Brief #142 – Foreign Policy
By Ibrahim Sultan
The crisis and possible looming war in Ukraine have historical implications that include more than just Russia and Ukraine. Though the ties between Russia and Ukraine run far back into history, the conflict also involves the historical involvement of the United States and its NATO allies in Europe.
Brief #141 – Foreign Policy
By Reilly Fitzgerald
Ukraine poses a threat in some ways to the stability of the borders around Russia as they have long sought entrance to the European Union and have also sought NATO membership. Russia sees these actions as threatening because it would bring Russia closer to the military alliances of the West that they have rejected since the days of the USSR.
Brief #140 – Foreign Policy
By Ibrahim Sultan
On January 10, 2022, US, its NATO allies and Russian officials began a week of talks in Vienna and other European cities in an attempt to de-escalate the rising tensions on the Ukrainian border. The meetings ended without any breakthrough and did not succeed in their key objective: removing the immediate threat of tens of thousands of Russian troops stationed at the Ukrainian border.
Brief #139 – Foreign Policy
By Brandon Mooney
With the War in Afghanistan having come to an end and the neoliberal experiment of nation-building being tossed on the metaphorical scrap heap, the U.S. confronts a radically changing world in which traditional conceptions of warfare are both antiquated and ultimately disastrous.
Brief #138 – Foreign Policy
By Ibrahim Sultan
Ukraine and Western allies are concerned about a Russian troop buildup near its border that may signal a plan for a further invasion into Ukraine. As a former Soviet republic, Ukraine shares deep social and cultural ties with Russia and, in certain parts of the country, Russian is widely spoken.
Brief #137 – Foreign Policy
By Reilly Fitzgerald
The detention (or internment) camps that are housing the Uyghurs (and several other ethnic minority groups) are essentially prisons. According to NBC News, they reported that a high-level Communist Party official in Xinjiang described, in leaked documents, the security measures of the camps and they more closely align with a prison than a “vocational center”.
The leaked documents mention video surveillance in/around classrooms, dormitories, and even watch towers. The Chinese government has cited worries about extremism and even terrorism from within the Uyghur population as a main driver of these policies.
Brief #136 – Foreign Policy
By Reilly Fitzgerald
For American policymakers, the conflict in Yemen is going to be particularly challenging on many levels. The conflict intertwines regional tensions between Saudi Arabia; religious tensions between Shia and Sunnis; and the mixing in of terrorist organizations with no allegiances to either side but taking advantage of the wide-scale chaos and instability. President Biden announced three major points that outline his policy agenda towards Yemen: ending support of offensive acts in the conflict by Saudi Arabia, promoting peace talks and initiatives, and sending US Special Envoy Tim Lenderking to the region to work towards solutions to the conflict.
Brief #135 – Foreign Policy
By Reilly Fitzgerald
The issue of drones is one that is coming into further examination in recent weeks as President Joe Biden ordered a drone strike within Afghanistan on August 29th which killed numerous civilians. The Afghanistan debacle has drawn criticism from political circles in the United States, in the international community, and other foreign policy experts; and as it first hit the news in the last few days, the solution of the United States government is to pay the families of the victims for their losses.
Brief #134 – Foreign Policy
By Avery Roe
As President Biden is reinventing American foreign policy, particularly with regards to the Muslim world, Russia has been able to further establish itself as a viable alternative for those unhappy with President Biden’s plans and stances.
Brief #133 – Foreign Policy
By Ibrahim Sultan
On September 16, 2021, U.S. President Joe Biden, along with U.K. Prime minister Boris Johnson and Australian Prime minister Scott Morrison who joined in virtually, announced the creation of a new security partnership or the AUKUS pact, between the three nations that seeks to counter China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific.
Brief #132 – Foreign Policy
By Brandon Mooney
With the U.S. military officially pulling out of Afghanistan, an almost 20-year conflict and the longest war in American history comes to an end, alongside a mandate from all those whose lives were lost and impacted to reflect upon what the war and its legacy meant.
Brief #131 – Foreign Policy
By Avery Roe
With significant attention being drawn to the treatment of the Uyghur population and the rise of the Taliban, it is important to understand China’s relationship with the Muslim world as they contend for global influence.