chandola is an independent scholar.
Peru in 2023: Political Tensions, Civil Unrest, and Governance Issues
Aprajita Kashyap | Aprajita Kashyap is a faculty of Latin American Studies, School of International Studies at the Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi.
Haiti in 2023: The Humanitarian Crisis
Shreya Pandey | Shreya Pandey is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science, Xavier’s College, Ranchi. Her research interests include EU-India relations, and current trends in international relations.
Russian Invasion on Ukraine: An assessment of its impact upon unity, economy and enlargement of the EU
Binod Khanal | Binod Khanal is a Doctoral candidate at the Centre for European Studies, School of International Studies, JNU, New Delhi.
The Baltic: Energy, Russia, NATO and China
Rishika Yadav | Rishika Yadav is a Research Assistant at NIAS.
Finland in 2023: Challenges at Russia's border
Padmashree Anandhan | Padmashree Anandhan is a Research Associate at the School of Conflict and Security Studies, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangaluru.
Germany in 2023: Defence, Economy and Energy Triangle
Anu Maria Joseph | Anu Maria Joseph is a Research Assistant at NIAS.
Ethiopia and Sudan in 2023: Governance in deadlock
Nuha Aamina | Nuha Aamina is an undergraduate student at the Department of International Relations, Peace and Public Policy, St Joseph's University.
Thailand: Economic stability despite political instability
Alka Bala | Alka Bala is an undergraduate student at the Department of International Relations, Peace and Public Policy, St Joseph's University.
Myanmar in 2023: Extended Emergency, Political Instability and State-led violence
Sayani Rana | Sayani Rana is an undergraduate student at the Department of International Relations, Peace, and Public Policy, St Joseph's University, Bangalore.
Australia in 2023: Challenges of Economy, Employment and Immigration
Ashok Alex Luke | Ashok Alex Luke is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Political Science at CMS College, Kottayam.
China and South Asia in 2023: Advantage Beijing?
Annem Naga Bindhu Madhuri | Annem Naga Bindhu Madhuri is a postgraduate student at the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies at the University of Madras, Chennai.
China and East Asia
Femy Francis | Femy Francis is a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies.
China in 2023: Cracks in the Great Wall
Amit Gupta | Dr Amit Gupta is an international security and economics analyst based in the USA
The US: The Year of Living Dangerously?
Kuri Sravan Kumar | Kuri Sravan Kumar is a PhD scholar at the Department of East Asian Studies, University of Delhi.
North Korea in 2023: Military buildups and Close Connections with Russia
Yogeshwari S | Yogeswari S is a postgraduate student at the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies at the University of Madras, Chennai.
South Korea in 2023: Addressing Climate Change and the Global Supply Chains
Abhishek Ranjan | Abhishek Ranjan is a PhD student at the Korean Studies, Centre for East Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
East Asia in 2023: Big Power Politics and New Defence Strategies
IPRI Team
Special Edition: Conflicts in 2023
NIAS Africa Team
NIAS Africa Weekly #92&93 | COP 28 and Africa
Nithyashree RB
COP28 and Africa: Priorities and Initiatives
NIAS Africa Team
NIAS Africa Weekly #91 | Failed coup in Sierra Leone
Anu Maria Joseph
Sierra Leone: A failed coup
GP Team
Henry Kissinger: A profile
NIAS Africa Team
NIAS Africa Weekly #90 | Floods in East Africa
Jerry Franklin A
Floods in East Africa
NIAS Africa Team
NIAS Africa Weekly #89 | Africa’s debate on colonial reparations
Sneha Surendran
Africa’s debate on colonial reparations
NIAS Africa Team
NIAS Africa Weekly #87&88 | Elusive Ceasefires in Sudan
Anu Maria Joseph
Sudan’s ceasefires remain elusive: Four reasons why
GP Team
UK’s AI Summit
Femy Francis
Ten years of BRI: Xi and the Beijing Summit
Femy Francis
The return of the South China Sea
Femy Francis
BRICS Summit poised as the Champion of Global South
Femy Francis
Japan-Australia's Reciprocal Access Agreement
CR Team | Avishka Ashok
China: Palestine Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ visit emphasizes hope for statehood
NIAS Africa Team
NIAS Africa Weekly #85&86 | Niger-France ties and Liberia elections
Nithyashree RB
Liberia elections: Explained
