Turkey, Israel and Syria have been playing a complex tightrope act balancing their international ties and commitments, while keeping a wary eye on Russia’s imperialistic designs.
Ukraine Scenarios for Putin and the World

What kind of Russian occupation – as in Afghanistan? Iraq? Abkhazia? Chechnya? Imagining the day after a Russian conquest of Kyiv is not a pretty picture – also not for Vladimir Putin.
Tackling Migration by Fighting Corruption?

Why Middle Eastern and Northern African migrants see no future for themselves in their home countries.
Russia’s “Civilizational” Push into Africa

Putin’s post-Soviet world remains a work in progress, but Africa already looms.
Is Kazakhstan Russia’s Next Ukraine?

Former Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev may be the last barricade blocking a confrontation between Russia and Kazakstan.
Sayonara to Iran’s Arab militias?

Iranian support for Arab militias has long threatened Iran’s enemies. Now, the tide may be turning. The Iran-sponsored militias may be losing their usefulness for Iran.
China’s Belt and Road Initiative: Slowly Imploding?

The Chinese-dominated Pakistani port city of Gwadar — the crown jewel of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) — increasingly looks like a powder keg that has exploded.
Can We Pull Back From the Brink?

Religious and ethnic intolerance around the world threatens to spin out of control.
Dismantling Global Hindutava

The extremes of the political spectrum are crushing the political center and breeding radicalism
Comparing Textbooks: Even Afghanistan Scores Better Than Pakistan

Societal struggles and reform often take unexpected turns in vast swaths of land stretching from the Middle East into Central Asia.