Walter Hudson, The American Interest
Julian Jackson’s splendid biography captures the stubborn power of the statesman who willed postwar France into being, constructing a national identity that was both sovereigntist and cosmopolitan.
René Wildangel, ECFR
Germany will need to do some serious soul-searching if it is to effectively de-escalate the Iran crisis and revive the damaged nuclear agreement.
Bradley Thayer & Lianchao Han, The Hill
China’s recent deadly coronavirus outbreak, commencing in Wuhan in early December 2019 and rapidly spreading throughout the country and world, demonstrates that dictatorship can exacerbate a disaster, whether it is naturally occurring or manmade, such as the Soviet Sverdlovsk...
George Friedman, Geopolitical Futures
At the end of this week, the United Kingdom, the second-largest economy in Europe, will exit the European Union. Meanwhile, Poland is under intense attack by the bloc for violating EU regulations by attempting to limit the independence of Polish judges; Hungary is also under attack for allegedly violating the rule of law; and one of the major parties in Italy has toyed with the idea of introducing a parallel currency that would allow the country to manage... Читать дальше...
Saeid Jafari, Al Monitor
Iran’s powerful Guardian Council has purged many Reformists from the ranks of would-be candidates for the fast-approaching parliamentary elections, including many incumbents.
Robert Malley & Aaron David Miller, Politico
Whether this ends up really helping either Netanyahu or Trump is unclear, although that too is beside the point. The Trump team believes the plan will help their and Netanyahu’s campaigns, whether they are right in that regard or not. Some right-wing constituencies may balk at the suggestion that this could lead to a Palestinian state—although that would only occur...
Johanna Möhring, War on the Rocks
On the face of it, European security is taken seriously these days. Everything from Russian aggression, to migratory pressures, to terrorist attacks has jolted Western European leaders out of their post-Cold War complacency. The United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union, as well as Donald Trump’s arrival in the White House, further concentrated European minds. As a result, political leaders have reconfirmed NATO as prime provider and guarantor of security in Europe... Читать дальше...
Ghaith al-Omari, Washington Institute
The PA will likely limit itself to quick diplomatic thrusts in order to preempt Arab support and isolate Washington, but any Israeli annexation moves could trigger more drastic action.
Meir Buchnick, ToI
The only real deterrent to extending Israeli law to the Jordan Valley is public opinion, and the right and center are on board
Nicolas Pelham, 1843
was paying my bill at the hotel when they came. There were seven of them, stiff and formal in plain-clothes. “Mr Pelham?” asked the shortest one and presented me with a hand-written document in Farsi. “It’s been signed by a judge,” he said. “It entitles us to detain you for 48 hours.” He paused to allow the information to register on my face. “It might be less,” he added. “We just need you to answer a few questions.”
R. Donadio, Atlantic
A regional election offers lessons on combatting the rise of the far right, both across the Continent and in the United States.
A. Kluth, MT
The presidents of Russia and Poland apparently want to create the impression that the disease of anti-Semitism is somebody else’s problem.
Martin Wolf, Financial Times
“At last we are alone.” My father told me he heard these words from an elderly gentleman sitting beside him on the London Underground in June 1940, just after the fall of France. The same insularity animates Brexit. It was an illusion then — it was not the UK alone, but an alliance with greater powers that won the second world war. It is an illusion now. The UK will not be alone, but it will be lonelier.
James O'Malley, Spectator
This afternoon Boris Johnson finally approved the use of equipment made by Huawei in building parts of Britain’s 5G network. The decision is a long time coming, having initially been kicked into the long grass by Theresa May last year, but it is also important. The decision will have profound strategic implications for the UK for years to come.
Paul Goodman, Conservative Home
We admit defeat. This site isn’t usually shy of expressing a view on the issue of the day: we have this in common with other journals, MPs – and many of our readers. But we have to admit that the Huawei decision which Boris Johnson is set to make has us stumped.
James Andrew Lewis, CSIS
The United Kingdom is trying to finesse the Huawei problem by instituting a partial ban. Huawei equipment will be excluded from "sensitive" areas (such as around Whitehall or military bases) and its use confined to the "edge" of telecommunications networks. There is much debate over whether this partial ban is enough to mitigate the risk of using Huawei equipment, which the United Kingdom readily admits exists.
N. Habibi & H. Yue Zhu, The Diplomat
CPEC will significantly enhance China’s capacity to expand her economic and strategic relations with energy-rich Middle Eastern countries.
