Geopolitical Futures

War and peace. China will not join the Swiss peace conference on Ukraine due to significant differences between the summit’s conditions and China’s demands, as well as global expectations. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said a peace conference on Ukraine should involve both Russia and Ukraine, ensure equal participation and consider all peace plans. Meanwhile, Germany […]

From the war in Ukraine, instability in the Middle East, and the potential for conflict in the Pacific, the U.S. military is involved to a certain degree in a...

Death and taxes. Russia is planning tax hikes to help pay for its protracted war in Ukraine. The corporate tax rate will increase to 25 percent from 20 percent,...

South Africans go to the polls this week in one of the most significant elections in a generation. A leading power in Sub-Saharan Africa, they find themselves balanced between their BRICS membership and close cultural and economic ties to the West. Analyst Ronan Wordsworth joins host Christian Smith for a discussion on South Africa’s role in global geopolitics and the potential impacts of the election.

Trespassers. The president of the Philippines raised serious concern about China’s new policy of detaining “foreign trespassers” in the South China Sea, including the portion within Manila’s exclusive economic...

Russian defense. Russia and Belarus began a joint air drill on Monday, part of efforts to improve air defense systems and coordination. Relatedly, the head of the FSB’s border...