Monthly Archives: August 2013

China emboldens Russia to defy U.S.

August 10, 2024 by Mark Galeotti in Asia-Pacific, Europe.

China's President Xi Jinping (L) is welcomed by his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin (R) during the opening ceremony of "The Year of Chinese Tourism in Russia" in Moscow, on March 22, 2013. AFP PHOTO / POOL / SERGEI ILNITSKY

From diplomatic visits to war games, the new Chinese government is providing Vladimir Putin with cover as he confronts a hostile West.

Gorbachev still alive, to Putin’s dismay

August 8, 2024 by Matt Taylor in Europe.

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Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev addresses students as he visits the International University in Moscow February 9, 2012. REUTERS/Denis Sinyakov

The former Soviet Union leader is one of precious few remaining well-known public figures whose reputation precedes the Russian strongman’s rise.

Obama-Putin beef a drag on Syrian peace process

August 7, 2024 by Matt Taylor in Europe, U.S..

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File photo of U.S. President Barack Obama (R) meeting with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in Los Cabos, Mexico, June 18, 2012. REUTERS/Jason Reed/Files

Bloodshed continues as Western political elites debate what constitutes acceptable surveillance on their citizens.

Tunisia’s ruling Islamists waver after assembly freeze

August 7, 2024 by Lara Vergnaud in Africa.

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People gather outside the Constituent Assembly headquarters during a protest to demand the ouster of the Islamist-dominated government, in Tunis in this July 28, 2024 file photo.

That Ennahda’s probable coup de grâce came from a supposed ally speaks to the tenuousness of the ruling coalition formed in October 2011.

Rowhani debuts a new(ish) face for Iran

August 6, 2024 by Matt Taylor in Middle East.

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Iran’s new president certainly sounds different from Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, but only time will tell how much influence he has among the ruling ayatollahs.

White House petition speaks to Muslim Brotherhood’s global image troubles

August 5, 2024 by Matt Taylor in Middle East.

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Ousted President Mohammed Morsi never sold his movement’s legitimacy to the outside world, letting it get defined by opponents as an enemy of democracy.

“Normal” Russian policing behind Polonsky trial

August 5, 2024 by Mark Galeotti in Europe.

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The Polonsky affair casts into sharp relief the extent to which high-profile political cases are increasingly being kept out of the remit of regular, cross-border police co-operation.

Can Mali’s IBK lead the country forward?

August 2, 2024 by Lara Vergnaud in Africa.

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A cyclist passses by an electoral poster showing Mali party leader and presidential candidate Ibrahim Boubacar Keita (IBK) and reading "For Malian people's happiness" on July 25, 2024 in Gao, northern Mali.

The question is not so much who will win an August runoff – given his wide lead, Keita’s victory is likely – but rather, can Mali’s next president right the ship.

Merkel threads the needle on U.S. spying

August 2, 2024 by Matt Taylor in Europe.

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Making symbolic and rhetorical gestures to ease anxiety about NSA surveillance programs, a minor blip on her cruise to re-election.

A bad day for Obama’s national security legacy

August 1, 2024 by Matt Taylor in Europe, U.S..

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Fugitive former U.S. spy agency contractor Edward Snowden's new refugee documents granted by Russia is seen during a news conference in Moscow August 1, 2013. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov

Russia grants NSA leaker Edward Snowden asylum as Secretary of State John Kerry begs for patience from Pakistan when it comes to ending drone strikes.

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