ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

Major Geopolitical Tensions

Ukraine War: The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine continues to dominate the global stage, with far-reaching implications for energy prices, food security, and the broader geopolitical order.
US-China Relations: The complex relationship between the world's two largest economies remains fraught with tensions over trade, technology, and Taiwan.
Taiwan Strait: The potential for conflict between China and Taiwan is a constant source of global concern.
Middle East: The region continues to be a hotbed of instability, with issues such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Iran's nuclear program, and the ongoing civil war in Yemen.
Climate Change: The impacts of climate change are increasingly being felt around the world, leading to geopolitical tensions over resources, migration, and security.

Other Significant Developments

Global Economic Challenges: The world economy is facing a number of challenges, including inflation, supply chain disruptions, and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Geopolitical Realignments: The global order is undergoing a period of significant change, with the rise of new powers and the decline of traditional ones.
Democratic Backsliding: Concerns about democratic erosion and authoritarianism are on the rise in many parts of the world.

Key Regions to Watch

Europe: The war in Ukraine, energy security, and the future of the European Union are key issues.
Asia: The US-China rivalry, the Taiwan Strait, and North Korea's nuclear program are major concerns.
Middle East: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Iran's nuclear program, and the broader geopolitical dynamics of the region remain volatile.
Africa: Economic development, security, and governance challenges continue to plague many African countries.
Latin America: Political instability, economic inequality, and the rise of populism are key issues.

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Why States Still Use Barrel Bombs

Smoke ascends after a Syrian military helicopter allegedly dropped a barrel bomb over the city of Daraya on Jan. 31.(FADI DIRANI/AFP/Getty Images) Summary Barrel bombs are not especially effective weapons. They are often poorly constructed; they fail to detonate more often than other devices constructed for a similar purpose; and their lack of precision means they can have a disproportionate effect on civilian populations. However, combatants continue to use barrel bombs in conflicts, including in recent and ongoing conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, and they are ideally suited to the requirements of resource-poor states. Analysis Barrel bombs are improvised devices that contain explosive filling and shrapnel packed into a container, often in a cylindrical shape such as a barrel. The devices continue to be dropped on towns all over Syria . Indeed, there have been several documented cases of their use in Iraq over the past months, and residents of the city of Mosul, which was re

Russia Looks East for New Oil Markets

Click to Enlarge In the final years of the Soviet Union, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev began orienting his foreign policy toward Asia in response to a rising Japan. Putin has also piloted a much-touted pivot to Asia, coinciding with renewed U.S. interest in the area. A good expression of intent was Russia's hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in 2012 in Vladivostok, near Russia's borders with China and North Korea. Although its efforts in Asia have been limited by more direct interests in Russia's periphery and in Europe, Moscow recently has been able to look more to the east. Part of this renewed interest involves finding new export markets for Russian hydrocarbons. Russia's economy relies on energy exports, particularly crude oil and natural gas exported via pipeline to the West. However, Western Europe is diversifying its energy sources as new supplies come online out of a desire to reduce its dependence on Russian energy supplies . This has

LONDON POLICE INDIRECTLY ENCOURAGE CRIMINALS TO ATTACK RUSSIAN DIPLOMATIC PROPERTY

ILLUSTRATIVE IMAGE A few days ago an unknown perpetrator trespassed on the territory of the Russian Trade Delegation in London, causing damage to the property and the vehicles belonging to the trade delegation , Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during the September 12 press briefing. The diplomat revealed the response by the London police was discouraging. Police told that the case does not have any prospects and is likely to be closed. This was made despite the fact that the British law enforcement was provided with video surveillance tapes and detailed information shedding light on the incident. By this byehavior, British law inforcements indirectly encourage criminals to continue attacks on Russian diplomatic property in the UK. Zakharova’s statement on “Trespassing on the Russian Trade Mission premises in London” ( source ): During our briefings, we have repeatedly discussed compliance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, specif