At a time when multilateralism is needed more than ever to address the global challenges and rising geopolitical tensions, paradoxically, the capacity and delegated power of the United Nations (UN) to uphold a rule-based order to keep peace and security is being weakened. Even in an increasingly...

For the past three years, Ukraine has not allowed Russia to win its illegal war of aggression. During long periods of the war, the parties have found themselves in a military and diplomatic stalemate. Now US President Donald Trump has sided with the aggressor. "Nothing about Ukraine without...

How do shifts in the global balance of power shape the world economy? We propose a theory of alignment-based “hegemonic globalization,” built on two central premises: countries differ in their preferences over policies (such as the rule of law or regulatory frameworks) and trade between any...

The European Parliament played a fundamental role in reshaping the political landscape of central and eastern Europe during and after the end of the Cold War, setting out an agenda for European enlargement and substantiating European integration. Amid an atmosphere that signalled the triumph of...

EU-GCC relations are shifting towards a dual-track approach, balancing multilateral and bilateral engagement to adapt to a changing geopolitical landscape. With FTA talks stalled, the new EU-UAE agreement reflects the need for flexibility amid global trade uncertainty, US policy shifts and...

On 3 December 2024, the then-President of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Yoon Suk-yeol triggered the gravest political crisis in the country since its democratisation by declaring martial law in a televised address. Yoon justified martial law as a response to what he dubbed the "legislative...

EU-GCC relations are shifting towards a dual-track approach, balancing multilateral and bilateral engagement to adapt to a changing geopolitical landscape. With FTA talks stalled, the new EU-UAE agreement reflects the need for flexibility amid global trade uncertainty, US policy shifts and...

In this paper, we examine the complex relationship between geopolitical tensions and migration, developing a framework to explore how these dynamics shape each other. We argue that geopolitical risks - such as wars, terrorism, and international disputes - are related in three ways to migration:...

At a time when multilateralism is needed more than ever to address the global challenges and rising geopolitical tensions, paradoxically, the capacity and delegated power of the United Nations (UN) to uphold a rule-based order to keep peace and security is being weakened. Even in an increasingly...

Vor dem Hintergrund einer sich verändernden globalen Wettbewerbssituation dominieren Fragen von Sicherheit und Autonomie neben Wettbewerbsfähigkeit die politischen Debatten und Handlungsstrategien und haben scheinbar die grüne Agenda der EU in den Hintergrund gedrängt. Doch weder...

Purpose - This research aims to examine the US-China policy shift from Obama to Biden emphasizing the centrality of Taiwan question in the geostrategic competition with Beijing and its prospect if the US strategy remains unchanged. Design/methodology/approach - A conceptual framework is...

Europe must take more responsibility for its defence, if necessary without the United States, given Washington’s volatility. In March 2025, the European Union (EU) launched a series of initiatives to strengthen defence industry and defence policy cooperation. With these new instruments also...

Southeast Asia has long been a foreign policy priority for Japan, but Tokyo has intensified its engagement - both with the ASEAN Commu­nity as a whole and with individual member states - since 2012. Japan views China’s growing influence in Southeast Asia as a major foreign policy challenge...

How do shifts in the global balance of power shape the world economy? We propose a theory of alignment-based “hegemonic globalization”, built on two central premises: countries differ in their preferences over policies (such as the rule of law or regulatory frameworks) and trade between any...

A study conducted by the European Parliamentary Research Service (2023) notes that the European Union's (EU) relations with Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries are being affected by changes in global power, economic uncertainty, and security threats. The current working paper...

Driven by both political camps in Seoul, relations between South Korea and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have deepened significantly since their initiation in 2005. While this intensified relationship was shaped to a large extent by geopolitical developments and increasing...

On 8 December 2024, the Assad regime in Syria was overthrown by a rebel alliance led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). The collapse of the family dictatorship was made possible by shifts in regional and international power dynamics. Key factors included Turkish support for the rebels, the...

Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine marked the start of a prolonged confrontation between Moscow and Europe - one that is fundamentally reshaping the parameters of European security. The return of Donald Trump to the White House and his stated intent to quickly end the war in Ukraine and put...

This article explores the interplay between economic hegemony and political alignment. Using theoretical and empirical insights from Broner et al. (2024), we posit that hegemonic states, such as the U.S., foster political alignment, which enhances globalization. We use UN voting data to proxy...

This research article inspired by Jan Zielonka (2006) book "Europe as Empire: The Nature of the Enlarged European Union" examines the dynamic relations between Azerbaijan and Georgia and contributions of the European Union to these relations. The period researched is after the Second Karabakh...

In an era of global systemic transformations, small states encounter heightened challenges in safeguarding their sovereignty and maintaining strategic relevance. This article examines Armenia's foreign policy as a representative case of small state behavior in a contested geopolitical...

This year’s Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin marked the largest gathering in the organisation’s history, drawing more than 20 heads of state and 10 representatives of international organisations. At the SCO+ session, China’s Head of State and Party Leader Xi...

The founding of modern Egypt by Muhammad Ali Pasha required an appropriately modern economy, with industry following the model of more advanced European states. The Pasha of Egypt in- volved himself personally in every phase of the organization of Egyptian industry, garnering the experiences of...

Eine erneute Präsidentschaft von Donald Trump dürfte auf alle Themen der internationalen Beziehungen enorme Auswirkungen haben; relevant sind sie aufgrund der Weltmachtstellung der USA per se für alle Akteure. Trumps politische Inhalte unterscheiden sich gravierend von früheren...