Paige Aarhus, WP Review
Saakashvili ended his hunger strike on Nov. 20, after 50 days of starvation. Once beloved for his sweeping and ambitious reforms, the ex-president's fall from grace mimics Georgia's own rise and fall. Previously a shining example of democratic transformation, Georgia is now backsliding, and its citizens are increasingly divided on how to move forward. Saakashvili's tumultuous political life encompasses all of this, revealing the failures of pro-Western policies in post-soviet Europe. Читать дальше...
Michael Stott, Financial Times
Former student radical's recent pledges of moderation have not convinced everyone
Patricia Lewis, Chat. House
When deep in bilateral negotiations, usually one side may produce a draft treaty for the purposes of having text on which to negotiate or, in a multilateral negotiation, the chair or a group of trusted states may produce an attempt at a draft consensus text. In both cases, it is a stage in the negotiations to help focus minds and to move deliberations to the next stage, and normally the draft treaty will be drastically altered by the end of the process.
Anna Borshchevskaya, 1945
Thirty years after the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia is in the Middle East to stay, preserve its gains, and work where it can to increase influence without over-commitment. As the US continues to shift its priorities, Russia will find more opportunities to gain a foothold and its presence will cement further. Western absence allowed Russia to fill the vacuum and prop up dictators
Michael Bociurkiw, CNN
(CNN)As 2022 nears, the West is trying to figure out Russian President Vladimir Putin's next move on a complex geopolitical chessboard -- and preparing an "aggressive package" of sanctions, should he decide to make another land grab in Ukraine.
Thomas Duesterberg, WSJ
China is experiencing a slow-motion economic crisis that could undermine stability in the current regime and have serious negative consequences for the global economy. Despite the many warning signs, Western analysts and policy makers are optimistic that Xi Jinping is up to the task of managing the crisis. Such optimism is misplaced.
Michael Mazza, Newsweek
The People's Republic of China (PRC) is on the move in Central America. On Dec. 9, Nicaragua severed ties with Taiwan, switching its diplomatic allegiance to Beijing. That decision came close on the heels of the victory of leftist Honduran presidential candidate Xiomara Castro, who has
George Visan, Jamestown
Romania's maritime environment consists of the Danube River and the Black Sea. The river links the country to the sea providing an important trade connection with the rest of the continent as well as a natural frontier. Moreover, the Danube is crucial for Romania as it is one of the country's most important sources of energy. Romania's main interests in the Black Sea are ensuring peace and stability, freedom of navigation and energy security along with exploitation... Читать дальше...
Sam Leith, Spectator
thought the police statement — bureaucratic, anonymised, bone-dry - got the tone just right. In confirming the arrest of Piers Corbyn on suspicion of encouragement to commit arson, a spokesman confirmed only that 'a man in his 70s' had been arrested in Southwark, south London on Sunday morning.
Patrick Wack, ChinaFile
Shortly before the book's publication, Kodak published a selection of Wack's photographs on its Instagram account, only to remove them and apologize for the post when a storm of criticism from Chinese social media users and prominent government-backed media outlets attacked the post and Wack, accusing him of fabricating human rights violations for...
Fred Kaplan, Slate
What everyone is getting wrong about Putin's security proposal to the U.S.
