D. Morgan-Owen, Strategy Bridge
Recalling the experience of working on the grand strategy volumes of the British Government’s official history of the Second World War, Sir Michael Howard remarked that “the editor never told me what Grand Strategy was, and none of my colleagues seem to have asked.” Finding no definition of the term, Howard was obliged to make up his own.[1] This conceptual uncertainty has been a feature of debates over grand strategy ever since. A recent exchange on Twitter encapsulated the problem. Читать дальше...
Jeremy Cliffe, New Statesman
How coronavirus is accelerating the emergence of a new geopolitical formation.
Dominique Moisi, ASPI Strategist
The Covid-19 pandemic is accelerating three fundamental geopolitical trends: the rise of Asia, the decline of the United States, and the strengthening of Germany within Europe. Combined, these shifts may well prefigure the world of 2030. But, before then, political leaders must overcome the current crisis—and not repeat the catastrophic errors of a century ago.
Francis Rooney, National Review
Der Spiegel
After the Allies defeated Germany and ended World War II in Europe in summer 1945, peace finally prevailed on the Continent. The Germans were beaten, desperate and ashamed, but also ready to get back to normal life following the trauma.
Paul Goble, Jamestown
The Russian government long assumed that Western sanctions on Iran would allow it to steal a march on the world by expanding its railroad connections to the south via the Islamic Republic while simultaneously ensuring that the South Caucasus remains a Moscow-dominated hub for both east-west and north-south rail transit (see EDM, February 20,
JoongAng Daily
The world is splintering over the coronavirus outbreak. Western society led by the United States is pitted against China, blaming it for the spread of the deadly virus.
Glen Fukushima, Japan Times
WASHINGTON – In the four months since the new coronavirus spread from China to become a global pandemic infecting over 3 million individuals and resulting in more than 200,000 deaths, each country has responded to the crisis in its own way, reflecting that society’s politics, economy, institutions, health care system, culture and values.
Henry Foy, Financial Times
Moscow has been criticised for failing to act quickly enough in a crisis that is sapping its oil-dependent economy
John Lim, Taipei Times
After accusing Taiwan of launching “personal attacks” and a “racist campaign” against him at a news conference on April 8, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus quickly stirred up another controversy over whether the WHO had ignored Taiwan’s warning at the end of last year about possible human-to-human transmission of the COVID-19 virus.
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Sabena Siddiqui, Al Monitor
Having seemingly contained the novel coronavirus within China, Beijing has now switched its focus to aid efforts globally on a fast-track basis — including providing masks, test kits, diagnostic and medical technology, other equipment and training facilities to many countries in the Middle East affected by the pandemic.
Read more:
Alberto Nardelli, Buzzfeed
This is not the first time that the EU foreign policy agency's handling of foreign interference has come under scrutiny.
Russia Matters
A majority of young Russians distrust NATO more than any other organization and disagree that Russia is a European country, according to a recent poll conducted by Russia’s independent Levada Center and Germany’s Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
Caitlin Flanagan, The Atlantic
My mantra used to be “Stage IV cancer! Could it get any worse?” Then it got worse.
George Friedman, Geopolitical Futures
Last week, I appeared on a Turkish TV station and spoke to a business group in Switzerland. The same question was the focus of both events: As a result of the coronavirus crisis, will China replace the U.S. as the leading power in the international system? It was a baffling question from my standpoint but the fact that two intelligent groups would raise it means it has to be understood or, if that is not possible, at least dissected.
