Less than a week after the closely watched summit between Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin was invited to China. For Beijing, which has always placed great importance on diplomatic protocol and knows how to use timing and ceremonial details to send political signals, the timing is difficult to dismiss as a coincidence. It sounded more like a political message: After the Trump-Xi meeting, two like-minded partners moved quickly to compare notes, coordinate their positions, and assess the direction of U.S. policy and the evolving international landscape. The symbolism was particularly striking because Beijing had organized…
Author: Frank M. Everett
South Koreans will go to the polls on June 3 to elect local councils, municipal authorities, metropolitan mayors and provincial governors. The campaign officially began on May 21. The vote represents the first nationwide political test since President Lee Jae-myung took office, following the impeachment and political collapse of former President Yoon Suk-yeol. The deeper significance of the election lies not simply in the strong performance of the ruling Democratic Party (DP), but also in whether South Korea’s conservative movement can still function as a credible national alternative after the Yoon era. For decades, South Korean politics operated within a…
India’s unusually busy diplomatic schedule reflects the turbulent era we live in, defined by profound geopolitical, geoeconomic and technological transitions. Some of the developments occupying New Delhi’s strategic thinking do not directly involve India, but their ramifications are central to India’s strategic calculus. Multiple theaters of interest are simultaneously converging on India. The recently concluded Trump-Xi meeting took place almost in parallel with the meeting of BRICS foreign ministers. gathering in New Delhi. Around the same time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a five-country strategy. tour covering the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy. And this…
India’s ambitious efforts towards technical sovereignty in defense production increasingly face obstacles related to the limits of technology transfer (ToT) agreements, with supplier states reluctant to negotiate sensitive technologies. Recently, despite proposed acquisition plans for 114 multi-role combat aircraft for the Indian Air Force and another purchase order for 26 Dassault Rafale Marine Jets for the Indian Navy in 2025, France reportedly refused to grant access to the critical Interface Control Document (ICD) for Rafale aircraft, citing security concerns. The problem worsened to the point that India indicated it was abandoning the $43 billion project. agreement. The ICD is considered…
The “fun” part of politics in Kazakhstan is gossip and rumors. The latest is perhaps the most surprising. For several weeks, Kazakhstan’s social networks have been full of rumors that Dariga Nazarbayeva would become vice-president of the country. THE March 15 The constitutional referendum, among other things, introduced a vice-presidential position appointed by the president. A career politician, Dariga Nazarbayeva is the eldest daughter of former President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who left power in 2019 after three decades at the helm of the country. Once Kassym-Jomart Tokayev came to power, a slow process of “de-Nazarbayevification” launched. The pace of this process…
The Philippine Supreme Court yesterday rejected Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s request for a temporary restraining order to prevent his arrest and transfer to the International Criminal Court (ICC). On May 11, the ICC unsealed an arrest warrant for Dela Rosa, charging him with crimes against humanity for his role in leading former President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody “war on drugs” campaign. Dela Rosa then fled to his office in the Senate, before leaving the building before dawn on May 14. The senator, whose current whereabouts are unknown, also filed three petitions with the Supreme Court, asking it to prevent authorities…
Satellite images have revealed that North Korea and Russia are working to complete a new high-capacity highway bridge crossing their border over the Tumen River, and experts told Radio Free Asia that the fervor to quickly complete the project is a sign of increased cooperation and warm relations between Pyongyang and Moscow.Until now, the only bridge connecting the two countries was the Friendship Bridge, a much smaller railway bridge that was built in 1959 and was intended to be a temporary measure until a permanent bridge could be built. This has never happened until now.NK-Russia-tumen-river-bridge-2 According to satellite images, North…
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has announced a plan to allow the government to take control of the country’s main commodity exports, in a bid to boost government revenue at a time of global economic disruption. In what Reuters described as “a fiery 95-minute speech” to parliament, Prabowo said Indonesia had lost up to $908 billion due to the undervaluation of its raw materials at the time of export. He said exports had been understated through “fraud or deception” in order to reduce taxes, and that increased state control would lead to higher revenues in the national accounts. “The main objective…
A red and white trail of fighter jets over Astana marked the start of a two-day diplomatic debate over Turkish relations. The exhibition accompanied the state visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on May 14. The next day, Erdogan and Tokayev traveled separately to the southern Turkistan city. Together with the presidents of Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Northern Cyprus, they gathered for an informal meeting. summit of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). Held consecutively, Erdogan’s state visit and the OTS summit focused on overlapping themes, including humanitarian aid, trade and cultural cooperation. Yet a key difference emerged: Discussions…
Headlines proclaimed that Trump had taken revenge on Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) for demanding justice for Epstein survivors. The same media outlets that supported Trump’s return to the White House pushed the narrative about the president’s power and control over the Republican Party.PoliticusUSA provides straight news and opinions, without billionaires or corporate media. Support us by becoming a subscriber.The same media outlets haven’t asked whether Trump ousting Republicans who aren’t totally loyal to him is a good thing. Is Trump harming himself and the Republican Party by trying to get revenge on Republicans who tried to hold him accountable years…