Global Affairs
Executive Summary In the past 24 hours, multiple intelligence reports have confirmed that Israel is actively preparing for a possible unilateral strike on Iranian nuclear facilities. This comes amid growing dissatisfaction in Jerusalem with the pace and substance of ongoing U.S.–Iran nuclear negotiations and as Israel faces mounting
Global Affairs
Introduction On May 21, 2025, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in a high-stakes diplomatic encounter aimed at resetting increasingly fractious relations between Africa’s most industrialized nation and the world’s largest economy. Against a backdrop of escalating rhetoric,
Global Affairs
Introduction The killing of seven young men at a church festivity in San Bartolo de Berrios, Guanajuato, stands as a grim reminder of the relentless cartel violence that has come to define large swathes of Mexico’s heartland. This latest massacre, carried out by gunmen who opened fire in the
Global Affairs
Executive Summary Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s whirlwind tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates in May 2025 has redrawn the diplomatic map of the Middle East. The trip yielded unprecedented arms and business deals, signaled a decisive shift toward a new Sunni-led regional order,
Global Affairs
Introduction The global semiconductor industry stands at the center of technological competition, economic resilience, and national security. In May 2025, Taiwanese semiconductor materials giant GlobalWafers announced a landmark $7.5 billion investment to expand its U.S. operations, with the centerpiece being a new and rapidly expanding 300mm silicon wafer
Global Affairs
Introduction Chinese President Xi Jinping’s May 2025 state visit to Moscow marked a watershed in Sino-Russian relations, transforming their “no-limits” partnership from rhetorical flourish into operational reality. Against the backdrop of Russia’s protracted war in Ukraine and escalating U.S.-China tensions, the summit produced a 7,000-word
Global Affairs
Executive Summary In May 2025, Côte d’Ivoire and the United States reached an agreement in principle to allow U.S. drone operations from Ivorian territory, marking a pivotal shift in West African security architecture. The accord, which centers on U.S. access to the Bouaké air base and possibly
Global Affairs
Introduction Romania’s 2025 presidential runoff marks one of the most consequential moments in the country’s post-communist history. The election pits George Simion, a hard-right nationalist and eurosceptic, against Nicușor Dan, the centrist, pro-EU mayor of Bucharest. This contest comes after a year of unprecedented political turmoil, including the
Global Affairs
The trilateral trade relationship between the United States, Mexico, and Canada faces its most significant test since the implementation of the USMCA in 2020, as geopolitical realignments and domestic political shifts reshape North American economic diplomacy. The May 15, 2025, phone conversation between Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime
Global Affairs
The escalating water conflict between India and Pakistan over the Indus River system has emerged as the most volatile geopolitical flashpoint in the Asia-Pacific region, threatening to destabilize relations between two nuclear-armed neighbors already locked in seven decades of territorial disputes. At the heart of this crisis lies India’s
Global Affairs
The first direct peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine in over three years concluded in Istanbul on May 16, 2025, marking a pivotal moment in the protracted conflict. While the talks failed to produce a ceasefire agreement, they resulted in a landmark prisoner exchange deal and exposed the entrenched geopolitical
Global Affairs
Introduction Europe stands at a historic crossroads. The ongoing war in Ukraine, now in its fourth year, has not only upended the continent’s security architecture but also triggered a profound transformation in the European Union’s approach to defense, economic policy, and international relations. Once seen as a project