Ruling the World: The Kremlin’s attempt to seize global power during the Cold WarBy Sergei RadchenkoCambridge University Press, 2024 It turns out that Sergei Radchenko’s book, a work that took years to write, reached the reader in the third year of Russia’s war against Ukraine. To summarize the idea of the book in a few … Read more
The war in Ukraine profoundly affects the future of Germany and Europe. But one thing is certain: there will be a tomorrow. Since war tends to escalate to extremes, it must be politically contained with the aim of ending it as soon as possible and preventing it in the future. This is particularly relevant when, … Read more
German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall clearly states on its website that it is taking responsibility in a changing world. Gesturing towards the Turning point (“historical turning point”) in German politics after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, this “changing world” marks a radical change in Germany’s traditionally retained military posture. Just three days after the invasion, the … Read more
The discourse around resilience, particularly in postcolonial contexts, reveals a series of tensions and contradictions in its conceptualization and application. A critical examination of engagements with “local” resilience practitioners in South Sudan highlights two problematic aspects inherent in current practices. First, the role of the “local” researcher or practitioner, ostensibly included to provide culturally specific … Read more
At the end of 2016, as his presidency was coming to an end, Barack Obama made a final trip to Berlin. Over a private dinner, he implored his longtime partner, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, to guide his international legacy — and the broader transatlantic partnership of liberal democracies — through the predictable turbulence of a … Read more
Podcast Thinking about the world – Simon Polinder Simon Polinder In this week’s episode of the Thinking Global podcast, Dr Simon Polinder chats with Kieran (@kieranjomeara) on the concept of love, how we can use love as a lens to think about international relations, fear versus love, love in the history of … Read more
Dr Karsten Friis is a research professor at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs. His research area is security and defense policy in Europe, with a focus on NATO, the Nordic region, the Arctic and transatlantic relations. He is a political scientist with a doctorate from the University of Groningen, Cand.polit. from the University of … Read more
Somaliland, a self-proclaimed nation in the Horn of Africa, prides itself on being a democratic state that holds regular elections and maintains stability in a tumultuous region. Subsequent Somaliland governments have intensified their attempts to gain global recognition by consistently emphasizing the region’s beneficial assets and unique position. However, human rights violations in Somaliland could … Read more
The new year begins with another development in the war between Ukraine and Russia, the gas war in Europe. Before Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia was the EU’s largest supplier of natural gas. The EU (and to a lesser extent the wider European bloc) has thus reduced Russia’s share of … Read more
The civilizational state project could lead to a global reorganization in which the influence of Western powers diminishes as India, China, and others rise.