Central Asia

Daily Memo: Iraq Ends Its Political Stalemate, SCO Summit Begins

Geopolitical Futures - April 28, 2026

New PM-designate. Iraq’s top political bloc named businessman Ali al-Zaidi as its candidate for prime minister. The Coordination Framework, a coalition of Iran-aligned Shiite parties, had previously indicated it would support former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for the post, until the U.S. threatened to cut off aid to the country if it didn’t reconsider its choice. […]

Daily Memo: North Korea-Russia Ties, UAE Defense

Geopolitical Futures - April 27, 2026

Growing relationship. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un met separately with Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov and State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin in Pyongyang...

Daily Memo: French-Polish Nuclear Exercise, German Military Ambitions

Geopolitical Futures - April 23, 2026

Simulating nuclear war. Poland and France are preparing joint military exercises on NATO’s eastern flank that will include simulations of nuclear strike operations. French...

Daily Memo: Developments in the Middle East

Geopolitical Futures - April 22, 2026

Stalemate. U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s trip to Islamabad for peace talks with Iran was postponed indefinitely on Tuesday, reportedly because Tehran refused to...

Daily Memo: Iranian Divisions, Iraqi Politics

Geopolitical Futures - April 21, 2026

Growing gap. The Trump administration is reportedly increasingly uncertain about who’s in charge in Iran, putting prospects for a peace deal in jeopardy. The...

Daily Memo: Plans for Second Round of Peace Talks in Pakistan

Geopolitical Futures - April 20, 2026

Mixed reports. The Iranian government has not yet made a decision on whether it will participate in a second round of peace talks with...

Daily Memo: Putin’s Approval Ratings Take a Hit

Geopolitical Futures - April 17, 2026

Russian attitudes. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s approval rating continues to decline. According to a new poll by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center, 66.7...

Daily Memo: Lavrov Arrives in Beijing for Talks

Geopolitical Futures - April 14, 2026

Russia and China. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has arrived in China on an official visit. He’s scheduled to hold talks with Chinese Foreign...

Daily Memo: Ceasefire in Iran, Defense Changes in France

Geopolitical Futures - April 8, 2026

Pause in hostilities. The U.S. and Iran agreed on Tuesday to a two-week ceasefire. Under the plan, both Iran and Oman will be allowed...

Daily Memo: China Issues Peculiar Airspace Restrictions, Oil Cartel Raises Quotas

Geopolitical Futures - April 6, 2026

Unusual restrictions. China has imposed unusual airspace restrictions along parts of its coast from March 27 to May 6, covering zones from the Yellow...