The United States has confirmed that 3,000 North Korean troops are deployed in Russia’s war with Ukraine and South Korean intelligence suspects another 10,000 will be deployed by December. North Korea’s strategic decision to support Russia in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine is based on a mix of transactional interests and deeper political calculations. As … Read more
After the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the concept of a new world order emerged, emphasizing multilateral diplomacy, democratic principles and human rights. The United States and the European Union have worked together to establish an economic framework focused on open markets, global trade, a climate-friendly economy, and … Read more
Day of the Dead in Mexico City – crowds, floats and masses of ornate dancers fill the streets to the sound of blaring drums and horns. Amid this spectacle of skulls, one wonders if there is anything more evocative of the Mexican nation. But we find a problem; Mexico City only hosted its first parade … Read more
The Chagos Archipelago is an isolated, mostly uninhabited group of approximately 60 atolls scattered across the Indian Ocean. The largest of these, Diego Garcia, is home to one of the most secret and strategically important US military bases in the entire Indo-Pacific region. The base and the islands have a notorious past. After being colonized … Read more
We are in the year and month of 37th anniversary of the release of the fairy tale film “The Princess Bride”. Who is Dread Pirate Roberts and could he really be nearly 70 years old, like some of our other great teen idols from the 1970s and 1980s? Or, are some of our great film … Read more
In August 2024, Brazil and China celebrated the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations. These are arguably the two largest economies on the western and eastern sides of the Global South respectively. And although the relationship has not always been extremely meaningful, over the past two decades the two countries have found ways to deepen … Read more
Bangladesh finds itself at a crossroads in its political landscape, marked by contradictions and potential for transformation. In this context, the recent overtures of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) towards India are not mere diplomatic gestures but represent a critical turning point in the party’s quest for identity, authority and national unity. This commentary seeks … Read more
Soft power is a notoriously difficult term to understand, meaning it is often misinterpreted and misused. The concept is often equated with cultural power, the appeal of a country to foreign audiences in the form of lifestyle, cuisine, fashion, music, cinema, etc. Although reductive, this interpretation reaches the general public. More specifically, Joseph Nye, the … Read more
2025 marks the 60thth anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea (now South Korea). As this date approaches, so does the opportunity to reflect on bilateral relations between Tokyo and Seoul. The end of the Asia-Pacific War did not result in a peaceful reconstruction of … Read more
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is in trouble. For commentators and observers of the Court, one crisis seems to lead to another, with the result that the field of international criminal justice has been described as being in “perpetual crisis.” After a brief “revitalization” of the Court due to its rapid response to Russia’s large-scale … Read more