Geopolits - Western Europe Archives

A Feast of Vultures and Syria’s Carcass in the Crosshairs

March 25, 2025March 30, 2025

Economically, Syria is a corpse. The World Bank confirms 90% of its 22 million people live in poverty, with half its hospitals ruined and electricity sporadic. The EU’s £2.1 billion pledge on 24 February, per the Middle East Institute, is a pittance against a £315 billion rebuilding cost. US sanctions, unyielded despite HTS’s pleas, choke recovery, a cruel relic of deep-state spite. Russia, hobbled by Ukraine, clings to Tartus but offers little; China dangles Belt and Road promises but hesitates. HTS’s economic vision—330 diplomatic engagements by February, per the Washington Institute—flounders as the Syrian pound stabilises at 9,000 to the dollar, a frail improvement from 15,000, yet still dire.

Hungary, the United Nations, Gender Politics, and the Soft Power of Liberal Western Elites

March 23, 2025March 30, 2025

Hungary’s recent legislation is not an isolated act but part of a broader pushback against what Orbán calls “gender madness.” Since 2010, his government has enacted policies reinforcing traditional family values, including a 2020 constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and woman and restricting adoption to heterosexual couples. The 2021 Child Protection Act, which the new Pride ban builds upon, banned LGBTQ+ content in schools and media accessible to minors, drawing condemnation from the EU and UN alike.

Categories: America / Eastern Europe and Russia / Western Europe

Imamoglu’s Arrest is a Desperate Move in Erdogan’s Failing Quest for Dominance

March 22, 2025March 30, 2025

Erdogan’s rise to power in the early 2000s was initially celebrated as a triumph of democratic reform and economic modernization. He positioned himself as a bridge between Turkey’s secular Kemalist establishment and its conservative Muslim majority, promising to reconcile these divergent identities while propelling Turkey into the ranks of global powers. For a time, he succeeded, overseeing a period of robust economic growth and expanding Turkey’s influence in the Middle East, Europe, and beyond. However, this era of optimism gave way to a gradual but unmistakable shift toward authoritarianism.

Categories: America / Central Asia / Middle East / Western Europe

The French Retreat is a Step Closer to Freedom for Africa

March 3, 2025March 30, 2025

The French retreat is undoubtedly a cause for celebration, but it is not a panacea. Africa’s challenges are immense: terrorism, poverty, corruption, and climate change, to name just a few. The departure of French troops will not magically solve these problems. If anything, it places the onus squarely on African leaders to step up and deliver. The formation of the AES is a promising start, but it will require sustained commitment and cooperation to succeed.

Categories: Africa / America / South Asia / Western Europe

A Tale of Trump, Zelensky, and the Theatre of the Absurd

March 2, 2025March 30, 2025

Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, there was a man who believed he could play the piano with his pe… well, let’s just say it wasn’t his hands. This man, a former comedian turned wartime leader, found himself in a room with a man who once famously said, “You’re fired!” and another who wrote a bestselling memoir about hillbillies. The setting was the Oval Office, the stakes were global peace, and the outcome was, as one Ukrainian news site put it, “a grandiose failure.” This, dear reader, is the story of how Vladimir Zelensky, Donald Trump, and J.D. Vance turned diplomacy into a spectacle worthy of a Netflix special.

Categories: America / Eastern Europe and Russia / Western Europe

Trump-Putin Phone Call and the Ukraine Puzzle

February 13, 2025March 31, 2025

In the short term, the Trump-Putin talks could lead to a ceasefire and the resumption of diplomatic efforts, such as the Minsk agreements, which have been stalled for years. However, a lasting peace will require addressing the root causes of the conflict, including Ukraine’s geopolitical orientation, the status of Crimea and the Donbas region, and the security concerns of both Russia and NATO. This is a Herculean task considering that there will be immense diplomatic pressure from the Europe on Trump Administration. However, it will test the diplomatic acumen of all parties involved in the war.

Categories: America / Eastern Europe and Russia / Western Europe

The Role of Think Tanks in Legitimizing CIA-Backed Regime Change Operations

February 7, 2025March 31, 2025

If history is any guide, these think tanks will continue to provide intellectual cover for future regime change operations. Perhaps tomorrow’s target will be Venezuela, where think tank reports have long painted Nicolás Maduro as an existential threat to regional stability. Or maybe it will be Iran again, where “experts” routinely warn about the dangers of its nuclear program, conveniently ignoring the long history of U.S. meddling in Iranian affairs. Wherever the next intervention occurs, one can be sure that a glossy think tank report will be there to justify it.

Bangladesh’s Legal Sovereignty vs. ICC’s Western Strings

January 13, 2025March 31, 2025

The ICC’s geopolitical bias not only affects the credibility of its operations but also has diplomatic consequences. Countries with associations to ICC interventions face the risk of diplomatic fallout, affecting their global standing and relationships. For Bangladesh, submitting to ICC scrutiny can have far-reaching effects beyond the courtroom, potentially influencing its trade, aid, and diplomatic engagements.

Perils of Weaponizing Tariffs in Global Trade

December 11, 2024April 1, 2025

Perhaps the most significant consequence of these tariffs is their potential to accelerate the decline of the rules-based global economic order. The WTO, already weakened by years of criticism and inaction, faces further marginalization as major economies resort to unilateral measures. This shift erodes the mechanisms that have historically provided stability and predictability in international trade, increasing the risk of disputes escalating into broader economic conflicts. In the absence of a strong multilateral framework, the global economy risks devolving into competing blocs, where power dynamics and economic leverage dictate outcomes.

Strategies for Countering Indian Media’s Information Warfare Against Bangladesh

December 6, 2024April 1, 2025

While it is important to act quickly, the country must also focus on long-term resilience against future information warfare. Education and media literacy are key components in this strategy. Investing in educational initiatives that teach students how to critically engage with information will help build a future generation that is both media-savvy and resistant to the manipulative tactics of disinformation campaigns. Incorporating media literacy into school curricula, from primary schools to universities, will ensure that young people are equipped with the tools to discern between reliable and unreliable sources. Public awareness campaigns aimed at raising the population’s awareness of the dangers of misinformation could also be rolled out across multiple platforms, including radio, TV, and social media. These campaigns would educate the public on how disinformation harms society and how to protect oneself from it, fostering a more resilient population.