RUSI Newsbrief

As the US-China rivalry intensifies, both powers are courting mineral-rich African countries in an effort to secure critical raw materials. Translating Africa's vast natural-resource wealth into lasting development requires an infrastructure-led strategy that delivers long-term value for local communities.

Since the Myanmar military’s overthrow of a civilian government in 2021, the US has taken a punitive approach to the country, emphasising broad-based sanctions and aid to rebel groups. But far from promoting a democratic transition, this approach has perpetuated violence and suffering, while strengthening China's strategic foothold.

With Donald Trump effectively abandoning America's 80-year-old commitment to the transatlantic relationship and the broader international order, the future of European peace and prosperity is now wholly in Europeans’ hands. The task now is to unlock the continent's full technological, economic, and military potential.

The current US administration has lost its spirit of international cooperation, but this could be a mixed blessing for the other members of the United Nations.

After the Ukraine war caused natural gas prices to rise sharply, Norway collected windfall profits totalling an estimated $113 billion. Refusing to use these gains to support Ukraine’s defence and reconstruction is not only morally wrong; it also reflects a myopic perspective that Norway’s government should abandon.

As the new US president threatens to impose steep tariffs on any country challenging the dollar’s global dominance, India has been quietly making overtures to China. This development, partly driven by both countries’ attempts to strengthen their bargaining position, could herald a seismic geopolitical shift.

A stable, democratic Philippines is vital to US interests and regional security. The US and its Indo-Pacific partners and allies must do more to help the country build resilience against Chinese aggression not only in its territorial waters, but also in its politics.

An unstable Bangladesh mired in radical Islamism and political violence has long been India’s geopolitical nightmare. One hopes that the US soon recognises that this is not conducive to its interests, either, and puts pressure on Bangladesh’s interim government to protect its minorities and restore stability.

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.