Jerry Franklin
France's increasing unpopularity in Niger
PR Team
The Snow Leopards of Pakistan
Padmashree Anandhan
Poland elections 2023: Reasons behind the shift
Padmashree Anandhan
Ukraine: The failure of the Black Sea Grain Initiative
Annem Naga Bindhu Madhuri
Issues for Europe
Yogeswari S | CSIS
Poland’s engagement
Prof Joyati Bhattacharya
G20 Summit: India the Global Host
Anu Maria Joseph
Africa in the Indian Ocean region: Explained
Dhriti Mukherjee
Pakistan grapples with soaring electricity bills and free riders
Shamini Velayutham
Pakistan: Recent spike in Polio cases
Dhriti Mukherjee
Pakistan’s power predicament: Soaring bills and public discontent
Ankit Singh
Pakistan’s Economy: Three questions
Sneha Surendran
From Cargo to Canvas: The vibrant world of Pakistani Truck Art
Anu Maria Joseph
Taiwan in Africa: The Last Ally and the Lost Allies
Feben Itty | CSIS
NATO’s Challenge
Genesy B | abcnews
Russia’s Endgame
Sreeja JS
Ukraine’s Strategies and Endgame
NIAS Africa Team
Africa Weekly #79 | Africa Climate Summit
Sneha Surendran
Africa Climate Summit: Rising new leadership in climate action
Nithyashree RB
Coup in Gabon: Three questions
NIAS Africa Team
Africa Weekly #78 | Coup in Gabon
Sneha Surendran
Wildfires in Europe: Another year of devastation
Rishika Yadav
Floods in Europe: Impacts, and issues
Padmashree Anandhan
Return of the Heatwaves
Jerry Franklin A
A profile on Ethiopia's Oromo ethnic group
Sneha Surendran
A profile on Ethiopia’s Somali ethnic group
Nithyashree RB
A profile on Ethiopia’s Afar ethnic group
Anu Maria Joseph
Ethiopia’s Amhara problem
Jerry Franklin A
ECOWAS and Niger remain at an impasse, causing a prolonged standoff
Lakshmi Parimala H
Mural, Movie and the Map: Akhand Bharat mural and Adipurush
Rishika Yadav
The High Seas Treaty
Indrani Talukdar
Ukraine War and the International Order
Jerry Franklin A
Coup in Niger: Manifold national, regional and international stances
Sneha Surendran
Senegal's political crisis: Four questions
NIAS Africa Team
Africa Weekly #73&74 | Coup in Niger and Senegal’s political crisis
Himani Pant
Germany-Russia Relations: What Next?
D. Suba Chandran
Que Sara Sara: Pakistan, Two Months After 09 May
Sneha Surendran
Pakistan’s e-Sport Industry: A Profile
Ramya Balasubramanian
Russia and Europe: Understanding Moscow’s strategies
Bibhu Prasad Routray
Return of Violence in Manipur
Nithyashree RB
The UN in Africa: MINUSMA has failed. So did Mali
Bibhu Prasad Routray
Myanmar continues to burn
Anu Maria Joseph
The Wagner Group in Africa: Fallouts of the failed revolt in Russia
NIAS Africa Team
Africa Weekly #69-71 | The Wagner Group in Africa
Lakshmi Parimala
Hybrid Warfare in Ukraine
Padmashree Anandhan
Rise and fall of the Wagner Revolt: Four Takeaways
Sneha Surendran
The Wagner Revolt: A profile of Yevgeny Prigozhin
Padmashree Anandhan
The War in Ukraine: Four Issues to watch in 2023
Rishika Yadav, Sneha Surendran, Sandra D Costa, Ryan Marcus, Prerana P and Nithyashree RB
Global Gender Gap Report 2023: Regional Takeaways
Harini Madhusudan, Rishika Yada, Sneha Surendran, Prerana P, Sreeja JS and Padmashree Anandhan
Russia: Anatomy of Wagner Revolt, and its Fallouts
Anu Maria Joseph
Resurging insurgency in Uganda and insecurity in East Africa
Jerry Franklin
Eritrea: Back to the IGAD after 16 years
Bibhu Prasad Routray
India: Violence continues in Manipur
Jerry Franklin
Tunisia: A Political Profile
Jerry Franklin
Cameroon’s Anglophone Crisis: Reasons for its continuation
Anu Maria Joseph
Ceasefires in Sudan: An uneasy trajectory
Rishika Yadav, Sreeja JS, Nithyashree RB, and Melvin George | Rishika Yadav is a Research Assistant in NIAS Europe Studies at NIAS. Nithyashree RB, Sreeja JS, and Melvin George are Research Interns in NIAS Europe Studies at NIAS.
The Battle for Bakhmut: Significance, Objectives, Course, and What Next
Nithyashree RB
Poland approves Russian Influence Law: Three Implications
Rishika Yadav | Research Assistant, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bangalore
Serbia: Mass shootings, protests and instability
Rishika Yadav and Nityashree RB | Research Assistant and Research Intern, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bangalore
Turkey’s Elections: Unravelling the Political Spectacle of 2023
Padmashree Anandhan | Research Associate National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore
Belgorod drone attacks: Who, What and Why?
