Geopolitics

List of Geopolitics articles

French President Emmanuel Macron visits the Mont-de-Marsan Air Base in southwestern France to deliver his New Year address to the French Army.
French President Emmanuel Macron visits the Mont-de-Marsan Air Base in southwestern France to deliver his New Year address to the French Army.

Can France’s Big Bucks Fill the Defense Gaps?

Paris is ramping up military spending. But critics worry it’s going to the wrong places.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greet each other at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 27, 2018.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan greet each other at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, on July 27, 2018.

6 Swing States Will Decide the Future of Geopolitics

These middle powers of the global south should be the focus of U.S. policy.

An illustration shows the faces of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin interrupted by wavy lines of a fragmented map of Europe and Asia.
An illustration shows the faces of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin interrupted by wavy lines of a fragmented map of Europe and Asia.

The Battle for Eurasia

China, Russia, and their autocratic friends are leading another epic clash over the world’s largest landmass.

Soviet soldiers prepare tanks for transfer to the Soviet Union at the Altes Lager garrison near Jüterbog, East Germany, circa 1989.
Soviet soldiers prepare tanks for transfer to the Soviet Union at the Altes Lager garrison near Jüterbog, East Germany, circa 1989.

Cold War II Is All About Geopolitics

A new book overplays the domestic roots of Sino-U.S. confrontation and underestimates its geopolitical logic.

U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter questions TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing in Washington, D.C.
U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter questions TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew during a House Energy and Commerce Committee hearing in Washington, D.C.

The U.S. Needs to Get Out of the Way on China

Washington should start letting other countries take the lead.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Papua New Guinean Defense Minister Win Bakri Daki shake hands as Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape looks on after the two countries signed a security agreement in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on May 22.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Papua New Guinean Defense Minister Win Bakri Daki shake hands as Papua New Guinean Prime Minister James Marape looks on after the two countries signed a security agreement in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, on May 22.

America Is Winning Against China in Oceania

There is less to Beijing’s security gains in the Pacific than meets the eye.

A Sudanese man and child wheel suitcases as they walk across a paved area toward a low beige building. Other people pass by in the background, including more children and a man in a wheelchair.
A Sudanese man and child wheel suitcases as they walk across a paved area toward a low beige building. Other people pass by in the background, including more children and a man in a wheelchair.

In Sudan, Egypt Faces a Catch-22

But there’s one option for resolving the conflict that just might work.

Asian Development Bank President Masatsugu Asakawa and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim pose for group photos during the 15th Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle Summit, occurring on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, on May 11.
Asian Development Bank President Masatsugu Asakawa and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim pose for group photos during the 15th Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle Summit, occurring on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, on May 11.

The Indo-Pacific Has Already Chosen Door No. 3

So-called fence-sitters are rejecting zero-sum geopolitical binaries in favor of multi-alignment.

Chinese President Xi Jinping chairs the first China-Central Asia Summit in Xian, China on May 19, 2023.
Chinese President Xi Jinping chairs the first China-Central Asia Summit in Xian, China on May 19, 2023.

The Stans Can’t Play Both Sides Anymore

As Russia and China grow closer, Central Asian leaders don’t have as much leverage—or independence—as they once did.

A Chinese guard stands on a platform at dusk, wearing his uniform and a medical face mask. The guard is in front of a short building with a wall labeled "European Commission" beside the EU flag.
A Chinese guard stands on a platform at dusk, wearing his uniform and a medical face mask. The guard is in front of a short building with a wall labeled "European Commission" beside the EU flag.

China Can’t Have It Both Ways in Europe

Beijing is blowing up its relationships by backing Russia.

An operator works during the mooring of an undersea fiber optic cable near the Spanish Basque village of Sopelana on June 13, 2017.
An operator works during the mooring of an undersea fiber optic cable near the Spanish Basque village of Sopelana on June 13, 2017.

Decoupling Is Already Happening—Under the Sea

U.S.-China rivalry has led to the rerouting of crucial subsea internet cables, which could have major geopolitical consequences.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo greets U.S. President Joe Biden at the G-20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, on Nov. 16, 2022.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo greets U.S. President Joe Biden at the G-20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, on Nov. 16, 2022.

ASEAN and the Quad Inch Closer Together

Southeast Asian skepticism toward the foursome is softening.

Pro-Turkey demonstrators wave Turkish flags in front of the Permanent Representation of Turkey to the European Union.
Pro-Turkey demonstrators wave Turkish flags in front of the Permanent Representation of Turkey to the European Union.

Turkey Is the EU’s Only Hope

Granting Turkey membership in the EU would offer Europe the chance to redefine both itself and its raison d’être.

U.S. President Joe Biden wears a dark suit on a cloudy day as he descends the steps of an airplane, where uniformed officials and security officers wait for him on the ground.
U.S. President Joe Biden wears a dark suit on a cloudy day as he descends the steps of an airplane, where uniformed officials and security officers wait for him on the ground.

Domestic Division Is Dragging Down U.S. Indo-Pacific Policy

U.S. allies are feeling neglected thanks to chaos in Washington.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin make a toast during a reception following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 21.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin make a toast during a reception following their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 21.

Why Xi Is Ghosting Biden

Beijing’s refusal to talk to Washington is part of a war of attrition against U.S. influence.

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