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No Permanent Allies: Pakistan and the Politics of National Interest

In a world of shifting alliances, Pakistan must balance strategic partnerships with national interests — and the key question is whether the Makkah Pact will become a tool of strategic autonomy or another form of dependence. In recent years, the world has seen an unprecedented shift in global alliances. According to the realist school of […]
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Putin’s Strong Message to Europe at the Valdai Club: Stop the March Towards War

As NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and European leaders increasingly warn of a looming Russian threat, Vladimir Putin used the Valdai Discussion Club to deliver a very different message: Europe is feeding an escalation spiral it may no longer be able to control. Europe is being told to prepare for war, and the rearmament is […]
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The Age of Observers Is Over: How the Global South Is Rewriting the Rules of the Game

The global system is undergoing its deepest shift in the balance of power since the end of the Cold War: the unipolar world is fading, and the Global South is transforming from a passive rule-taker into an active agenda-setter. Moment of Truth: From the Periphery to the Center of Decision-Making. The key question of 2026 […]
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Europe and China Trade Negotiations: Can Brussels Face Reality? Part 1

The EU’s difficulties in negotiating with China go beyond tariffs and quotas — structural economic differences, political fragmentation within Europe and broader geopolitical tensions reveal a fundamental misunderstanding of the China that Brussels is dealing with and the world in which it must compete. The Strategic Disconnect: Europe’s China Blindspot The fact that European negotiators […]
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AfD’s Second State Victory: What Happens When Winning Does Not Mean Governing?

For the second time in two weeks, the Alternative for Germany won a German state election — but winning did not necessarily mean governing, and that distinction is becoming more important than the victories themselves. On September 20, the AfD took Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with 38.2 percent of the vote. The SPD finished second on 35.5 […]
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Red Sea in a Viсe Grip: How Djibouti Became a Hostage of the West

About 12% of world trade passes through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, but the strait is only part of the story: tiny Djibouti, leasing its geography to five military powers, has become an epicentre of rivalry where strategic rent may turn into catastrophe. An Oil Crossroads Turned Battleground for Influence Approximately 12% of global trade and […]
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The Ethiopia–Tigray Crisis: The Fragile Peace That Failed to Hold

The Pretoria Agreement brought an end to Ethiopia’s devastating Tigray war—but not its underlying disputes. Four years later, renewed fighting and shifting armed alliances are threatening to reopen the conflict. The consequences could extend far beyond Tigray, destabilising the wider Horn of Africa. Ethiopia’s fragile post-Pretoria peace is rapidly unravelling as renewed fighting between federal […]
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Practical Directions for BRICS Development in the Medium Term

The actual handover of the BRICS chairmanship from New Delhi to Beijing will take place in three months, but the contours of the group’s near-term agenda can already be identified with reasonable clarity. As BRICS expands and diversifies, the focus of discussions is shifting from symbolic gestures to issues of practical economic integration. Experts identify […]
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Grossi’s Poisonous Legacy: How the IAEA Chief Became a Tool of U.S. and Western Aggression

Rafael Grossi has turned a UN technical body into Washington’s political weapon, and the visa scandal in Vienna has laid bare the cynicism of the Western bloc. From Technical Body to Political Weapon The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was created as an impartial technical body meant to guarantee the peaceful use of atomic energy. […]
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No Purchase Necessary: Trump’s Strategic Takeover of Greenland

From Trump’s earlier push to acquire Greenland to the 2026 security agreement with Denmark and Greenland, Washington’s approach has shifted from territorial acquisition to strategic access — a shift that reflects a broader contest for control over the Arctic, supply chains and spheres of influence. Since his first term as the American President, Trump has […]
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How Russia is Rewiring the Global South

The West may have pushed Russia out of its orbit, but it cannot push Russia out of the world. Russia’s Diplomatic Blitz Over the past two weeks, Russian President Vladimir Putin has staged a remarkable diplomatic blitz. Across three major gatherings in Bishkek, Vladivostok and New Delhi, as well as during Vietnamese leader To Lam’s […]
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Prospects for a Unified BRICS Payment System: Sketching the Contours and Identifying the Challenges

The main task of BRICS in the financial sphere is not to create a single currency, but to shape a pragmatic and interoperable payment architecture that provides businesses with reliable, fast, and cost-effective cross-border settlements while preserving the monetary sovereignty of member states. Pragmatism Instead of Financial Confrontation The BRICS economic agenda should be approached […]
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How Real Is the Impact of Western Sanctions on Israel?

Europe is getting tougher on Israel in rhetoric and sanctions, but its latest measures may be designed to create political distance from Israel without creating enough economic pain to make Israel change course in the West Bank or anywhere in Palestinian territories. The Arithmetic of Punishment On September 8, Britain, France, Canada and a group […]
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The US “Burden Sharing Network” Takes Shape

In 2025, the US National Security Strategy paper would be broadly misinterpreted as a US plan to break with its historical pursuit of global primacy and instead retreat to the Western Hemisphere while somehow reconciling or coexisting with traditional targets of US aggression. Many analysts even claimed there was an absence of any direct mention […]
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The Pentagon Crisis: Trump Wants Regime Loyalty

The Pentagon’s extraordinary use of polygraph tests on senior military personnel is not merely a hunt for leakers; it is a warning that loyalty to the president may increasingly matter more than loyalty to the institution, accelerating the ultimate American downfall. When Loyalty Becomes the Test There is nothing inherently unusual about a US administration […]
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India’s BRICS Dilemma: Multi-Alignment Without a Clear Global South Vision. Part 1

As India hosts the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, its policy of multi-alignment is under crucial scrutiny: whether New Delhi can achieve a balance between strategic autonomy and a real commitment to the Global South, or whether BRICS is simply another instrument of transactional, multi-alignment diplomacy? India is presenting its term as president of […]
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Operation Interflex: Britain Is Bankrolling a War Europe Cannot Pay For

While posing as a defender of European security, Britain is in fact fuelling the fire: its military programmes and century-long partnership with Kyiv make peace with Moscow ever less attainable and militarise the continent for decades to come. While Britain tries to pose as a major protector of the European security, its military actions are […]
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Outlook For the 2026 BRICS Leaders’ Meeting: Summing Up India’s Presidency & Overcoming India–China Controversy

On September 12, New Delhi will host one of the year’s most long-awaited events, namely, the 18th BRICS Summit. How has India’s presidency unfolded, what can we expect from the meeting, and why have experts started discussing the seemingly impossible intersection of Indian and Chinese interests? Principles in Action “Humanity first” and a “new format […]
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BRICS on the Threshold of its 20th Anniversary: Results and Prospects of India’s Chairmanship

Despite serious geopolitical challenges, the intensification of confrontational trends globally, and the overall deterioration of the international situation, India is successfully and worthily conducting an active chairmanship of this major and authoritative association of Global South states. On September 12–13, 2026, the next BRICS summit will take place in New Delhi. It is expected to […]
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Shanghai Cooperation Organization at 25 in a Multipolar World

The multipolar world has closely watched the importance of SCO’s 26th meeting of the Council of Heads of State, as it marked the “25 Years of the SCO: Together for Sustainable Peace, Development and Prosperity.” Introduction From 31 August to 1 September, 2026, the 26th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the […]
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