The German Marshall Fund of the United States

It took only ten days for the Taliban to regain control of Afghanistan and to celebrate in their own way the 20th anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001. This lightning recapture and President Joe Biden’s determination to withdraw American troops stunned the world. In reality, what we are witnessing here is the culmination of a decade of U.S. disengagement and a chronic decay of Afghan institutions, which have benefited the Taliban.

The United States faces a conundrum in the South China Sea: China is radically changing the status quo in the sea in its favor. But since 2016, the Southeast Asian states whose legal rights are being trampled have been reluctant to push back firmly against Beijing.

During his first six months in office, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has notched several key accomplishments. In June, he secured the European Union’s approval for Italy’s COVID-19 rescue package, totaling 191.5 billion euros, or roughly $224 billion, giving it the largest share of the bloc’s 750-billion-euro pandemic recovery fund. Then, in late July, Draghi’s Cabinet signed off on a contentious overhaul of the Italian justice system, a goal that had eluded many previous governments. However... Читать дальше...

Editor's Note: This essay is from the collection Forging the New West published by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany to celebrate 40 years of transatlantic cooperation. Other authors in the collection include Germany’s Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, CDU Chancellor Candidate Armin Laschet, German Minister of Defense Annagret Kramp-Karrenbauer, and many others.

It is often predicted that rising powers such as China will seek to reshape the international order as they gain influence. Drawing on comparative analysis of the maritime and cyber domains, this article argues that China poses a challenge to the global commons because its actions reflect a pragmatic focus on national interest that that disrupts more collaborative conceptions of their governance. However, instead of directly rejecting existing regimes, China has pursued a mixed strategy of complying... Читать дальше...

The Russian government’s just-released strategy document for the development of hydrogen as an energy source could be viewed as a turning point in Russia’s energy industry. At the same time, the document carries a familiar message: as the world gradually moves toward decarbonization, Russia is reluctant to lose its status as an energy superpower. With no intention of restricting production of its oil and gas resources, Russia wants to become a dominant global exporter of a new fuel – hydrogen.

The security situation in Afghanistan has been worsening since the United States and its European allies decided to withdraw from the decades-long mission in the country. Following conversations between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Taliban leaders, many observers see an opportunity for China to enhance its influence in the region. ECFR’s Janka Oertel and Andrew Small discuss whether this assessment is correct, what China wants, and what all this means for Europe.

Editor's Note: This article was originally published in ThePrint, it is reprinted here with their permission.

Despite the ongoing political turmoil in Georgia, coupled with disinformation and extreme voices, there is also good news on the democracy front emanating from the citizenry. In a recent poll, nearly 90 percent of respondents said they were likely to vote in the October local elections, 80 percent that democracy is the best form of government, and 73 percent that more youth need to be involved. Notwithstanding their views on political parties, Georgia’s citizens are engaged and ready to be heard. Читать дальше...

On August 10th, the People’s Republic of China recalled its ambassador to Lithuania and demanded Vilnius’ recall its representative to Beijing. The reason? Lithuania’s decision to allow Taipei to open a representative office in Vilnius under the name "Taiwanese Representative Office." Sino-Lithuanian relations started deteriorating in 2019. That year, Vilnius identified Chinese espionage as a threat to its national security. Since then, Lithuania has opposed the Hong Kong National Security Law at the UN Human Rights Council... Читать дальше...