By Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J. S. Davies* NEW YORK | 13 August 2026 (IDN) — According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the United States spent $21 trillion on its military between 2001 and 2024 (in constant 2024 dollars), equal to the combined military spending of the next eighteen countries. Iran barely […]
Catholicos Garegin II in court
By Benoit Lannoo* YEREVAN, Armenia | 8 August 2026 (IDN) — Do you remember the Investiture Controversy, when medieval emperors tried to take over the pope’s episcopal appointments? Or the difficult issue of the appointment of bishops in the People’s Republic of China? Well, although Armenia is considered a democratic state in Western chancelleries, respectful […]
Rebuilding Before Peace
How Ukraine Is Reshaping Europe and the International Order By Ramesh Jaura This article was first published on https://rjaura.substack.com BERLIN | 4 August 2026 (IDN) — The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has now gone well beyond being just a conflict in a particular region; it has changed Europe’s strategic position, brought deterrence back to […]
Has the Democratic Party Lost Its Way Regarding Russia and China?
By Jan Servaes MIAMI | 6 May 2026 (IDN) — Anyone visiting a reputable U.S. bookstore today in search of an analysis of the position the United States occupies on the global stage under President Trump will immediately spot the hefty 534-page tome: Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder by Michael McFaul. […]
Ukrainian Crisis Isn’t Worth a New Cold War
By Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden | 27 May 2026 (IDN) —Both the West and Russia have a responsibility to make sure they don’t throw the baby out with the bath water as their quarrel over Ukraine continues. So much has been achieved since the end of the Cold War. Why throw it away because of […]
The World Tilts into A New Great Power Struggle
The New Age of Power and Peril By Ramesh Jaura This article first appeared on https://rjaura.substack.com BERLIN | 21 May 2026 (IDN) — The world’s geopolitical centre of gravity is shifting once again, and the personal diplomacy of US President Donald Trump is increasingly part of the equation. His complex and often controversial relationships with […]
After Venezuela and Iran, Next Cuba?
By Jan Servaes BANGKOK | 16 May 2026 (IDN) — Following the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in a military attack, US President Donald Trump has hinted that Cuba could be his next target. In a presidential decree dated 26 January, 2026, he declared that […]
Conflict-ridden Sahel at the Crossroads
The Impact of the Iran War on West African Power and Conflict By Ramesh Jaura This article was first published on rjaura.substack.com BERLIN | 25 April 2026 (IDN) — The war involving Iran, Israel, and the United States is centred in the Middle East, but its effects are quickly changing geopolitical boundaries far beyond that […]
Situation Report: Attack on El-Daein Teaching Hospital kills 64
Situation in Sudan (per 23 March) An attack on the El-Daein Teaching Hospital killed at least 64 people on Friday, including children and medical staff, and wounded at least 89 others according to the World Health Organization (WHO). A total of 141 reported incidents of conflict related violence affected health care in Sudan during 2025, […]
From Anti-Russian McCarthyism to Pro-Russian Trumpism
By Dr. Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK | 9 March 2026 (IDN) — Back in the 1950s in the United States, even a whisper of sympathy for Russia or the Soviet Union was unthinkable and seen as almost traitorous. The eventual rise of McCarthyism was all about rooting out what were presumed to be “un-American activities,” […]