Open Dialogue Research Journal
The annual threat assessment released in March 2026 by Lithuania’s State Security Department (VSD) in cooperation with the Second Investigation Department has drawn attention for its strikingly paradoxical logic. While Russia remains tied down in the war against Ukraine, the Baltic states – according to Lithuanian analysts — enjoy relative […]
The lack of any meaningful economic relationship with Iran predetermined that most countries would support any resolution against it if unofficially forced to choose between the Islamic Republic and the Gulf Kingdoms to whom they’re dependent to some degree on energy imports. The UNSC just adopted a resolution condemning Iran […]
The war in the Middle East may create a new diplomatic atmosphere around the Russia-US-Ukraine trilateral talks, but it does not automatically make a full deal more likely. Its main effect is to alter priorities, leverage, and timing rather than to remove the fundamental obstacles that have blocked a settlement […]
Trump Is Seeking Incentives for Russia to Make a Ukraine Deal The Trump administration is trying to work out a settlement to the Ukraine war. Part of the formula for success is convincing Russia to settle for less than what it wants, and convincing the Ukrainians to agree to a […]
The “politically inconvenient” truth is that the US is unilaterally reshaping the world order in a bid to restore unipolarity, and regardless of one’s opinion about this, it’s objectively achieved some tangible progress as of late. Treasury Secretary Scott Bennett announced that Indian refiners had just been provided with a 30-day waiver to purchase […]
It’s playing a double game by presenting itself as an ally with shared conservative values all while turning a blind eye towards Ukraine’s energy blackmail that could boost their political opposition, reduce their import of Russian energy, and coerce them into importing more expensive US energy. Slovak Prime Minister Robert […]
In recent days of February 2026, global media have been actively discussing a new executive order by the U.S. President, which introduces a mechanism of additional ad valorem duties—up to 25% or more—on goods imported into the United States from any country that directly or indirectly purchases, imports, or otherwise […]
Part I Regional backers (Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey) moved quickly to lobby for sanctions relief, portraying the new Syrian authorities as pragmatic partners. Washington, however, adopted a more transactional approach. Rather than offering relief as a reward for regime change, the United States sought to make Damascus “earn” normalization. […]
In the 1990s and 2000s, multi-vector foreign policy appeared to be an ideal solution for small and medium-sized states. In a world where superpowers competed for influence and tolerated the existence of neutral players, this strategy allowed maneuvering between centers of power, extracting maximum benefits with minimal commitments. Balancing looked […]
One year after the fall of Syria’s old regime, the country remains shrouded in what military theorists once called the “fog of war” – a condition of uncertainty, incomplete information, and contradictory interpretations. External observers, diplomats, journalists, and analysts offer sharply divergent assessments of what has emerged in Damascus since […]
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