Jonas Balkus’ Post

"Russia made almost no difference through its modest investments and bet its entire strategy on this mixture of, on one hand, the renewal of the former #USSR networks and the reification of the #Soviet past, and on the other, the direct intrusion in the domestic conflicts of the most vulnerable #African states." Facinating interview about #Russia's destabilizing efforts in #Africa. Professor Sergiu Miscoiu breaks the issue down below. https://lnkd.in/gYYSMk-E

EU foreign policy chief recognizes Ukraine conflict sidetracked "What is happening in the Middle East indicates that we have lost our sense of humanity," Josep Borrell said MADRID, October 28/ EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell acknowledged that the conflict in Ukraine has now taken a secondary position. "What is happening in the Middle East indicates that we have lost our sense of humanity," the diplomat said in an interview with Spain’s RNE radio. "We no longer talk as much about the war in Ukraine, as if it is over, but no, I assure you it is not over; it continues with the same intensity," he added. "I don’t know how many UN resolutions Israel has systematically failed to comply with," Borrell emphasized. "When we say we demand a ceasefire, that demand implies our coercive capabilities. As long as the war continues in Gaza and Lebanon, we will live on the brink of a spark that could ignite an even larger conflict," the EU diplomatic chief concluded. #business #finance #financialservices

U.S. and Western aid is used to prop up authoritarian regimes in the Muslim world, enabling them to rule with an iron fist. My analysis aligns with the broader pattern of U.S. support for authoritarian allies in the region, as long as they align with American and Israeli interests. My analysis proves: Democracy is just the 1 rhetoric and 2 the tool. 1 Democracy is rhetoric (USA pays lip service to it) but chose not to translate it into policy when democracy may hurt its interest.  Authoritarian allies are far better and preferable because minus public support these can be manipulated 2 Democracy is the tool when USA and West need to impose sanctions on North Korea and china and Russia and Iran. Authoritarianism is condemned (despite Iran is democracy) in these all countries because these countries pose challenges to USA interest. 3 Democracy is acceptable only if the democratically elected ruler is amenable to the demands of the USA and West otherwise the president of Turkey despite being the close ally of West (Turkey is the member of NATO) is condemned and democratically elected leaders in EGYPT and Iran and Algeria are deposed through engineered coups 

Today, I helped to brief journalists about EU-Israel relations following October 7. I highlighted the initial solidarity, which has since weakened due to the situation in Gaza and growing tensions in the region, especially with Hezbollah. We also discussed the crucial need for the hostages to be returned home and dismantling Hamas to create real prospects for peace. The Abraham Accords hold enormous potential to become a peacebuilding force in the Middle East, much like the EU project was for Europe after World War II.

The Beijing Declaration on Ending Division and Strengthening Palestinian National Unity has garnered the signatures of inter alia 14 Palestinian groups, including Hamas and Fatah. Signed in late July, China has trumpeted it as a "vital historical moment" free from any "selfish considerations" on their part. Kalos Lau argues the Beijing Declaration remains remarkable notwithstanding both the aforesaid statements ringing hollow. The PRC's burgeoning role as a 'responsible great power' championing a multilateral order which safeguards sovereignty and autonomy is handily evidenced by the declaration, he contends. All in all, Lau cogently frames the Beijing Declaration as an unmistakable step towards diplomatic pre-eminence, not least because it frames China as just as (if not more) successful than the western powers who have been toiling in that vinyard of middle-eastern peacebuilding for perhaps too long. #Beijing #China #PRC #Palestine #Israel https://lnkd.in/eKxVmFri

The U.S. and UK reaffirm their united stance on global security at the latest Strategic Dialogue (Sept 10-11). From unwavering support for Ukraine to promoting peace in the Indo-Pacific, this partnership continues to uphold international law and shared values. Key discussions: Support for Ukraine 🇺🇦 Peace efforts in the Middle East 🕊️ Concerns over China's actions in the South China Sea 🌊 Commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific 🌏 Stability in the Taiwan Strait ⚖️ #USUKPartnership #GlobalSecurity #IndoPacific #Ukraine #SouthChinaSea #InternationalLaw #China #Taiwan

"God spared my life for a reason" - Donald Trump 47th President of the United States of America. Middle East Policy The official Republican Party Platform of 2024 doesn’t say much about foreign policy in the Middle East aside from “stand with Israel” and “restore peace in the Middle East.”A second Trump administration could represent a continuation of previous policies from 2017-2021, including: - A “maximum pressure” approach to Iran with a focus on economic sanctions, strong rhetoric, and targeted military actions; - Strong opposition to diplomacy with Iran over a nuclear deal; - A lower priority on human rights and democracy in US policy and a higher priority on energy and economic policy cooperation; - A transactional relationship with regional strongmen like President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey; - A warm relationship with Saudi Arabia; - A desire to achieve a US-Saudi-Israel deal similar to the 2020 Abraham - Accords that opened formal relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco; - A ban on immigration from Muslim-majority countries; - A largely hands-off approach in Syria or a potential withdrawal of US forces from the country. #DonaldTrump #election #vote #politics #trump #news #elections #usa #KamalaHarris #india #biden #congress #maga #republican #MiddleEast #democrats #usapresident #america #joebiden #democracy #bjp #president #voting #government #conservative #republicans #bidenharris https://lnkd.in/d_ghWdDf

In the coming days and weeks, it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold. Will Iran choose to retaliate against Israel, and if so, what form will that retaliation take? How will Israel respond to any Iranian aggression? These questions hang heavy in the air, underscoring the fragility of the geopolitical landscape in the Middle East and the urgent need for diplomatic efforts to defuse tensions and prevent further escalation. #IranIsraelConflict #MiddleEastTensions #Geopolitics #GlobalSecurity #Iran #Israelhttps://wix.to/PXjCCr6

Israel, mainly the Zionist movement with nation of Israel, have become swaggering and behave like a spoiled and undisciplined child. A nation Israel has never stood on its own two feet. It is and always has been a leech on the back of western taxpayers. Israel is deliberately trying to start a regional conflict that no one is interested in. Let’s not forget Israel deliberately struck the Iranian consulate in Syria. That means a violated the sovereignty of Syria and Iran. Diplomatic facilities are inviolable by international rules/law. Once again, Israel shown it believes that the rules do not apply to it. Largely their right because Western leaders as a whole are either bought and paid for or to weak to stand up to them. Sarcastically said, isn’t it wonderful to see Germany arresting and silencing Jews once again? Criminalizing political speech, squashing freedom of assembly, denying the freedom of speech to anti-Zionist Jews.

The potential fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime represents a turning point in Syrian history with far-reaching implications for regional stability and international relations. While there are opportunities for a new government to emerge that could foster unity and cooperation, significant challenges remain regarding internal divisions and external pressures from powerful allies like Iran and Russia. The future of Syria will depend on the ability of any successor government to navigate these complexities while addressing the grievances that have fueled conflict for over a decade. As such, understanding these dynamics is crucial for policymakers seeking to promote peace and stability in this volatile region.