NIAS Africa Team
In Focus | Japan in Africa
Devjyoti Saha
Japan in Africa: Renewed Efforts to Revitalise Relations
Indrani Talukdar
Russia's Position in the Arctic: New challenges
Lakshmi Parimala H
Bhutan's Gross National Happiness
Amit Gupta
The Trump Phenomenon: Why it Won’t Go
Rishika Yadav
Turkey’s Election: Issues, Actors and Outcomes
IPRI Team
The Armenia-Azerbaijan Stalemate
NIAS Africa Team
Droughts in East Africa: A climate disaster
NIAS Africa Team
Sudan: Intensifying political rivalry and expanding violence
NIAS Africa Team
Expanding Russia-South Africa relations
Padmashree Anandhan
Pentagon document leak: Russia-Ukraine Conflict From a Tactical Lens
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Tunisia: The question of undocumented migrants
Indrani Talukdar
Belarus’s endgame in Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Padmashree Anandhan
Russia: Drone attacks escalate the Ukraine war
Padmashree Anandhan
The UK: Conservative party put to test as worker strikes continue
Bhoomika Sesharaj
PR Explains: Pakistan’s power outage
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Pakistan’s Blue Helmets: A long-standing contribution
D Suba Chandran
Karachi: The race and new alignments for the Mayor
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Macron’s visit to Africa: Three Takeaways
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Nigeria elections: Ruling party wins; What is ahead?
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | M23 atrocities in DRC and upcoming Nigeria elections
NIAS Africa Team
Africa in 2023: Elections and conflicts
IPRI Team
The continuing crisis in Israel
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Chinese Foreign Minister's visit to Africa
IPRI Team
Protests in Spain, Sweden and Israel
Avishka Ashok
China: A complicated economic recovery
Padmashree Anandhan
Europe: An impending energy crisis and its economic fallouts
Ankit Singh
Defence: Towards a new cold war
Riya Itisha Ekka
Brazil: Managing Bolsonaro’s legacy
Apoorva Sudhakar
Africa: Despite the elections, democratic backslide will continue
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Pakistan in 2023: Between elections, economic turmoil and climate crisis
Sethuraman Nadarajan
Sri Lanka in 2023: A troubling economy and an unstable polity
Avishka Ashok
Chinese Foreign Minister's visit to Africa
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Bamako’s pardon of Ivorian soldiers
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | The relapse of ANC
Allen Joe Mathew, Sayani Rana, Joel Jacob
Newsmakers: From Putin to Rushdie
Sethuraman Nadarajan
Rest in Peace; Queen Elizabeth. Mikhail Gorbachev, Pelé...
Ankit Singh
Global economy in 2022: The year of cooling down
Bhoomika Sesharaj
Digital world: Elon Musk and the Twitter Chaos
Madhura Mahesh
The FTX Collapse: Depleting cryptocurrencies
Harini Madhusudan
The Space race: Scaling new technological feats
Avishka Ashok
G20: More challenges
Akriti Sharma
COP27: Hits and Misses
Padmashree Anandhan
The Ukraine War
Poulomi Mondal
French Exit from Mali: More questions than answers
Mohaimeen Khan
Yemen, Syria, and Sudan: Continuing humanitarian crises
Padmashree Anandhan
NATO and the Madrid Summit: Expanding defence frontiers
Padmashree Anandhan
Elections in France, Sweden, and Italy: The rise of the right
Janardhan G
North Korea: Missile Tests Galore
Avishka Ashok
The Taiwan Strait: Political and military assertions
Anu Maria Joseph
Ethiopia: Uncertainties despite ceasefire
Apoorva Sudhakar
Tunisia: The end of the Jasmine Revolution
Rashmi BR
Iraq: Deadlock and breakthrough
Kaviyadharshini A
Iran: Anti-government protests
Chrishari de Alwis Gunasekare
Sri Lanka: Political and Economic Crises
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Myanmar: The coup and after
NIAS Africa Team
The US-Africa Leaders Summit
IPRI Team
Workers strike in the UK
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | End of Operation Barkhane
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | The ceasefire in Ethiopia
IPRI Team
Drone attacks in Russia
Vignesh Ram | Assistant Professor | Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal
Malaysia’s recent Elections: More questions than answers
Vignesh Ram
Anwar Ibrahim: Malaysia's new Prime Minister
Harini Madhusudan, Rishma Banerjee, Padmashree Anandhan, Ashwin Immanuel Dhanabalan, and Avishka Ashok
What next for Russia, Ukraine, Europe, South Asia & India, and China
Padmashree Anandhan and Rishma Banerjee
UNGA 77: Who said what from Europe?
Rashmi BR and Akriti Sharma
COP27: Ten key takeaways
Rashmi Ramesh
Ice Melt in Alps in Europe: Three impacts
Rishma Banerjee
Tracing Europe's droughts
Padmashree Anandhan
Major causes behind Europe’s continuing heatwaves
Emmanuel Selva Royan
100 days of the Ukraine war: US Responses in the war
Padmashree Anandhan
100 days of the Ukraine war: What next for Europe?
