Category: Politics & Diplomacy

The West must learn hard lessons from years of failed Russia policies

Following the end of World War II, the entire international community declared “never again” and began searching for ways to implement this motto in practice. Most people soon agreed that the key to securing a sustainable peace was to make war unprofitable by deepening international cooperation and economic inter-dependency. This led directly to the creation

Russia’s Ukraine invasion highlights the need for fundamental UN reform

Sanity prevailed at the UN this week when Russia failed to win a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council. However, this minor setback for the Kremlin cannot disguise the far deeper dysfunction within the UN that has been revealed by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ever since the invasion began in February 2022,

Live expertise: Get the latest insight on the Israel-Hamas war

“A 9/11 and a Pearl Harbor wrapped into one.” That’s how an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson described the events of October 7, when Hamas unleashed a complex surprise attack on Israel, killing hundreds and taking more than one hundred hostages. Israel is responding with an assault on the Gaza Strip, as fears mount of

Ukrainians fear becoming hostage to US political paralysis

The unprecedented removal of Kevin McCarthy as House speaker has thrust US politics into uncharted territory, while also sparking alarm across the Atlantic in Ukraine. The October 3 vote was preceded by heated debate over the latest proposed aid package for Ukraine, with opponents of continued US support for the Ukrainian war effort playing a

Dispatch from Jerusalem: How does this end?

JERUSALEM—The streets of Jerusalem near government offices were unnervingly quiet today. Intersections famous for being the sites of regular protests were empty. Nearby shops were closed. The halls of the foreign ministry were sparsely populated as diplomats worked in shifts and from home, both to manage the heavy workload already upon them and also as

Hezbollah’s assertive posture in south Lebanon places UNIFIL in a difficult position

The recent revelation that Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon has constructed a 3,937-feet (1,200-meter) asphalted runway at one of its military bases is the latest example of the party’s increasingly brazen pattern of behavior, especially in the southern border district where a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping force has been deployed for the past forty-five

Why Pakistan must side with Ukraine over Russia

When Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine began in early 2022, many did not anticipate that the courage and tenacity of the Ukrainian people would be able to hold out against Russian President Vladimir Putin, let alone put his regime on the defensive. But as the Ukrainians dug in and the democratic world rallied to their

Experts react: Zelenskyy faces down Washington roadblocks

Ukraine is winning. That was the message Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy brought to Washington, DC, today, first to Congress, then later to the White House where he sat down with US President Joe Biden. But he was also asking for help to finish the job. While the White House and many members of Congress from