International and Foreign

Two side by side photographs. The first shows China's President Xi Jinping shaking hands with Czech Republic's President Milos Zeman. The second shows Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vucic and China’s President Xi Jinping walking side by side. Both images have the corresponding country flags lined in a row behind them.

The Noxious Nexus of Money and Politics Takes Another Turn in Central and Southeastern Europe

A Forbes-listed billionaire’s China-fueled deals illustrate the potential security threats of media and telecom capture by authoritarians.

Mar. 18, 2021 Richard Kraemer and Albin Sybera

Saudi-backed government troops repel a Huthi rebel offensive on oil-rich Marib, some 120 kilometres (75 miles) east of Yemen's rebel-held capital Sanaa, on February 14, 2021. The photo shows one vehicle with a large weapon passing a person running away. The vehicle kicks up a lot of dust causing low visibility.

The Fight for Marib Threatens Millions of Lives in Yemen

Today, one of the most alarming, and under-appreciated, humanitarian issues in Yemen is the escalation of conflict in the governorate of Marib.

Mar. 17, 2021 Scott Paul

Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission and representatives of the Three Seas Initiative (3SI or TSI) takes part in a TSI Summit, on September 18, 2018 at the Cotroceni Palace, the Romanian Presidency headquarters in Bucharest. Delegates sit around a large round table, and press can be seen taking photos and video behind many of the delegates.

Safeguarding Democracy Among Eastern Europe’s Three Seas

With EU and US help, the Three Seas Initiative can resist Russia's and China's designs on the region by promoting transparency, prosperity, and development.

Mar. 17, 2021 Tsvetan Tsvetanov and Pavel Valnev

Farmers in India protest against new harmful farming laws while Indian paramilitary soldiers watch them behind barricades on December 13, 2020 at the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border in Ghaziabad, India.

In India, US Defense Secretary Austin Must Not Overlook Its Democratic Decline

The Indian government’s pattern of repressive actions could undermine its value as a strategic partner in the Indo-Pacific region.

Mar. 16, 2021 Allie Funk and Amy Slipowitz

Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapakse and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, neither who wear face masks, are surrounded by others, many who wear face masks, as they leave the new cabinet swearing-in ceremony at the Buddhist Temple of the Tooth in the ancient hill capital of Kandy, some 116 km from Colombo on August 12, 2020.

When War Criminals Run the Government: Not Too Late for the International Community to Vet Sri Lankan Officials

Developing such a list of individuals would signal to survivors some measure of recognition of the atrocities they have suffered.

Mar. 16, 2021 Sondra Anton and Tyler Giannini

office, Dragan Covic, addresses the media after voting, in Mostar, on October 7, 2018, as Bosnia and Herzegovina holds it's general elections.

Is the US Doubling Down on Division in Bosnia and Herzegovina?

A dangerously misguided policy embracing a nefarious election gambit threatens Joe Biden's otherwise proud legacy dating to the 1990s war.

Mar. 15, 2021 Kurt Bassuener and Valery Perry

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg leaves a joint press conference with Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern at Parliament in Wellington on August 6, 2019.

Flexible Partnerships Can Help Make NATO Fit for Purpose

As the US focuses more on domestic issues and challenges in the Asia-Pacific, other members and European partners will need to step up..

Mar. 12, 2021 Steven Keil and Sophie Arts

President Jovenel Moise sits at the Presidential Palace during an interview with AFP in Port-au-Prince, October 22, 2019.

In Haiti’s Political Crisis, US Should Support Democracy and Human Rights

Activists say the Biden administration should reverse its support of President Moïse's illegal, abusive rule and consult civil society on a way ahead.

Mar. 11, 2021 Pierre Espérance and Rosy Auguste Ducéna

An Aerostar medium altitude long endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle manufactured by AZAD Systems, joint venture between Azerbaijan and Israel, takes part in a military parade marking the end of the Nagorno Karabakh military conflict on December 10, 2020 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Potential Gains for Israel After Azerbaijan’s Victory in Nagorno-Karabakh

Benefits might include geopolitical positioning vis-a-vis Iran, more transparent ties with Azerbaijan, maybe even strengthened diplomacy with Armenia.

Mar. 10, 2021 Daniel Edelstein

A graphic illustration of Germany with a triangular grid pattern symbolizing virtual connections.

Germany’s Positions on International Law in Cyberspace Part II

Germany issues major statement on use of force and International Humanitarian Law in cyberspace, analyzed here by leading expert Professor Michael Schmitt.

Mar. 10, 2021 Michael Schmitt

Empty vials that contained a dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine against the COVID-19 coronavirus lie on a table as South Africa proceeds with its inoculation campaign at the Klerksdorp Hospital on February 18, 2021.

Fair Shots for All: At WTO, US Must Prioritize Vaccine Access for Lower-Income Countries Over Drug Company Profits

The World Trade Organization this week will discuss a South Africa-India proposal to waive intellectual property rights on vaccines to expand production.

Mar. 9, 2021 Joanne Lin and Deniz Yüksel

The State Council building in downtown Beirut on Oct. 29, 2019 as seen from a distance at the height of protests against Lebanon's ruling class. Banners unfurled from its windows contain pro-revolutionary slogans.

“Red Lines” in Beirut Blast Investigation: How Exactly Lebanese Politicians Escape Accountability

The effort to investigate and hold accountable those responsible for last summer's deadly explosion in Beirut reveals the convoluted system of impunity constructed by the Lebanese…

Mar. 9, 2021 Tess Graham and Elena Hodges