Ashwin Immanuel Dhanabalan
100 days of the Ukraine war: More loss than gain for Russia
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Challenges to peace in Eastern Congo
Avishka Ashok | Research Associate | National Institute of Advanced Studies
20th Party Congress of the Communist Party of China: Major takaways
Angelin Archana | Assistant Professor, Women’s Christian College, Chennai
China's response to the Ukraine crisis: Shaped by its relationship with Russia and EU under the US Shadow
Shreya Upadhyay | Assistant Professor, Christ (Deemed to be University), Bangalore
Transatlantic Ties in the Wake of Ukraine-Russia War
Uma Purushothaman | Assistant Professor, Central University of Kerala, Kerala
Ukraine and beyond: The US Strategies towards Russia
Debangana Chatterjee | Assistant Professor, JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), Bangalore
Lessons from Ukraine War: Effectiveness of Sanctions
Himani Pant | Research Fellow, ICWA, Delhi
Ukraine and beyond: What next for Russia and Europe?
Sethuraman Nadarajan
Israel-Lebanon Maritime Border Deal
Avishka Ashok
G20 Summit: Four takeaways from Bali
NIAS Africa Team
China-Africa relations: Looking back and looking ahead
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Chad's political crisis
Sourina Bej
Elections in Sweden
Padmashree Anandhan
Italy's far-right wins 2022 elections
Padmashree Anandhan
Putin’s address in the Valdai Discussion: Six takeaways
Devjyoti Saha
Solomon Islands’ China card: Three reasons why
NIAS Africa Team
Floods in West Africa: Nigeria and beyond
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Famine in Somalia
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Kenya Elections 2022
IPRI Team
Protests in Iran
IPRI Team
Clashes between Armenia-Azerbaijan
Padmashree Anandhan
Queen Elizabeth: End of an era
Padmashree Anandhan
Russia and Eastern Economic Forum 2022: A sturdy Far East
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | The reinvention of Al Shabab
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Lavrov's visit to Africa
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Macron's visit to Africa
GP Team
Floods and Emergency in Pakistan
IPRI Team
Six months of War in Ukraine
GP Team
Regional round-ups
Padmashree Anandhan
Who will be the next UK prime minister: Liss Truss v. Rishi Sunak
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Tunisia's political crisis
NIAS Africa Team
Tunisia’s political crisis: Five questions
NIAS Africa Team
Tribal conflict in Blue Nile: Causes and Implications
STIR Team
Geopolitics of Semiconductors
Padmashree Anandhan
France: Uber files leak, and Macron’s trouble
Emmanuel Selva Royan
Italy: Three factors about its current political instability
NIAS Africa Team
Sudan-Ethiopia border tensions and a profile of Blaise Compaoré
NIAS Africa Team
Africa’s continuing migration problem: Three issues
STIR Team
China in Space: Shenzhou-13 and Tiangong
NIAS Africa Team
Africa’s displacement crises: Three key drivers
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Into the Sixth Decade of African Unity
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Communal Tensions in Ethiopia
Padmashree Anandhan
What does Macron's victory mean for France and the EU
Rishma Banerjee
The rise of Marine Le Pen
Sourina Bej
Four challenges ahead for President Macron
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Mali ends defence ties with France
GP Team
New US assistance for Ukraine
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | UK-Rwanda asylum deal
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Africa, Russia, and the War in Ukraine
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Political Crisis in Tunisia
GP Team
Russia's gas ultimatum to Europe
IPRI Team
30 days of War in Ukraine
NIAS Africa Team
60 years of Algerian independence
IPRI Team
Sri Lanka’s worsening economic crisis
NIAS Africa Team
In Focus: Libya
IPRI Team
The end of Denmark’s Inuit experiment
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS | Europe and Africa: Will AU and EU be equal partners?
Anu Maria Joseph
Europe and Africa: Will AU and EU be equal partners?
Ashwin Immanuel Dhanabalan
Lecture report: Ukraine, Russia and Europe
Joeana Cera Matthews
Into History: Northern Ireland and Bloody Sunday, 50 years later
Nireekshan Bollimpalli
Africa’s slow COVID vaccination continues. Four reasons why
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS: Conflict over the Nile Dam
NIAS Africa Team
IN FOCUS: Instability in Burkina Faso
Padmashree Anandhan
Munich Security Report: Six takeaways
Joeana Cera Matthews
Europe and Africa: An elusive search for an equal partnership
Ashwin Immanuel Dhanabalan
Femicides in Europe: The case of France
Padmashree Anandhan
Post Brexit: Three challenges in Northern Ireland
Porkkodi Ganeshpandian and Angkuran Dey
The return of the Left
Ashwin Immanuel Dhanabalan
Lithuania and China: Vilnius has become Beijing’s Achilles heel. Four reasons why
Mohamad Aseel Ummer
Africa: The anti-France sentiments in Mali and beyond
Shalini Balaiah
The Middle East in 2021: Never-ending wars and conflicts
Angelin Archana
Russia in 2021: Expanding boundaries
Prakash Panneerselvam
East Asia in 2021: New era of hegemonic competition
Apoorva Sudhakar
Coup in Burkina Faso: Five things to know
Joeana Cera Matthews
In Europe, abortion rights are "a privilege." Four reasons why
Padmashree Anandhan
Mapping COVID-19 protests in Europe: Who and Why
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Pakistan, US and Russia: Putin Online, Biden Offline
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
The unrest in Kazakhstan: Look beyond the trigger
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Deepening Pakistan-Russia ties
D. Suba Chandran
Justice Ayesha: Breaking the Legal Ceiling
Ankit Singh
Pakistan's Judiciary in 2021
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Same Page Story: Civil-Military Relations in 2021
D. Suba Chandran
Pakistan's Foreign Policy in 2021
Ankit Singh
Pakistan’s economy in 2021: Major highlights
Ankit Singh
Pakistan and the Asian Development Bank
Apoorva Sudhakar
The PDM is back, again
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Qureshi’s visit to Brussels: Three takeaways
GP Team
The Complete Compendium for 2021
GP Team
The Americas in 2021
GP Team
Europe in 2021
GP Team
Middle East and Africa in 2021
GP Team
South Asia in 2021
Apoorva Sudhakar
Protests in Gwadar: Four major highlights
Ankit Singh
Mini budget, IMF and a contemporary puzzle.
