ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

 Here are the key geopolitical developments for 2024: ## Oceans take geostrategic prominence The geopolitics of the oceans will feature more prominently in 2024. 90% of global goods trade is shipped via maritime routes, but many of the world's busiest maritime transit corridors are at risk of geopolitical disruption. Deep-sea mining is forecast to account for at least one-third of the supply of critical minerals necessary for the energy transition[1]. ## Countries race to innovate on and regulate AI Governments will race to regulate AI to reduce potential sociopolitical risks, while simultaneously trying to foster domestic AI innovation to compete geopolitically. AI will be a central dynamic in US-China relations in 2024[1]. ## Elections everywhere all at once Voters will go to the polls in markets accounting for about 54% of the global population and nearly 60% of global GDP in 2024, generating regulatory and policy uncertainty. The US and EU elections may be the most consequentia...

  Global News Roundup: July 3, 2024 Record-Breaking Heat Across the Globe July 3, 2024, marked the hottest day ever recorded globally, with the average temperature reaching 62.9 degrees Fahrenheit (17.2 degrees Celsius). This unprecedented heat wave has affected regions worldwide, including Quebec, Peru, and Beijing, causing health concerns, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly and young children. Scientists attribute these extreme temperatures to ongoing climate change, highlighting the urgent need for global climate action​ ( Ground News ) ​​ ( WORLD ) ​. France Continues to Face Unrest France remains in turmoil as protests sparked by the police killing of a French teenager continue. Riots have led to significant property damage and numerous arrests, with over 3,000 people detained so far. Despite a slight easing in violence, the French government has maintained a heightened police presence to restore order. This situation underscores the ongoing social an...

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, sp...

Click to see the full-size image TASS – some new products and promising developments in the field of domestic [Russian] shipbuilding and naval equipment The International Navy Show (INS) in St. Petersburg is rightfully one of the three largest world marine exhibitions of military materials. The main topics are shipbuilding, naval armament, combat control, navigation and communication systems, ship power engineering, naval aviation, fleet basing and support infrastructure and advanced technologies. A total of 353 participants, including 28 foreign companies from 19 countries, took part in INS 2019. In the open areas, at the mooring walls of the sea station and the waters of the Gulf of Finland, one could see all the new things that Russia’s military-industrial complex is proud of. Petr Kovalev/TASS There were a total of 17 ships, boats and vessels of the Russian Navy and the Border Service of the Federal Security Service of Russia, among them, the frigate of Project 2235...

Click to see full-size image On September 12 th , another round of disarming the “volunteer battalions” [mostly consisting of various Nazis and radicals] by Ukrainian authorities  began . Three formations surrendered their weapons at once – the battalion named after Sheikh Mansur, the OUN and the 8th battalion of the Ukrainian Volunteer Army. The police disarmed them under the leadership of Deputy Vyacheslav Abroskin, who was soon about to quit. The disarmament is presented as purely voluntary by the battalions, but in truth, these battalions aren’t organized by the government. They are essentially a sort of militant group, that’s not even a paramilitary contractor, since they’re more or less illegal. Thus,  it is likely that the “volunteer battalions” were offered something in return, since a possible conclusion of the settlement process in Donbass and successful “Normandy Four” talks would mean they are out of a job, but heavily armed. The official statement by...

Illustrative image, source: the Houthis media wing At least 30 Saudi-backed fighters were killed or injured on September 13 in a joint operation by the Yemeni Air Force and the Artillery Force, both allied with the Houthis , according to al-Masirah. “The joint operation of the air force and artillery units targeted gatherings of the Saudi aggression coalition’s militants in Hayran and Muthalath Ahim [in the northwestern Yemeni province of Hajjah],” the Yemeni news channel quoted a military source as saying. In such joint operations, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are used to locate gatherings and positions of Saudi-led coalition forces as well as to correct artillery fire. The Houthis usually use Rasid or even Samad-1 UAVs in these joint operations. Both types are equipped with electro-optical systems and data-links. The operation shows how the different branches of the Houthis’ military wing are becoming more experienced and improving their coordination.

File image The European Union has rejected a 60-day deadline set by Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani for the remaining signatories to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA) to address Tehran’s legal rights and protect its interests against U.S. sanctions. “We reject any ultimatums and we will assess Iran’s compliance on the basis of Iran’s performance regarding its nuclear-related commitments under the JCPoA and the NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons),” an official statement released by the EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and the foreign ministers of France, Germany and the UK on May 9 reads. The statement was released in response to Iran’s May 8 decision to stop exporting excess uranium and heavy water. The country’s President gave the other parties in the JCPoA  a 60-days ultimatum  to employment their commitments under the deal and help Tehran overcome the increasing U.S. sanctions. “We strongly urge Iran to continue to i...

This video was originally released by SouthFront on March 20, 2019 Written and produced by  SF Team : Brian Kalman ,  Daniel Deiss, Edwin Watson Introduction With the possible U.S. military withdrawal from Syria in the news on a daily basis, the mainstream media has been quick to parrot the DOD’s claim that 2,000 troops, mostly special operations forces, are to be withdrawn from the country. Although the total number of U.S. special operators deployed to Syria may have approached as many as 5,000, the current headlines have not mentioned that the United States has special operations units deployed not just in Syria, but in a majority of the nations of the world. Over the past seventeen years, the forces at the disposal of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) have grown exponentially, more than doubling in size in numbers, with a budget that has also expanded four fold in that same period of time. U.S. special operations forces on patrol in northern Syria. Althou...