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China’s Influence in the Western Balkans: Partnership or Confrontation?

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China’s Influence in the Western Balkans: Partnership or Confrontation?

After the events in 2014 in Ukraine, namely the illegal annexation of the Crimean Peninsula and the military interference in Eastern Ukraine by the Russian Federation, many experts started to talk about the eruption of a new Cold War. However, this has been challenged again by many, who stated that the circumstances are now different and that we do not see a competition of capitalist versus communist ideology. However, another very influential actor into the geopolitical sphere gained attention. China. So, the tenor shifted towards the notion that there is something like a new Cold War, but it is not about the West versus Russia, but about the West versus China.

THE NAGORNO KARABACH CONFLICT

THE NAGORNO KARABACH CONFLICT

Most international observers were surprised by the outbreak of war in fall 2020 about Nagorno -Karabakh after it has been called frozen for 27 years. Well, obviously one could not foresee an attack at exactly the time it was undertaken by Azerbaijan. However, it seems that a country – in this case Azerbaijan, is not willing to accept that part of its territory is occupied by its neighbor. For some time, this violation of Azeri territory could be used by President Ilham Aliyev to strengthen his grip over the Azeri population. But in the end, it could not be accepted by any Azeri leader. Such an occupation or even annexation could only happen when the occupier is much more powerful or has unconditional support by a powerful ally.

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9/11 AND AFGHANISTAN: WHAT TO DO NOW?

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9/11 AND AFGHANISTAN: WHAT TO DO NOW?

„We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them“. These were the words President Bush used in his address to the nation after the terrible attack on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon 20 years ago. The U.S. President chose these words deliberately as National Security Chief Condoleezza Rice asked him if he really would use this phrase. Especially Vice-President Dick Cheney insisted on that sentence knowing and perhaps, wishing for all the consequences this message had caused. In this way, the long Afghanistan war started.

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Scheitern oder Versagen: Deutschland diskutiert die Hintergründe und sicherheitspolitischen Folgen des historischen Debakels in Afghanistan

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Scheitern oder Versagen: Deutschland diskutiert die Hintergründe und sicherheitspolitischen Folgen des historischen Debakels in Afghanistan

Die verstörenden Bilder vom Kabuler Flughafen brennen die Niederlage der stärksten Staatenkoalition der Welt und ihres lokalen Verbündeten gegen eine primitiv ausgerüstete Widerstandsbewegung ins kollektive Gedächtnis auch der Deutschen ein. Und anders als in Vietnam, in Libyen und dem Irak, als man hierzulande die militärischen und politischen Fehlschläge der befreundeten Supermacht mehr oder weniger selbstgerecht kommentieren konnte, muss Deutschland diesmal seinen Teil der Verantwortung tragen. Das fällt umso schwerer, als Afghanistan war nicht irgendeine Intervention war. Afghanistan war der längste, kostspieligste und blutigste Einsatz der westlichen Staatengemeinschaft seit dem Ende des Ost-West-Konflikts. Und auch in der Reihe der deutschen Auslandseinsätze sticht Afghanistan heraus. Ganz am Anfang und unter dem Schock der einstürzenden Zwillingstürme stand die Bündnissolidarität im Kampf gegen Al Qaida im Zentrum des Kalküls der rot-grünen Koalitionsregierung.

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Engaged Neutral States

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Engaged Neutral States

A reassessment of neutrality is necessary. The old Swiss concept of “sitting still” should be left behind. False diplomatic caution should be replaced by a courageous and aggressive advocacy of self-evident values. Austria is good example of how neutral states should use their special status to engage in international crisis management. In a polarized world, neutral states will become even more relevant.

The Fall of Kabul and Biden's Speech - The crisis of the West and its origin

The Fall of Kabul and Biden's Speech - The crisis of the West and its origin

The rapidity of the advance of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the immediate fall of Kabul surprised not only Western observers and commentators lulled into the widespread belief, which became mainstream in the Western information system, that the Afghan regular army would be able to maintain control of the country even after the retreat of the American and Western forces that had trained and supported it for over a decade.

Russian parliamentary elections: Continuation of the previous trend

Russian parliamentary elections: Continuation of the previous trend

Elections to the State Duma – the lower chamber of the Russian parliament – will take place on 17-19 September. There are few intrigues about the winner and the overall composition of the parliament that will essentially stay the same in the next convocation. The preparation and process of election is indicative of the longer trend in Russian politics characterized by erosion of political competition and civil liberties, insulation of the political elites, and further consolidation of the corporatist state.

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Afghanistan: Give the UN a chance

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Afghanistan: Give the UN a chance

It is not too late to invite the UN to play a bigger role, for example by organizing a regional conference and in positioning peace contingents in accordance with a coalition government in Kabul. Such an UN contingent will not be cheap to put together and maintain. But for peace in this volatile region, it would be much less expensive than the costs of the past war.

Eine regionale Konferenz und ein neutrales Afghanistan

Eine regionale Konferenz und ein neutrales Afghanistan

Von Experten wird immer wieder die Befürchtung eines „Vakuums“ angesprochen, das von Russland und China gefüllt werden würde. Diese Vorstellung ist sehr kurzsichtig, da weder russische noch chinesische Truppen in Afghanistan einmarschieren werden. Es wäre traurig, wenn die westlichen Werte nur mit Truppen durchgesetzt werden könnten. Alle internationalen und regionalen Staaten werden aber ihren politischen Einfluss geltend machen wollen. Damit sich aber internationale Einflussnahmen im Sinne des Kalten Krieges nicht wiederholt, wird Afghanistan einen glaubwürdigen neutralen Kurs verfolgen müssen.

The Afghan Tragedy Continues

The Afghan Tragedy Continues

What is happening now in Afghanistan with the Taliban entering Kabul again, 20 years after they were forcefully withdrawn from power by the US-led NATO intervention in 2001, is shaking up the world stage again. The quick withdrawal of the international troops paved the way for the Taliban to re-take with unexpected speed, 20 years later, the power over Afghanistan which ultimately culminated on Sunday 15th of August 2021 in the escape of president Aschraf Ghani to Uzbekistan and the declaration of victory of the Taliban.