Ankit Singh
Pappu Sain bids adieu to the world
Apoorva Sudhakar
Smog, pollution and more: Deteriorating air quality in Pakistan
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
PTI’s secret dealing with the TTP and TLP
Vaishnavi Iyer
France, Algeria, and the politics over an apology
Joeana Cera Matthews
NATO-Russia relationship: Looking beyond the suspensions and expulsions
D. Suba Chandran
PTI’s TLP flip-flop and a secret deal
Apoorva Sudhakar
The increasing curbs on digital media freedom in Pakistan
Padmashree Anandhan
Facebook's Metaverse: Why it matters to Europe
Joeana Cera Matthews
Poland, EU and PolExit. It is complicated, for three reasons
Harini Madhusudhan
Europe's Energy Crisis and Gazprom
D. Suba Chandran
TLP: The government caves in again
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
TLP is back again
Apoorva Sudhakar | Project Associate, School of Conflict and Security Studies, NIAS
Pakistan’s transgender community: The long road ahead
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Since January 2021: Why the US President has not called Pakistan’s Prime Minister so far?
Apoorva Sudhakar
No honour in honour killing
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
The Military Reshuffle: A strategic or routine decision?
D. Suba Chandran
Dr AQ Khan: Between a national hero and a nuclear proliferator
Apoorva Sudhakar
Rising child abuse in Pakistan: Five reasons why
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Hazara Persecution in Pakistan: No end in sight
D. Suba Chandran
Protests in Gwadar: Who and Why
Chetna Vinay Bhora
Europe's Energy Crisis: It could get worse. Five reasons why
STIR Team
Cover Story: War against Malaria
Aswathy Koonampilly
Japan: New Prime Minister, Old party
GP Team
Europe's Energy Crisis
STIR Team
The Science and Politics of Materials
Sourina Bej
France: Paris Terror Trial
Harini Madhusudan
Belarus: Weaponization of the Migrant Crisis
Juan Mary Joseph
Attacks on Chinese Investments in Pakistan: Who, Where And Why?
Joeana Cera Matthews
Haiti: Two months after the assassination, the storm is still brewing
Joeana Cera Matthews
From Crimea to Navalny: Putin's calibrated Europe strategy
Joeana Cera Matthews
Nord Stream-2: Why is the region unhappy about the pipeline?
Lokendra Sharma
Two months of Cuban protests: Is the ‘revolution’ ending?
GP Team
The New Afghanistan
STIR Team
Climate Change and Energy Options
Apoorva Sudhakar
Digital Pakistan: Idea, Potential and Challenges
Anu Maria Joseph
South Africa: What is behind the pro-Zuma protests?
