The era of the bystander is over. In 2026, you are either at the table, on the lease, or in the way.

The US-Pakistan rare earths deal looks like a win-win: the US diversifies its rare earth supply chain, Pakistan hedges on FDI. But the optics begin to strain when technological, regulatory, and security realities are considered.

Alliances are failing to fulfill their key function of preventing conflicts. Rather, they are devolving into sources of tension as the old rulebook of collective security no longer corresponds to global realities.

Without stable, predictable governance and insurance companies willing to cover Venezuelan risks, tactical military success will not translate into sustained economic engagement.

The risk of a new round of Israeli strikes against Iran is shaped less by a discrete ‘decision’ than by an unstable equilibrium left unresolved by diplomacy, deterrence signaling, and regional de-escalation.

The amicable relationship between the Balkans and Western partners runs deep, yet efforts for reform continue to yield little positive change. One reason for this is the prioritization of enforcement optics and crackdowns on corruption over legal safeguards.

The Venezuelan operation vividly illustrates how 21st century warfare is increasingly defined less as a clash of forces than as an asymmetric competition between decision architectures.

While Europe remains preoccupied with itself, a geopolitical buildup is taking shape in the Indo-Pacific that has long ceased to be mere war-gaming. The third act of the world order won't premiere in Brussels—but in Chumphon, Ranong, Subic Bay, Guam, and most importantly: Bangkok.

The removal of Nicolás Maduro may satisfy Washington’s appetite for decisive action, but it does not amount to regime change.

What happens when the principal architect of the post-war order begins quietly dismantling the scaffolding it once built?

Sheikh Maqsoud, a diverse neighborhood in Aleppo, provides a microcosm for how sectarian conflict and institutional development might play out in Syria.

Beijing is not a viable alternative to Washington and pretending otherwise represents a costly strategic error.

This week we examine worsening protests across Iran, a state of geopolitical limbo descending over Venezuela, and a tentative step into hard power projection from the BRICS Plus bloc.

Russia’s recent cybercrime enforcement activity is best understood not as a conventional law enforcement campaign, but as a geopolitical signal with second-order security effects.

Despite the outward optics of negotiation, there’s only one direction that Putin will go: toward a full mobilization.

Regime change in Venezuela is a game-changing development that will resonate across the geopolitics of the Americas. But it’s not without its risks.

After decades of pogroms, anti-Jewish government policies, and institutionalized antisemitism, new leadership has emerged in Syria that could help restore the Syrian Jewish community – but it won’t be easy.

The geopolitical importance of Guyana has been underscored by the recent regime change in Venezuela.

First comes greater confidence and courage, then comes stability as Europe looks ahead to 2026.

France’s plans for a domestic medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) program might be a source of national pride, but they could also be a point of contention with European partners and there are better alternatives available.