After years of conflict, Timor-Leste turns peacemaker (February 8, 2025, United Nations)
During the turbulent early years of Timor-Leste’s independence, the UN was a constant presence, helping to maintain peace and stability. Twenty-four years on, the country has made the successful transition from a host nation for UN peacekeeping operations, to one that contributes to supporting missions elsewhere.
Cast in Cement: How the scandalous extradition of a prominent Uzbek businessman from the UAE is connected to the war among security forces in Tashkent (January 15, 2025, Novaya Gazeta)
Uzbekistan is currently witnessing one of the largest political scandals in its recent history. Amid an investigation involving high-ranking security officials implicated in an attempted assassination of former presidential press secretary Komil Allamjonov, the Prosecutor General’s Office announced the extradition of businessman Ulugbek Shadmanov from the UAE. Shadmanov is identified as the principal financier of a powerful group of security forces and a figure with strong ties to Russia.
Saudi Arabia and U.A.E. Tread Cautiously With Syria’s New Leaders (January 3, 2025, The New York Times)
The two Mideast powerhouses have been trying to block the rise of Islamist groups in the region for two decades. The rebel takeover in Damascus will test that approach.
Don’t Repeat in Syria the Mistakes of Afghanistan (January 2, 2025, Foreign Affairs) (Subscription required)
Syria’s new leaders have few models to follow in their quest to win international recognition. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the group that dislodged Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in early December, and outside governments alike can learn from a cautionary precedent: the Taliban’s 2021 return to power in Afghanistan.
Divided and militarized: Cyprus' role in Mediterranean's new Cold War (November 19, 2024, Daily Sabah)
Cyprus has often found itself the reluctant belle of the Eastern Mediterranean, a magnet for regional and global powers eager for diplomatic maneuvering – or, if that fails, a struggle for influence. As the island’s strategic allure intensifies, so does the parade of military alliances and geopolitical courtships, with Cyprus caught squarely at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
Central Asia should be West’s strategic focus (January 22, 2025, Lowy Institute: The Interpreter)
Central Asia used to be on the periphery of global diplomatic relations. However, Russia’s war in Ukraine catapulted the region up the agenda for the West. This focus is expected to intensify in the coming year.
The Hague Group: A New Alliance to Enforce Intl Law against Israel (February 1, 2025, The Palestine Chronicles)
Nine countries have announced the formation of The Hague Group to coordinate legal, diplomatic and economic measures against Israel’s violations of international law. The group aims to address the global supply chains enabling injustice, such as the production and shipment of advanced weaponry used against Palestinians.
Why China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea are more than just Axis of Evil 2.0 (February 3, 2025, Vox)
The cooperation between the four is hard to deny, and while some of these countries have been erstwhile friends since the Cold War, the relationship has certainly deepened since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But what does this “axis” actually stand for? Is it just an alliance of convenience or something deeper? And how will a new US administration, one that takes a much more transactional approach to foreign policy and is far less invested in promoting democracy abroad, deal with the quartet?
Hong Kong: “One country, two systems” is breaking down, but not yet dead (February 5, 2025, Lowy Institute - The Interpreter)
Hong Kong has never been a democracy. But, under the “one-country, two systems” framework, Beijing allowed the city to retain considerable political autonomy and freedoms, such as free speech and a free press. These freedoms are now being eroded under the NSL.
Beijing on the Cyprus Problem: One China, One Cyprus? (January 8, 2025, China Global South Project)
In recent years, the Chinese Ambassador to Cyprus has repeatedly suggested that China’s Global Security Initiative could be applied to help resolve the long-standing “Cyprus Problem.” This frozen conflict is rooted in the interethnic tensions and violence between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, exacerbated by British colonial policies.