Dincy Adlakha
China and Russia in Myanmar: The interests that bind
Sarthak Jain
Nord Stream 2 is Russia’s geopolitical victory
Jeshil J Samuel
REvil is dead. Long live REvil
STIR Team
Space Tourism
Keerthana Rajesh Nambiar
The EU Summit 2021: Five Takeaways
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Impending famine in Tigray, should make Ethiopia everyone's problem
Anu Maria Joseph
Too late and too little is Ethiopia's international problem
Sankalp Gurjar
Africa's Ethiopia Problem
Apoorva Sudhakar
Ethiopia's Tigray problem is Tigray's Ethiopia problem
Lokendra Sharma
The future of nuclear energy looks bleak
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Five reasons why Afghanistan is closer to a civil war
Mohamad Aseel Ummer
Migration in Africa: Origin, Drivers and Destinations
Dincy Adlakha
The new three-child policy is two decades too late
Dincy Adlakha
Loud Echoes of the National Security Law in China
Joeana Cera Matthews
Farfetched goals on pandemic recovery, climate action and economic revival
STIR Team
Rare Earths and the Global Resource Race
SDP Scholar
The Rise and Reign of Ransomware
Gurpreet Singh
India and the geopolitics of supply chains
Chetna Vinay Bhora
Spain, Morocco and the rise of rightwing politics in Europe over immigration
Vibha Venugopal
The return of Taliban will be bad news for women
Udbhav Krishna P
Revisiting the recent violence: Three takeaways
Joeana Cera Matthews
For the Economist, Taiwan is the most dangerous place. The argument is complicated
Apoorva Sudhakar
15 of the 23 global hunger hotspots are in Africa. Three reasons why
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
The US decision to withdraw is a call made too early. Three reasons why
Lokendra Sharma
Learning from Cuba's vaccine development efforts
V S Ramamurthy and Dinesh K Srivastava
An energy mix of renewables and nuclear is the most viable option
Lokendra Sharma
Deadly second wave spirals into a humanitarian disaster
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
The US-Taliban Deal: One Year Later
Akriti Sharma
The Quad Plus and the search beyond the four countries
Apoorva Sudhakar
India's Endgames, Roles and Limitations in Quad
Sukanya Bali
Tracing the Quad's evolution in the last two decades
Apoorva Sudhakar
Ethiopia: Five fallouts of the military offensive in Tigray
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Afghanistan: The recent surge in targeted killing vs the troops withdrawal
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
In Honduras, a move towards a permanent ban on abortion laws
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Civilian protests vs military: Three factors will decide the outcome in Myanmar
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Trump’s Climate Change legacy: Disruption and Denial
Apoorva Sudhakar
Trump’s Iran legacy: Maximum pressure, minimum results
N Manoharan and Drorima Chatterjee
Five ways India can detangle the fishermen issue with Sri Lanka
IPRI Team
Coup in Myanmar and Protests in Russia
D Suba Chandran
The PDM differences, Gwadar fencing, and Lakhvi's arrest
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Nagorno-Karabakh: Rekindled fighting, Causalities and a Ceasefire
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Thailand: For the pro-democracy protests, it is a long march ahead
Harini Madhusudan
Brexit: A year of the UK-EU transition talks and finally, a Deal
Apoorva Sudhakar
Ethiopia: The conflict in Tigray and the regional fallouts
Aparaajita Pandey
The Americas: Top Five Developments
Teiborlang T Kharsyntiew
Europe: Top five developments
Sandip Kumar Mishra
East Asia: Top Five developments in 2020
Harini Madhusudan
Outer Space in 2020: Missions, Privatization, and the Artemis Accords
Sukanya Bali
5G, Huawei and TikTok: Four trends in 2020
Sumedha Chatterjee
COVID-19: How the world fought in 2020
Harini Madhusudan
The Vaccine Rush: Expectations vs Realities
Harini Madhusudan
Open Skies Treaty: The US should not have withdrawn, for five reasons
Savithri Sellapperumage
Kamala Harris makes history
Mallika Devi
China is against the Quad. Five reasons why
Srikumar Pullat
Space of Tomorrow: The Need for Space Security
Tamanna Khosla
Japan: New Prime Minister, Old Challenges
Vaishali Handique
Not just regime change: Women and protest movements in Sudan
Sneha Tadkal
Technology in contemporary global protest movements
Chavindi Weerawansha
Students as agents of change: Protest movements in Zimbabwe
Anju Annie Mammen
“Unveiling”: Women and protest movements in the Middle East
Harini Madhusudan
‘The Revolution of Our Times’: Protests in Hong Kong
Samreen Wani
Lebanon: Can Macron's visit prevent the unravelling?
Harini Madhusudan
The Legacy of Shinzo Abe. It is Complicated.
Boa Wang
Two Sessions in Beijing
Boa Wang
How China fought the COVID-19
N. Manoharan
Is COVID-19 a Bio-weapon from China?
Prof PM Soundar Rajan
Is there an overlap of 5G Networks and COVID hotspots?
Rashmi Ramesh
Will COVID-19 provide a new agenda to the NAM?
Harini Madhusudan
Iran's New Military Satellite: Does it violate the UNSC 2231?
Jenice Jean Goveas
Epidemics through History
Sanduni Atapattu
Preventing hatred and suspicion would be a bigger struggle
Chavindi Weerawansha
A majority in the minority community suffers, for the action of a few
Chrishari de Alwis Gunasekare
The Cardinal sermons for peace, with a message to forgive
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Who and Why of the Perpetrators
Natasha Fernando
In retrospect, where did we go wrong?
Ruwanthi Jayasekara
Build the power of Co-existence, Trust, Gender and Awareness
N Manoharan
New ethnic faultlines at macro and micro levels
Asanga Abeyagoonasekera
A year has gone, but the pain has not vanished
Jenice Jean Goveas
In India, the glass is half full for the women
Fatemah Ghafori
In Afghanistan, there is no going back for the women
Lakshmi V Menon
The decline in terrorism in Pakistan in 2019
Rashmi Ramesh
The EU and the Arctic: The interest is not mutual. Why?
