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The experience of the US’s defeat in Vietnam shows that ending the war in Ukraine requires a comprehensive strategy, combining military, economic and diplomatic pressures to force Russian withdrawal and secure lasting peace.

Kazakhstan’s multivector foreign policy has enabled it to navigate great power rivalries, safeguarding its autonomy while emerging as a key middle power on the global stage.

As African states turn to nuclear power to meet growing energy demands, they do so against a backdrop of intensifying global geopolitical competition, raising questions about sovereignty, alliances and long-term societal impacts.

As Israel continues to grapple with the loss of its aura of inviolability following last year's Hamas attack, Iran is struggling to maintain influence as its proxies in Gaza, Lebanon and Yemen suffer heavy losses. Both countries know that an all-out war would be catastrophic, yet neither side can afford to back down entirely.

With Vladimir Putin’s war of aggression in Ukraine approaching its third anniversary, the financial, technological and demographic hurdles facing the Russian economy are more severe than is commonly understood. Contrary to what the Kremlin would like others to believe, time is not on Russia’s side.

Already struggling to get out of its deepest economic downturn in 120 years, Latin America now must brace for the possibility of another Donald Trump presidency. Judging by the Republican candidate's campaign promises and longstanding positions on trade and immigration policy, the implications would be dire.

There is good reason to think that, even if Russia and Ukraine reached a peace deal, Vladimir Putin would readily abandon it and re-invade Ukraine at the first opportunity. That is why any agreement must include a guarantee from NATO to protect Ukraine’s independence in the long term.

Having ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after nearly 16 years of corrupt, authoritarian rule, Bangladeshi youth are exercising political agency and articulating a vision of good governance and a merit-based society. Though a democratic renewal is far from assured, it is more likely if young people remain committed and ready to mobilise.

Contrary to what many Western policymakers and commentators once hoped, recent analyses have added to the evidence that trade does not always foster democracy or liberalise regimes. Instead, China’s greater integration with the developing world appears to be doing precisely the opposite.

The US and China are both vying for influence among Global South countries, whose support will be crucial in shaping the future of the international order. Against this backdrop, it is increasingly important to understand Beijing’s views of this unfolding contest.

The alliance of convenience between Russia and China threatens not only to accelerate an increasingly overstretched US’s relative decline, but also to erode Indian security. India now must take advantage of its relationship with Russia to mediate an end to the Ukraine war and drive a wedge between Russia and China.

If opposition candidate Masoud Pezeshkian wins and succeeds President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash last month, US policymakers must respond constructively. Such a scenario could not only reduce the risk of a wider war in the Middle East, but also prepare the way for a two-state solution in Israel and Palestine.

Struggling under an unsustainable debt burden, Pakistan must take decisive action to monetise its huge unrealised geostrategic value, while also unlocking the hidden value of its state-owned enterprises.

Borrowing from the Kremlin’s playbook, Bidzina Ivanishvili, Georgia’s de facto ruler, is seeking to eliminate foreign-funded NGOs, suppress independent media, and eradicate the political opposition. His determination to establish an authoritarian regime reflects his harmony of interests with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Thanks to a combination of shrewd political tactics and powerful false narratives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party appear to be headed toward an easy victory in the country’s ongoing parliamentary election. With that, the erosion of Indian democracy will almost certainly accelerate.

Given the outsize impact of US–China competition on East Asian countries, even slightly improved bilateral ties would bode well in the near term. Nonetheless, new risks and political arrangements ensure that the region will continue to be characterised by great-power rivalry and many flashpoints.

With the exception of the extreme right, no one in Israel wants to be stuck in Gaza, responsible for 2.4 million Palestinians, and facing a likely insurgency. Israel can end this war soon and save those hostages who are still alive, having demilitarised Gaza and set the stage for an alternative to Hamas.

After more than 200 years of neutrality with respect to regional and global great-power conflicts, Sweden has now chosen a side with its formal accession to NATO. With major strategic assets to offer the alliance, Sweden's membership represents a fundamental shift in the regional balance of power.

Two years after Russia launched its full-scale war of aggression, Ukraine is still holding the line militarily, and even beginning to recover economically. As much as Vladimir Putin wants the world to think he has shielded the Russian economy from blowback, recent financial and economic developments suggest otherwise.

Growing concerns over Beijing’s coercive power in the critical mineral supply chain have led the US and other Western countries to explore new strategies for diversifying away from China. Japan provides a useful case study in this regard.