Armed Conflict
Europe Just Gave Ukraine €50 Billion. Most of the Important Work Will Not Happen on the Battlefield.
The European Union finally agreed this week on a €50 billion financial package for Ukraine covering the period to 2027, overcoming the Hungarian veto that prevented agreement at December’s summit. All twenty-seven EU governments, including…
The ICJ Did Not Rule That Israel Is Committing Genocide. What It Did Say Still Matters.
The International Court of Justice issued one of the most closely watched legal decisions of the Gaza war on Friday. South Africa has accused Israel of violating the 1948 Genocide Convention through its military campaign…
Iran and Pakistan Both Say They Were Fighting Terrorists. They Ended Up Bombing Each Other.
Iran and Pakistan exchanged military strikes across their shared border this week in one of the most serious confrontations between the two neighbours in years. On Tuesday, Iran launched missiles and drones into Pakistan’s southwestern…
America and Britain Have Bombed the Houthis. The Hard Question Is Whether Punishment Will Actually Make Them Stop.
The United States and Britain launched strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen on Friday, hitting sites associated with missiles, drones, radar and other military capabilities after weeks of attacks on commercial shipping in the Red…
Nobody Says They Want a Regional War. That Does Not Mean the Region Cannot End Up in One.
The war that began in Gaza three months ago is increasingly becoming a regional system of interconnected confrontations. Hamas deputy political leader Saleh al-Arouri was killed in Beirut on Tuesday, in an explosion widely attributed…
The Houthis Cannot Control Global Trade. They Have Discovered They Do Not Need To.
A conflict that began in Gaza is increasingly affecting container ships thousands of kilometres away. Yemen’s Houthi movement has launched missiles and drones towards commercial vessels travelling through the Red Sea and has seized at…
The EU Has Agreed to Open Membership Talks With Ukraine. That Does Not Mean Ukraine Is Joining Anytime Soon.
The European Union made one of its most consequential decisions since Russia invaded Ukraine this week. On Thursday, EU leaders agreed to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova and granted candidate status to Georgia.
Pakistan Will Hold an Election in February. The More Important Contest Is Already Happening.
Pakistan finally has an election date. The Election Commission announced this week that the country’s general election will take place on 8 February 2024, ending months of uncertainty over when voters will choose a new…
Israel Has a Right to Defend Itself. That Does Not Mean Every Method of Defence Is Automatically Justified.
Israel expanded its ground operations inside Gaza this weekend, three weeks after Hamas launched the deadliest attack on Israelis in the country’s history. On 7 October, Hamas-led militants crossed from Gaza into southern Israel, attacking…
Ukraine’s Greatest Long-Term Vulnerability May Not Be Western Military Capacity. It May Be Western Political Patience.
Slovakia voted yesterday in an election whose consequences extend beyond a country of roughly 5.4 million people. Former prime minister Robert Fico’s Smer party finished first with about 23% of the vote, placing him in…
Canada Says India May Have Been Involved in a Killing on Canadian Soil. The Evidence Now Matters More Than the Politics.
Relations between India and Canada have deteriorated dramatically this week after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Canada’s Parliament that Canadian security agencies were investigating what he described as “credible allegations” of a potential link between…
India Did Not Choose Between the West, Russia and the Global South at the G20. That May Be Exactly Why It Mattered.
The G20 summit concluded in New Delhi today with an outcome that looked surprisingly conventional considering how divided its members have become. The group produced a consensus declaration despite disagreements over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,…