Rashmi Ramesh
Iceland, Denmark and Norway: Small is Big in the Arctic
Harini Madhusudan
The Non-Arctic powers: Interests of Japan and South Korea
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Malaysia: New PM, Old Challenges
Lakshmi V Menon
Pakistan to remain “Grey”; North Korea and Iran in “Black”
Rashmi Ramesh
Trump's India Visit: Optics, Substance and Rhetoric
Kabi Adhikari
The controversial MCC Nepal Compact
Malini Sethuraman
ISIS post Baghdadi: Will there be another Caliphate in 2020?
Aarathi Srinivasan
Climate Change: The Economy of the Indian Ocean Region in 2020
Prathiksha Ravi
Israel and the Middle East: The New Alliance Plans in 2020
Padmini Anilkumar
Middle East: The Return of Russia in 2020
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Sudan and Algeria: Road to Democracy in 2020
Lakshmi V Menon
Syria: ISIS Decline, US Retreat and the Return of Russia in 2020
Harini Madhusudan
The US-China Trade Dispute: Towards further disruptions in 2020
Parikshith Pradeep
The US under Donald Trump: The Fall of an Empire in 2020
Vivek Mishra
After Soleimani assassination: Options for the US
Sukanya Bali
Iran, Iraq and the US: Who wants what?
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Old problems to persist with no solutions in the near term
Aashiyana Adhikari
Indian and Chinese investments in Nepal: Managing asymmetry
Shailesh Nayak | Director, National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS)
Blue Economy and India: An Introduction
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
North Africa in 2019: A year of protests, with some positive results
Sukanya Bali
Hong Kong in 2019: China's New Achilles Heel
Harini Madhusudan
The US-China Trade Dispute in 2019: Towards a thaw in 2020?
Parikshith Pradeep
The US in 2019: Trump rollsout a template for a global American retreat
Rashmi Ramesh
The Arctic Littorals: Iceland and Greenland
Harini Madhusudan
The Polar Silk Route: China's ambitious search in the Arctic
GP Team
Syria: Who wants what?
Harini Madhusudan
Violence in Hong Kong: Will the protests end?
Rashmi Ramesh
Is Catalonia Spain’s Hong Kong?
D. Suba Chandran
Why an Arctic foray is essential for India
Parikshith Pradeep
Russia's Polar Military Edge
Nidhi Dalal
Protests rock Chile, Bolivia and Haiti
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Will prosecuting Suu Kyi resolve the Rohingya problem?
Lakshman Chakravarthy N & Rashmi Ramesh
Climate Change: Four Actors, No Action
Sukanya Bali
Brexit: Preparing for the Worst Case
Lakshman Chakravarthy N
5G: A Primer
Rashmi Ramesh
From Okjökull to OK: Death of a Glacier in Iceland
Sukanya Bali
Challenges before Boris Johnson
Parikshith Pradeep
The Hong Kong Protests: Who wants what
Harini Madhusudan
The Hong Kong Protests: Re-defining mass mobilization
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
ASEAN Outlook on the Indo Pacific: Worth all the Hype?
Mahesh Bhatta
Monsoons first, Floods next and the Blame Games follow
Titsala Sangtam
Counting Citizens: Manipur charts its own NRC
Vivek Mishra
Can Hedging be India’s Strategy?
Lakshmi V Menon
Amidst the US-Iran standoff, Saudi Arabia should be cautious
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer
For Russia, it was big power projection
Harini Madhusudan
For China, it was trade and a temporary truce
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
For Japan, it was commerce and climate change
Sourina Bej
For the US, it was trade, tariff and talks
Titsala Sangtam
Iran, US and the Nuclear deal: Europe in the middle?
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Modi's Colombo Visit: Four issues to watch
Raakhavee Ramesh
Higher than the Himalayas: Pakistan and China
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Across the Himalayas: Nepal and China
Mahath Mangal
The Russian Resurgence: Is the US supremacy waning?
Mahath Mangal
San Francisco wants to ban, Kashgar wants to expand
Jerin George
Espionage or Investigative Journalism?
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
The Huawei Controversy: Five things you need to know
Mahath Mangal
Why the world needs to look at Yemen
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
The Central Asia Connector
Harini Madhusudan
An Under-represented East Asia
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer
Africa Embraces the Belt and Road
Sourina Bej
It’s Europe vs EU on China
Abigail Miriam Fernandez
Sudan: Between Democracy and another military rule
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer
Responses and Inspiring Lessons
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Thailand: Between Elections and Instability
Sourina Bej
Two Sessions in 2019: Four Takeaways
Lakshmi V Menon
The End of ISIS Caliphate?
Harini Madhusudan
For China, its a sigh of relief
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
For Vietnam, its a big deal
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer
For Japan, No Deal is Good Deal
Sourina Bej
For South Korea, a costly disappointment
Harini Madhusudan
No deal is better, but isn't it bad?
