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.

The expiration of the Russia-Ukraine gas transit deal—which will cut Russian gas flow to Europe by 30%, from an already reduced 35% of 2021 levels—underscores Europe's structural and political challenges in fully eliminating reliance on Russian energy.

Brexit catalyzed the EU's climate policy evolution, fostering stronger internal cohesion and ambitious initiatives like the European Green Deal. Despite challenges like fragmented carbon markets, Brexit ultimately strengthened the EU's global climate leadership and innovation.

Greece’s victory over Italy in the Greco-Italian War (1940-1941) was driven by strategic use of geography, harsh weather, and national unity. Greek forces leveraged rugged terrain, adaptable tactics, and morale to counter Italy’s technological and numerical advantages, demonstrating the critical role of spatiality and logistical disruption in military success.

Putinism’s flexible, anti-Western system sustains Russian authoritarianism through contradictory narratives—religious conservatism and Eurasianism—while NATO’s failure to counter these narratives has emboldened Russian aggression. NATO must reject appeasement, delegitimize Putinism, and prioritize Ukraine’s defense to preserve Western security.

A European Defense Force is needed to enhance EU autonomy amid geopolitical threats like Russian aggression and terrorism. Coordination challenges, reliance on non-EU suppliers, and diverging national priorities abound. Frameworks like PESCO and EDF can strengthen EU defense, complement NATO, and achieve strategic independence and global influence.

In October 2024, North Korea sent troops to be trained in Russia with some already deployed in the new theaters of operations in Ukraine. The arrival of North Korean troops in Europe illustrates the continual internationalization of the conflict as well as its new dynamics, announcing a potential large Russian offensive, but also raises questions on what incentivizes Pyongyang to take action in Ukraine.   

Shifting Sands: Land Legislation and Imperial Strategy in the Macedonian Dynasty examines how Byzantine emperors like Romanos I and Basil II used land laws as tools for social reform, military stability, and control over elite power, reflecting evolving governance priorities.

A challenge to cohesion for a geopolitical vision across Europe and the west is populism. Left-wing populism is unfamiliar in its origins and topicality for those who seek to understand this issue. In Germany, leftist populism has found sureness and lucidity against the liberal world order to the benefit of Russia.

Ten years since the referendum, Scotland still awaits a second chance at independence. The 2016 Brexit decision and subsquent attacks on devolution have increased support for a split from England, but a Labour victory in the recent UK election has signaled that the SNP and independence might have lost some backing - for now.

Vladimir Putin and the war in Ukraine have had a detrimental impact on the respect of arms control treaties between Russia and the United States. There is a need for the U.S. to formulate a plan to reinstate these agreements in the aftermath of the Ruso-Ukrainian war and eventual leadership change in Russia. To do so, the United States must evaluate Cold-War era efforts to foster communication.

A strained relationship between the European Union and Turkey arrives as a result of political and ideological disagreements between the EU’s governing body and Turkey’s President Erdoğan. Uncertainty between the two must be circumvented to secure peace and prosperity in both Europe and the Middle East. 

Thought tactical and situational causes contribute to an explanation of why Marshal Wellington prevailed at Waterloo, geographic and climatic causes must not be overlooked.

Despite sanctions and efforts to diversify energy sources, Europe has not fully decoupled from Russian gas. Indirect purchases through third-party countries, long-term contracts, and Russia's shadow fleet enable Russian energy to continue flowing into Europe via complex, covert channels.

Instead of reinforcing civic solidarity, the ban on wearing abayas in French public schools based on the principle of lacite undermines civic solidarity as it ends up isolating French Muslims from French society. Instead of cultivating civic solidarity, laicite has created alienation, which has resulted in mass polarization in French culture towards violent unrest. By aspiring to embody cosmopolitan conduct in French social policy, France can develop a genuine foundation for civic solidarity.

Denmark's electricity market is dominated by renewable energy, especially wind power, and a commitment to climate goals. Despite its progress, wind energy's variability challenges grid reliability. To address this, Denmark should expand wind capacity, modernize its grid, invest in energy storage, and collaborate regionally to balance supply and demand, ensuring a sustainable and stable energy future.

The Russia-Ukraine War has strengthened Russia-North Korea ties, leading to military and economic cooperation, mutual sanctions evasion, and heightened concerns about regional security and destabilization of international peace efforts

A far-right wave washing over Europe: Fears of immigration, economic instability, and the erosion of national identity.

Visiting Bosnia and North Macedonia this summer showed me the impacts of decades of ethnic segregation and hate among ethnic groups. This experience pushed me to analyze the reconciliation process in the two countries.

In 1938, Nazi Germany annexed Austria, and France and the UK pursued appeasement, sacrificing Czechoslovakia. Despite these efforts, war erupted in 1939. The failure of appeasement still echoes in the collective memory of Western diplomacy.