Author: M Barbu

Iran Must Be Punished for Its ‘Complicity in Russian Terror,’ Zelenskyy Says

Iran must be punished for its “complicity in Russian terror,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a speech on Sunday evening.

He added that “absolutely everyone who helps Russia prolong this war must bear responsibility for the consequences of this war along with it.” Zelenskyy said, “The whole world will know that the Iranian regime helps Russia prolong this war, and therefore prolong the effect of those threats to the world provoked precisely by the Russian war.

Don’t Panic About Putin

Even Desperate Leaders Tend to Avoid Catastrophe

National leaders who are losing wars sometimes resort to desperate gambles. Defeat or even lack of victory might threaten their hold on power, and they are sometimes willing to take daring or outside-the-box moves to try to turn things around. This is the great fear about the war in Ukraine: if Russian President Vladimir Putin judges that his back is up against the wall, he may decide to take catastrophic action.

NAPI-MEI Roundtable on Migration in Tunisia

Irregular migration from and through Tunisia is on the rise, as a growing number of migrants from the Maghreb head to Europe and an increasing flow of people from sub-Saharan Africa transit or stop there. This year has witnessed an alarming escalation of irregular maritime migration via this dangerous central Mediterranean route. Not only have the numbers of people attempting the journey grown, but they have also become more diverse, in terms of age, socio-economic status, and gender.

To help understand the current migration dynamics and their broader implications, the Middle East Institute (MEI) is pleased to invite you to join a virtual panel discussion featuring several experts on migration policy and Tunisia.

UK Reports Dismissals of Russian Commanders Since Ukraine Invasion

Britain’s Defense Ministry said Sunday in its daily intelligence report about Ukraine that there has been a “series of dismissals of senior Russian military commanders since the onset of the invasion in February 2022.”

The report said, “These dismissals represent a pattern of blame against senior Russian military commanders for failures to achieve Russian objectives on the battlefield. This is in part likely an attempt to insulate and deflect blame from Russian senior leadership at home.”

South Caucasus Inch Closer To Peace – Analysis

As Armenia and Azerbaijan near a peace treaty, Russia is increasingly distanced from the region.

Armenia and Azerbaijan seem to be inching toward a comprehensive peace deal by the year-end. The hints in the media have been circulating for months, with various representatives from the Armenian leadership signaling a high probability of progress on the peace deal.

Ukraine war a ‘warmup,’ the ‘big one is coming’ and US behind in nuclear, admiral warns

The US Stratcom head warned that China and Russia are outcompeting America in the nuclear arena, losing deterrence.

The war in Ukraine is a prelude to greater military challenges to the US in the near future, and America is losing its competitive edge in nuclear weapons capabilities, US Strategic Command head Admiral Charles Richard warned in a speech at the Naval Submarine League’s 2022 Annual Symposium & Industry Update on Wednesday, the US Defense Department reported.

Algiers Summit Fails To Paper Over The Cracks In Arab Unity – Analysis

The 31st Arab League summit concluded in Algiers this week in a manner expected of a hopeless gathering strangely touted as a great reunion of the Arab world after a two-year hiatus.

There was little expectation that this year’s convention would defy the odds and become an avenue for decisive or transformative shifts, let alone much-needed bridge-building in an increasingly uncertain, discordant world.