ISDEI Instituto de Seguridad, Defensa y Estudios Internacionales

  The Ally in the East: Japan’s Present and Future Role in Ukraine Situation Reports  -  August 7, 2024 By  Mathew Biadun The international response to the Russo-Ukrainian War has been nothing short of remarkable. Not merely for how much it consumed international attention, but also for how widespread the international aid for Ukraine has been. Not only has it drawn the attention of major international powers, such as China and the United States, but also the attention of nations who rarely interact or intervene on the international stage. Countries such as Denmark, Estonia and Finland have all donated significantly to the Ukrainian cause. Kyiv has been able to draw from an immense supply of Western support for its struggle. Often understated, however, is the support from Ukraine’s greatest ally in the east: Japan. Japan’s contribution amid the Ukraine war has been rather remarkable. According to a 2023 report from the  Kiel Institute , it ranks fourth globally ...

 Today's geopolitical landscape is fraught with tension and intrigue, marked by a series of significant events that reveal deep underlying conflicts and alliances. One of the most contentious areas is the Middle East. Recently, Hamas has appointed Yahya Sinwar as the new leader of its political wing following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh by Israel in Tehran. Sinwar, known for his hardline stance and masterminding previous attacks on Israel, signals a potential escalation in the region. Additionally, a report by +972 magazine has unveiled that the Israeli military is leveraging cloud services from Amazon, Google, and Microsoft to manage extensive surveillance data on Gaza's population. This revelation has exacerbated the already tense atmosphere, with accusations of human rights violations and calls for international intervention​ ( Democracy Now! ) . In Bangladesh, Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus has been named head of an interim government after mass protests forced Prim...

  China and the U.S. Are Careening Toward a South China Sea Crisis A failure of deterrence risks pushing the region into deeper conflict. By  Craig Singleton , a senior China fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Philippine Coast Guard members pass a China Coast Guard vessel during a resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea on March 5. Philippine Coast Guard members pass a China Coast Guard vessel during a resupply mission to Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea on March 5.  Ezra Acayan/Getty Images My FP:  Follow topics and authors to get straight to what you like. Exclusively for FP subscribers.  Subscribe Now  |  Log In July 23, 2024, 12:46 PM   View Comments  ( 1 ) Last November’s summit between U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Woodside, California, was  hailed  as a harbinger of progress in stabilizing a superpower relationship that was spiraling toward conf...

  Beijing Agreement Complicates “Day After” Planning in Gaza War Situation Reports  -  July 29, 2024 By  Rajdeep Sarkar On 23 July, 14 Palestinian parties reached an  agreement  for a united front government after the end of the war. The Beijing agreement ostensibly provides a solution to the question of post-war government in Gaza. Hamas, taking a battering over the past several months, had earlier declared it could no longer run the government on its own. The US  proposal  for Fatah to take over seemed improbable too, because Fatah cannot afford to walk into the vacuum without incurring the charge of following the footsteps of the America-Israel alliance. In stepped China, as an alternative great power enjoying better credibility than the Americans among Palestinians and brokering a national unity deal. The Beijing plan that brings together Fatah and Hamas is now a direct competitor against the Emirati  plan  to place a temporary inter...

  Eastern Europe Has a Role to Play in US-China Economic Competition Situation Reports  -  August 1, 2024 By  Nicola Stoev As the 2024 US presidential election kicks into high gear, Democrats and Republicans are trying to make the case that their respective candidates represent different economic and geopolitical development models for the country. But this is not the case; there is no zero-sum contrast, nor is there an ideological one, and the candidates share a lot in common. One stark commonality is protectionism, and a shared unwillingness to open the domestic market to new partners amid a wave of ‘friend-shoring.’ Trump wants protectionism by custom tariffs, i.e., by isolationism. The Democrats have lurched toward trade negotiations with potential  IPEF  partners, a process that has  ground to a halt precisely because US market access remains off the negotiating table . The United States has the smallest volume of FDI in the dynamic region of ASEA...

  Today's World Geopolitical News Middle East Tensions The Middle East remains a hotspot of geopolitical activity. Hezbollah, backed by Iran, has launched a drone attack against northern Israel, injuring two Israeli soldiers. This incident follows the recent killing of senior Hezbollah and Hamas leaders, which has heightened fears of a broader regional conflict. Russia has condemned these killings, urging all parties to avoid actions that could escalate tensions further. Diplomatic efforts are underway, with Italy and Iraq calling for de-escalation and dialogue to prevent a wider war in the region​ ( WORLD ) ​​ ( The Times of Israel ) ​. U.S. and Economic Concerns In the United States, there is significant economic anxiety following a major sell-off in global stock markets. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped over 1,000 points, with Asian markets experiencing even sharper declines. This market turmoil is attributed to disappointing jobs reports and concerns over the Federal ...

  1. Global Power Shifts and Secret Alliances Recent geopolitical movements suggest a possible secret alliance between Russia and China, aiming to undermine Western hegemony. Conspiracy theorists believe that these nations are covertly supporting various anti-Western factions and governments, facilitating a global power shift. The BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) coalition is often cited as a facade for deeper, more clandestine operations that could reshape global power structures. 2. COVID-19 Pandemic as a Tool for Control The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has been a fertile ground for conspiracy theories. Some claim that the virus was engineered as a bioweapon by either China or Western intelligence agencies to disrupt global economies and enforce a new world order. Others argue that the pandemic is being used to implement widespread surveillance measures, with vaccine passports and digital IDs serving as precursors to a more invasive, global control system. 3. Econ...

 Expanding on the conspiracy view regarding the Ukraine conflict, here are several facets that conspiracy theorists often highlight: Hidden Agendas and Profiteering Military-Industrial Complex : One prevalent theory posits that the prolonged conflict in Ukraine serves the interests of the military-industrial complex. According to this view, major defense contractors and arms manufacturers in the U.S. and Russia benefit financially from continuous warfare. These corporations allegedly exert influence over their respective governments to ensure that the conflict persists, thereby securing ongoing contracts for weapons and military technology​ ( Geopolitical Monitor ) ​​ ( EY US ) ​. Geopolitical Manipulation : Some theorists suggest that the Ukraine war is a deliberate effort by global elites to destabilize Europe. By creating a persistent state of conflict, these elites purportedly aim to weaken the European Union's political cohesion and economic stability, making it easier to co...