Vietnam has struck a careful balance in its reaction to the Ukraine conflict. But how long can it avoid taking sides? Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Vietnam has sought to distance itself from the great-power rivalry in Eastern Europe by underscoring that it is “not taking sides” in the conflict. Nevertheless, the…
After Ukraine, who’s the next? Ukraine’s Situation Makes Russia’s Other Neighbors Nervous
When Vladimir Putin announced the Kremlin’s annexation of Crimea and then orders troops into eastern Ukraine on ‘peacekeeping duties’, he made it clear that the region’s large Russian-speaking population made the move necessary and inevitable. In fact, large populations of Russian speakers are common along the fringes of the old Soviet Union. Those groups are…
The Putin’s Ukrainian puppet and the Yanukovych corruption era
Fled President Viktor Yanukovych is currently in Minsk, Russia is preparing him for a special operation to try to declare him as “President of Ukraine”, according to Ukrainian intelligence (Wednesday, March 3rd, 2022). On June 9, 2005, Paul Manafort wrote a memo to an important client, Ukraine’s reportedly richest man Rinat Akhmetov. Manafort, the American…
Is Putin’s Russia Fascist?
A growing number of Russian analysts, in Russia and abroad, have taken to calling Vladimir Putin’s regime “fascist.” And they don’t use the term casually or as a form of opprobrium. They mean that Putin’s Russia genuinely resembles Mussolini’s Italy or Hitler’s Germany. One of the most recent examples was Mikhail Iampolski. According to the Russian-born…
Putin’s war in Ukraine: The forgotten potential of Ukraine’s energy reserves.
Ukraine has extremely rich and complementary mineral resources in high concentrations and close proximity to each other. The country has abundant reserves of coal, iron ore, natural gas, manganese, salt, oil, graphite, sulfur, kaolin, titanium, nickel, magnesium, timber, and mercury… Over the last several years, the future of the European energy supply has become an…
The Omicron wave is ‘imminent’ in Southeast Asia
Much of Asia has largely managed to keep omicron at bay even as the variant rages in other parts of the world, but the region that is home to most of the globe’s population is bracing for what may be an inevitable surge. Strict quarantine rules for arrivals and widespread mask wearing have helped slow…
What if Russia invades Ukraine (again)? Consider these options for sanctions escalation.
Vladimir Putin is again massing troops near Ukraine’s borders, Kremlin-controlled media has ramped up threats of war, and the United States and key European allies are concerned that another Kremlin military offensive against Ukraine may be imminent. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has noted that the Russian troop presence in the region is higher than at any time…
Meet the co-founder and chief executive of Grab: Mr Anthony Tan
Ordered some GrabFood during the circuit breaker? Called for a GrabCar to avoid crowded buses and trains? You helped enrich super app Grab and its co-founder and chief executive, Mr Anthony Tan, who has seen his net worth rise to US$790 million, according to Forbes. Mr Tan, 39 years old, the son of Malaysia car…
Meet the chairman and co-founder of Moderna, Dr Noubar Afeyan.
Meet Dr Noubar Afeyan. Billionaire linked to a vaccine, Dr Noubar Afeyan is the chairman and co-founder of Moderna.
China is ready to project military power in the South China Sea sooner rather than later
China’s maritime transformation is already making waves. Still, however, China’s course and its implications—including at sea—remain highly uncertain… The past decade and a half has seen China undergo a modernization of its military, including the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN). This naval modernization, which includes the addition of two aircraft carriers, coupled with China’s seemingly…
Regional geopolitics: Kashmir geopolitical perspective
India and Pakistan both claim Kashmir in 1947 because of the differing nationalist ideologies that they subscribe to. The conflict over Kashmir between Pakistan and India was waged in three wars. Both countries felt that the territory belonged to them completely. But people in Kashmir are hoping that life starts returning to normal. Ever since…
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