Tonight will be fateful for the conflict’s future. Ukraine carried out strategic drone strikes on Sunday against several bases all across Russia that are known to house elements of its nuclear triad. This came a day before the second round of the newly resumed Russian-Ukrainian talks in Istanbul and less than a […]
Turkey
The New Syria: A Dive Into Trump’s Meeting With Syria’s New Leader, Ahmad Al-Sharaa
In one of the most unexpected geopolitical developments of 2025, the U.S. President Donald Trump met with Syria’s new leader, Ahmad Al-Sharaa, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The summit, held on May 14, marks a turning point in U.S. involvement in the Middle East — both in diplomatic orientation and strategic […]
The Prospects For A ‘Deal’ To Settle The Armed Conflict In Ukraine
After a three-year “freeze” of political and diplomatic ties between Moscow and Washington, with the arrival of a new American leader in the White House, President Trump initiated noticeable progress in the search for new approaches to building normal relations with Russia. Speaking recently at a hearing in the U.S. […]
Is “Balkanization” Back In The Cards For Syria?
The situation remains very combustible and could easily explode at the slightest spark. Russia and the US rarely agree on much, but their top diplomats just sounded the alarm about Syria, which should convince objective observers that there’s credence to their warnings. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that “The situation in the […]
The Ball’s In Trump’s Court After The Latest Istanbul Talks
The mixed signals that he sent on Friday suggest that he hasn’t made up his mind about what to do. The first bilateral Russian-Ukrainian talks in over three years were held in Istanbul on Friday after Zelensky agreed, likely under pressure from Trump, to Putin’s proposal from the week prior. […]
Talks In Istanbul Unlikely To Produce Results
Ukraine stalled the start of negotiations. Russia sent a low level delegation. Secretary of State and Interim National Security Adviser Marco Rubio says he expects no breakthroughs in the Istanbul talks between Ukraine and Russia. The Russians, Rubio said, sent a “low level” delegation: apparently the Ukrainians are sending their defense […]
Appointment of Ukraine’s New Ambassador To Turkey: Blatant Provocation Or Yet Another Performance For Western Sponsors?
Amid preparations for negotiations in Istanbul, where Turkey acts as a mediator in resolving the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has taken a step that can hardly be interpreted as anything other than a blatant provocation. By Decree No. 305/2025, published on May 14, 2025, on the website of […]
Diplomacy Under Siege: How Turkey And Israel Undermine Iran–US De-escalation
A Moment of Strategic Opportunity The fragile path toward an Iran–US agreement is increasingly crowded with spoilers—and not all of them sit in Washington. As backchannel diplomacy intensifies and public rhetoric softens, two regional actors, Turkey and Israel, are strategically intervening to prevent a meaningful breakthrough. Their motives may differ, […]
The Crisis Of Civilizational Identity In Turkish Foreign Policy
Turkey today presents itself as a rising regional power, yet its foreign conduct exposes a deeper structural duality—perpetually oscillating between East and West, Islam and secular nationalism, diplomacy and neo-imperial ambition. Despite its NATO membership, Ankara has refused to fully align with Western sanctions on Russia and instead expanded strategic […]
Can Israel & Turkiye Manage Their Escalating Rivalry In Syria?
The “deconfliction mechanism” that they’re reportedly discussing would likely be insufficient for resolving their security dilemma and might thus only delay what could be an inevitable clash. Israel and Turkiye held talks in Azerbaijan last week on the creation of a so-called “deconfliction mechanism” for preventing an accidental conflict between […]
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