Diplomacy & Crisis News

Already, Tarique Rahman has made clear that Bangladesh’s interests would guide foreign policy. China, India, and the United States are recalibrating their approaches accordingly. 

With discussions on a possible new, flexible, regional platform with Turkiye and Saudi Arabia, Pakistan is seeking to build backup security channels in a dynamic region.

The reconstruction of Syria lacks a solid foundation, as Ahmad Al-Sharaa and his interim government prefer to establish facts rather than a social consensus. In his victory speech, al-Sharaa promised a social contract, but protection, provision and participation are still lacking. The interim government has fallen short of its responsibility in all three areas as evidenced by a series of violence including the forceful takeover of Kurdish-dominated territory in early 2026, large-scale investments without clear benefit for Syria’s suffering population, and polarized public discourse lacking genuine commitment to pluralism and tolerance. Social rifts are deep, including within the Syrian diaspora, which also requires a minimum of trust and security – so only some members of the diaspora may choose to engage with their homeland. The international community should not remain silent over these destabilizing developments in Syria’s domestic politics.

Dem Wiederaufbau Syriens fehlt das Fundament, denn Ahmad Al-Scharaa und seine Übergangsregierung schaffen lieber Fakten als einen gesellschaftlichen Konsens. In seiner Siegesrede versprach Al-Sharaa einen Gesellschaftsvertrag, doch Schutz, Daseinsvorsorge und die Möglichkeit bürgerlicher Teilhabe lassen weiterhin zu wünschen übrig. Die Übergangsregierung ist ihrer Verantwortung in allen drei Bereichen nicht nachgekommen. Das zeigen, erstens, das wiederholte Wiederaufflammen von Gewalt, darunter die gewaltsame Übernahme des kurdisch dominierten Gebiets Anfang 2026, zweitens, die groß angelegten Investitionen ohne klaren Nutzen für die notleidende Bevölkerung und, drittens, die polarisierte öffentliche Debatte ohne echtes Bekenntnis zu Pluralismus und Toleranz. Die sozialen Gräben sind tief, auch innerhalb der syrischen Diaspora. Mangels Vertrauen und Sicherheit wird nur ein Teil der Syrer im Ausland bereit sein sich, über Rücküberweisungen hinaus, für ihr Heimatland zu engagieren. Die internationale Gemeinschaft sollte zu diesen besorgniserregenden Entwicklungen in der syrischen Innenpolitik nicht schweigen.

The country has rushed to embrace artificial intelligence. Its impacts on jobs, the electrical grid, and water availability need to be taken into account.

The purges carry real implications for China’s domestic politics and short-term military readiness, but their relevance to Beijing’s Taiwan policy is limited.

The court’s recognition of Yoon as a rebellion leader necessitates an expedited final ruling to permanently root out martial law remnants.

Die Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz zeigt: Das transatlantische „Wir" ist nicht mehr selbstverständlich. Globale Ordnung muss neu verhandelt werden. Ein Gastbeitrag von Julia Leininger.

Dr Sophia Clément Mavroudis, former Professor at the École de guerre of the École Militaire in Paris and at Sciences Po, provides a concise analysis of the upcoming Greece-France Defense Agreement. Scheduled to be signed in spring 2026, the agreement establishes an enhanced framework for strategic military cooperation, significantly strengthening the defense capabilities of both countries.

Read the ELIAMEP Explainer here.

The post-election climate in Nepal looks particularly harsh for China, as Nepal’s major communist forces are not expected to do well in the elections.

In trying to contain Khan, the system may be unintentionally shaping the very legend it fears.