Bhutan, situated between India and China, is nicknamed the “Hidden Kingdom,” given the lack of attention it receives from the media and policymakers abroad. However, a few weeks ago, Bhutan appeared in the news cycle for an odd reason: the American travel ban. This incident highlights the need for Bhutan to consider establishing formal diplomatic relations with the U.S. Having an embassy in Washington D.C will make it easier to handle these types of issues going forward.

On November 5, 2024, Donald Trump was reelected the next president of the United States. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated “his friend” for winning reelection on X (Formerly Twitter). However, regardless of the cordial personal rapport between the two leaders, a Trump presidency has the potential to create issues for India, including human rights, China, Russia, and Iran, many of which stem from Trump’s erratic personality.

Modi's France visit highlights Indo-French strategic ties, shared objectives of autonomy, historical links, and economic ties. France’s acceptance of India’s diverging stance towards Russia reaffirms the importance of bilateral diplomacy over multilateralism.

One of the many things far-right parties across the West have in common is espousing xenophobic rhetoric. However, each far-right party differs based on the local context, such as the differences in religion between France’s and America’s far-right. The American far-right seeks to promote Christianity to protect American culture from immigrants, whereas the French far-right seeks to uphold secularism to preserve French culture.

As the Global South receives greater attention for its rising geopolitical stature, many countries are seeking to gain ground toward that bloc. One of these countries is France; however, its appeal in the Global South varies depending on the region. As a result, some view France as a partner against American hegemony, while others see it as a neo-colonial and imperialistic power. Ever since the Russians invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the word “Global South” seems to have made a resurgence within public discourse, with France being one of them. Aside from these rhetorical statements, does France have an effective policy that appeals to the Global South? The answer is it’s complicated, depending on the issue.