MenuOvercoming recent events in Kazakhstan will require wisdom and great diplomatic skills from the country’s leadership. Read the full article…
Category Archives: Geopolitics
Kazakhstan Crisis, Part 1: Drivers and Implications
As with any major social and geostrategic upheaval, the ongoing events in Kazakhstan are driven by several dynamics. Read the full article…
China And Russia Make Critical Mineral Grabs in Africa While the U.S. Snoozes
Countries across the globe are pursuing zero-emission goals, which have created a bottleneck of critical rare earth elements (REE) such as cobalt, copper, and lithium. These are essential components in producing renewable energy technology, from electric vehicle batteries to wind turbine blades. Read the full article…
Putin’s one-two punch European strategy to defeat America
On Jan. 9, the Biden administration will begin negotiations in Geneva over the “Putin Ultimatum,” two sets of demands presented to the U.S. and NATO. If accepted, they would destroy 30 years of post-Cold War European security policy while opening the path to Russian Empire 3.0 — the latest imperial iteration after the Romanoffs and the Soviets. Read the
Russian Aggression Puts Kyiv, Nord Stream 2 In Danger
Nord Stream 2 (NS2), Europe’s most contentious infrastructure project, seems to have survived the Putin-Biden teleconference and is likely to be approved by the German regulator. This outcome may be the purpose of the recent Russian troop mobilization. Europe’s and Germany’s dependence on Russian gas deepens and may appear irreversible, with long-term geo-strategic consequences the U.S. leaders and
Russia’s Threats, Energy Crisis Put Ukraine on The Brink
Russia is escalating pressure on Ukraine, threatening to drag the U.S. and NATO into their worst confrontation with Moscow since the Cold War. A devastating combination of external and internal threats now imperil Ukraine’s security, with energy playing a key part. Continued
Migrants And Gas: Russia Escalates Pressure On Poland And Ukraine
The United States recently reaffirmed its intent to support Ukrainian energy security amidst the near-certain completion of Nord Stream 2 (NS2) – Russia’s controversial pipeline, which will pump 55 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas into Germany while increasing Europe’s dependence on Gazprom and entirely circumventing Ukraine. The $11bn project was completed in September and is now awaiting final approval
The COP26 Postmortem: No Progress Without Buy-In From The World’s Top Polluters US And China
The 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference ended with hope and skepticism around the globe. Negotiators and national leaders have made pledges and proclamations aplenty — among them a vow to reverse deforestation within the decade — but it is undeniable that no pledge is set in stone, particularly when the signatories can hide behind
OPEC Says To Biden: If You Want More Oil, Pump It Yourself
OPEC and its oil-producing partners have rebuffed President Joe Biden’s calls for increased production amidst rising fuel prices, retorting that if the United States believes the world’s economy needs more energy, then it has the capability to increase production itself. The OPEC+ alliance, made up of OPEC members led by Saudi Arabia and non-member top producers guided by Russia,
COP26 And WTO Ministerial Bring Tough Questions For Emerging Economies
Ministers from twenty-four developing nations – including China, India, Vietnam, and Pakistan – released a statement ahead of the United Nations Climate Change summit (COP26) denouncing new net-zero standards as discriminatory. The plan asks for all countries to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Climate negotiations have long been shaped by equity concerns; this makes sense.