What’s Behind China’s Strategic Partnership With Georgia?

With Western powers distracted by the war in Ukraine, China appears to be making cautious moves to cement its position in the wider Black Sea region.

The strategic partnership agreement released by Beijing and Tbilisi on July 31 surprised many in Georgia and in the West. While this diplomatic advance comes amid traditionally warm relations between China and Georgia, which signed a free trade agreement back in 2017, the reasons for and timing of the strategic cooperation document’s release highlight the fluid geopolitical situation in the South Caucasus; China’s attempts to advance its position in the unstable region; and, more importantly, Georgia’s efforts to maneuver between the collective West and the East, especially ahead of the crucial decision by the EU on whether to grant Tbilisi its long-coveted candidate status.

Prigozhin’s Death Shows Ultra-Patriots Are No Threat to the Kremlin

Russia’s ultra-patriots are not a cohesive force. They are a motley collection of amateur groups that coalesce around leaders who are ambitious, jealous, and incapable of working with each other.

The late mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin was until recently considered a leading Russian politician—with some even believing he could be a rival to President Vladimir Putin himself. But the death of the Wagner army boss in highly suspicious circumstances last week has not sparked much public interest or outrage.

How Turkey Became A Drone Superpower – OpEd

Turkey’s advancements in defense technology, particularly the Bayraktar TB-2 drone, have played a pivotal role in conflicts such as the war between Russia and Ukraine. Turkey has also emerged as the largest exporter of drones since 2018, highlighting the importance of drone technology for its defense and projection on the international stage. The development of its own drone technology by Turkish Aerospace Industries and Baykar has allowed Turkey to overcome challenges in acquiring drones from other countries and has positioned Turkey as a key player in global politics. Furthermore, the success of Turkish drones in conflicts like Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh has outperformed drones from the US, Israel, and China, reshaping global geopolitics.

Wagner After Prigozhin – Analysis

Yevgeny Prigozhin, flamboyant Russian warlord and head of the Wagner Group, was killed in his private plane on August 23, along with Wagner’s second-in-command, Colonel Dmitry Utkin, the chief of combat operations. The puzzle of how Prigozhin met his end—reports suggest an air-defense missile, a bomb, or even a problem with his plane’s mechanics—is less important than the path Wagner and Russia will take in the aftermath of his death. This special edition of Hudson Institute’s Ukraine Military Situation Report by Senior Fellow Can Kasapoǧlu will focus on how Prigozhin’s death affects Wagner’s leadership, its mercenary business, and the role of private military companies within Russia.

Signs Of Possible War In September-October

Lately there have been growing indications that a war against Israel may break out in September or October 2023. The trigger may be spiraling violent clashes resulting in many casualties, or the use of new weapons leading to many fatalities on the Israeli side, in the face of which Israel will be unable to suffice with its regular counterterrorism measures.[1] While neither Hamas nor Hizbullah are eager to start a comprehensive confrontation with Israel,[2] such a confrontation could result from an uncontrolled deterioration on the ground or from the use of new and unusually deadly weapons by these movements.

Kyrgyzstan brings back 95 ISIL wives, children from Syrian internment camps

The country’s third repatriation was carried out with the help of the US, the UN and the Red Cross.

The government of Kyrgyzstan has said 95 wives and children of ISIL (ISIS) fighters have been repatriated from internment camps in Syria.

“The humanitarian mission on August 30, was carried out to repatriate citizens of the Kyrgyz Republic staying in a camp in northeast Syria,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Wednesday.

Afrique : Les dilemmes coloniaux de l’Occident

Quelle que soit l’évolution de la situation autour du Niger dans un proche avenir, les évènements des dernières années montrent que la France, comme l’ensemble de l’Occident, n’a pas de solutions toutes faites pour maintenir son influence en Afrique.

Où en est la dette US ? Situation au 17 août 2023

Il y a un an, j’écrivais à mes amis un billet pour leur expliquer l’état de la dette US.

En une année, la situation de cette dette US s’est considérablement détériorée avec la guerre en Ukraine et le rythme de cette détérioration s’est même accéléré.

Souvent surpris des propos très approximatifs de mes interlocuteurs lorsqu’on évoque la dette états-unienne et les principaux créanciers des USA, je vais donc tenter de refaire un point actualisé sur la question dans les lignes qui suivent.