Comment archive
Displaying 53 comments posted in 2025
July 2025
Multipolarity matures, but not according to Putin’s plan
The intensity of turbulence on the global arena has reached such high levels that the 2025 BRICS summit in Rio de Janeiro on 6–7 July attracted far less attention than expected.
Putin’s game of war-making and bargaining comes to end
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s fake readiness to negotiate the end of Moscow’s war against Ukraine amid its relentless attacks on Ukraine appears to be coming to a breaking point.
Реінтеграція 5 мільйонів ветеранів може стати наступним великим випробуванням для України: Результати недавнього опитування в Україні
На тлі дипломатичної невизначеності щодо мирних угод українські воїни продовжують боронити свою країну на передовій. Як тільки бойові дії закінчяться, ці жінки і чоловіки, ймовірно, зіткнуться з новою битвою - поверненням до мирного життя.
The reintegration of 5 million veterans may be Ukraine’s next major battle: Results from a recent survey in Ukraine
While discussions of a ceasefire remain clouded by diplomatic uncertainty, Ukrainian soldiers continue to fight on the frontlines. Once the fighting on the ground ends, these women and men will likely face their next battle in reintegrating into civilian lives.
Moscow ponders reconfigured Middle East, finding few openings
The cessation of hostilities in the Gulf on 25 June was as surprising for Moscow as Israel’s strike on Iran on 13 June. Russia’s attempts to assess the consequences of the surge of the air war have to take into account apparent analytical miscalculations.
June 2025
Putin’s preemptive maneuvering around NATO summit is cut off
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, investors from most parts of the world have stopped coming to Russia, so the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum has turned into a show of fake innovation.
Commemorating the 25 June 2022 terror attack against Oslo Pride: a chronology
As a political event the June 25 attack is remembered both in the context of domestic terror attacks and in the context of terror attacks against queer communities globally.
How do women ambassadors reshape diplomacy at the UN Security Council?
On the occasion of the International Day of Women in Diplomacy, 24 June.
Preventive war is wrong: Why recent attacks on Iran fail an important moral test
Can there be just cause for purely preventive military action – action that aims to impede or destroy an adversary’s capacity to wreck future harm?
The asylum paradox – yes. But what now?
Stating that the asylum system in Europe is dysfunctional, is hardly a novelty. It’s even been described as contributing to what has been referred to as an “asylum paradox.”
The US nuclear umbrella over Europe was a myth
Is it possible to imagine that one state would risk its own destruction in defence of another state?
Russia’s influence in Middle East takes hit from Israeli strikes
Israel’s decision to launch a series of missile and bomb strikes on Iran on June 13 was a shocking surprise for Moscow, where the working assumption had been centered on the presumably protracted U.S.-Iranian talks on the limitations of the nuclear program.
Russian retribution for daring Ukrainian strike is postponed. Perhaps indefinitely
The scale and character of Russian retaliation in the aftermath of the daring Ukrainian attack on four Russian aviation bases on June 1 have yet to be revealed.
Lawyers and the resilience of the liberal international order
In times of political crisis and attacks against the foundations of political liberalism, can we put our trust in lawyers and other legal occupations to fight for our freedoms, when they are under attack?
Russia’s maximalist demands undermine peace talks despite mounting domestic strains
The key goal of the most recent round of talks between Russia and Ukraine, held on Monday, June 2, in Istanbul, is supposed to be an exchange of memoranda on the conditions for ending the war.
Peace research is not defense research: Time to insist on tougher questions
It requires greater engagement from us as a peace research community to show why peace itself is important — indeed, the most important — public good of our time.
May 2025
Putin holds firm to war course, conjuring mirage of victory
The fever of diplomatic battles around Russia’s war against Ukraine in the first three weeks of May has broken, leaving few meaningful results.
Crisis and deglobalization: Contributions of research and the role of researchers
Humanitarian aid, development cooperation, migration governance and multilateralism have long been declared to be ‘in crisis’, but are currently experiencing unprecedented systemic shocks.
National Security and Defense Research: The Imperative of Academic Freedom and Open Debate
What kind of peace and security is to be established, nourished and preserved through the collaborative efforts to support and develop the Norwegian military?
Hunger, Displacement, and Occupation in Gaza
Outside Gaza, aid convoys are lined up. Food. Water. Medicine. The trucks are not allowed into Gaza because Israel is using humanitarian aid as a political tool to force Hamas into submission.
Putin Uses Victory Day Spectacle to Mask War Fatigue and Court Partners
The propaganda machine was switched to the maximum volume, turning the sombre memories of tragic battles and painful sacrifices into a celebration of militarism.
Defense Procurement and Democratic Debate: From Depoliticization to Repoliticization
Public deliberation on defense procurement could have focused on regulations, reform, or corruption. It has not.
Why Would Humans Do Anything Boring, Difficult or Dangerous in Star Wars? Science Fiction’s Reluctance to Embrace Its Own Technology.
This blog post contains spoilers for the first series in Andor, and other science fiction shows.
April 2025
Russia May be Switching Tactics From Sabotage of Peace Deal to Bargaining
On April 28, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a three-day ceasefire in his war against Ukraine in the lead-up to the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Second World War (President of Russia, April 28). The ceasefire is due to begin at midnight on May 7 and last until ...
The Hype, Delusions and Risks of the Arctic Geopolitics
The surge of political attention to the Arctic may appear counter-intuitive to the experts overtaxed with assessing the consequences of the global trade war, perplexed by the deadlock of the Ukraine War, and frustrated by the deepening indifference to the Gaza war. No notable power shifts are indeed registered in ...
Putin Weighs Risks of U.S. Readiness to Move on From Stalled Peace Efforts in Ukraine
The Kremlin has used delays and distractions to gain all the time and concessions available to it before seriously engaging in peace talks, or at least a genuine pause, in its war against Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin will soon be compelled to admit that procrastination works fine until it ...
Decision Point for Putin is Set Too Close for His Comfort
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Steven Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump’s key negotiator, last Friday, in St. Petersburg, likely to buy himself more time before making any concessions. On Sunday, Russian missiles struck the Ukrainian city of Sumy, killing 34 people including two children.Russia appears to hope that the ...
Global Trade Wars: All Against All — But Where is Africa?
The trade war, unilaterally launched by Donald Trump on April 1, 2025, will go down in global history as a hostile act against globalization and international rules — rules that were once defended by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the United States themselves. This act also marks one of ...
Global Trade War Does Not Diminish Pressure on Russia to End Its War
Russia is not directly affected by the new U.S. trade tariffs. The effects on its economy are profound, while the political effects are open to interpretation.
The Transatlantic Rift in the Global Disorder of Trumpism
We are currently experiencing a transitional phase between the world order established after 1945 and a new, yet undefined global order.
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