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
The Other Conflict in Rakhine State
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer
Yemen: Will Sa'nna fall?
Harini Madhusudan
Sinicizing the Minorities
GP Team
US, South Korea and Thailand
Lakshmi V Menon
The Qatar Blockade: Eighteen Months Later
GP Team
Yemen, Venezuela and US-China
Sourina Bej
Maghreb: What makes al Shahab Resilient?
Harini Madhusudan
US-China Trade War: No Clear Winners
Abhishrut Singh
Trump’s Shutdown: Five Things to Know
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Myanmar: Will 2019 be better for the Rohingya?
D. Suba Chandran
Bangladesh: The Burden of Electoral History
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer
US and China: Between Confrontation and Competition
Mahesh Bhatta | Centre for South Asian Studies, Kathmandu
Nepal
Nasima Khatoon | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS
The Maldives
Harini Madhusudan | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS
India
Sourina Bej | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS
Bangladesh
Seetha Lakshmi Dinesh Iyer | Research Associate, ISSSP, NIAS
Afghanistan
Harini Madhusudan
China and Japan: Renewing relations at the right time
Sourina Bej
The INF Treaty: US withdraws to balance China?
Harini Madhusudan
The Khashoggi Killing: Unanswered Questions
Lakshmi V Menon
US and Israel: Trump's Deal of the Century
Nasima Khatoon
The New Maldives: Advantage India?
Harini Madhusudhan
To NAFTA or Not: Trump, Mexico and Canada
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Malaysia’s China Moment: The Mahathir Gamble
Sourina Bej
BIMSTEC: A Bay of Good Hope?
Young Scholars Debate
India, Imran Khan and Indo-Pak Relations
Siddhatti Mehta
Does Brexit mean Brexit?
Oishee Majumdar
Factsheet: China’s Investments in Africa
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
The 8888 Uprising: Thirty Years Later
Harini Madhusudhan
The Tariff War: 'Stick of Hegemony' vs Vital Interests
Druta Bhatt
FactSheet: Shangri La Dialogue 2018
Rahul Arockiaraj
Immigrants as the “Other”: The Social and Economic Factors in the US
Divyabharathi E
Is Trump-Putin Summit a setback for the US?
Apoorva Sudhakar
India and Bangladesh: The Long Haul
Divyabharathi E
Quad as an alternative to the BRI: Three Main Challenges
Oishee Majumdar
FactSheet: India-Bangladesh Relations
D. Suba Chandran
Trump meets Putin; will it cost NATO?
Sourina Bej
Trump and the NATO: One Block, Different Views
Gayan Gowramma KC
Now, the United States withdraws from the UNHRC
Siddhatti Mehta
Will China be able to sustain its Dominance?
Aparupa Bhattacherjee
Myanmar: Why won't they do anything for the Rohingya?
Harini Madhusudan
The Idea of an US Space Force: Strategic Calculations
Apoorva Sudhakar
Afghan Peace: Reality or Illusion?
Hely Desai
Looking beyond Trump: Is the US declining?
Manushi Kapadia
Is China using its soft power to become superpower?
Lakshmi. V. Menon
Middle East: Has Russia chosen Israel over Iran?
Miti Shah
G7: Why Trump wants Russia in?
Hely Desai
FactSheet: G7 Summit
Siddhatti Mehta
The Panmunjom Declaration: “Tip of the Iceberg”
Druta Bhatt
Iran N-Deal and the Trans-Atlantic Divide
Manushi Kapadia
US and China: Towards a Trade War
Miti Shah
Palestine: US triggers new tensions
Divyabharathi E
The "Indo-Pacific Command": What's in the name?
Harini Madhusudan
Trump’s Tariff Strategy: Targetting Adversaries and Allies
Hely Desai
Trump-Kim Summit: Three Likely Outcomes
Apoorva Sudhakar
The Lebanon Pawn: Will it change after elections?
Lakshmi V Menon
Israel, the Game Changer?
Samreen Wani
Deciphering Turkey's External Push
Divyabharathi E
China and Russia: The New Alignments
Ann Maria Shibu
Can India afford to lose Maldives to China?
Dhruv Ashok
Why Maldives is important to China?
Lakshmi V Menon
ISIS and the Yazidi victims: Why the World should stand up?
Harini Madhusudan
US- China Tariff Face-off : Five questions
Jamyang Dolma
Why is Free Tibet important for India
Divyabharathi E
Arctic: The Strategic Significance
Lakshmi V Menon
Do we need the Quad?
Samreen Wani
Why Trump’s Iran exit is a big mistake?
Jamyang Dolma
Inter Korean Summit: Will it work?
Dhruv Ashok
The Fishermen Issue between India and Sri Lanka
Apoorva Sudhakar
Bangladesh's Economy: Decoding a Success Story
Ann Maria Shibu
Why India should not pull out of the Indus water treaty?
Divyabharathi E