Carnegie Moscow Center
The failure of the international community to recognize the Caucasus and Central Asia as a region with complex internal dynamics complicates efforts to respond to global challenges ranging from energy security and arms proliferation to humanitarian crises.
The status quo in the Arab world is unsustainable. Arab regimes have a choice: They can either lead a reform process from above or watch it take place in the streets below.
A change in Egyptian leadership would bring to end nearly three decades of uninterrupted rule and have significant implications for the region’s balance of power.
As a new national unity government in Tunisia struggles to gain support, political parties, civil society, and the military will play a critical role in determining whether the country can transition to a more democratic state or will fall back into its old political structure.
The recent revolution in Tunisia demonstrates that the complete stifling of political opposition does not guarantee longevity for authoritarian regimes.
While the departure of President Ben Ali does not necessarily signal a democratic transition, the international community can play a role in creating space for a genuine democracy to take root in Tunisia.
Confronting the global challenges in 2011, from the ongoing war in Afghanistan and a rising China to continuing international economic turmoil, will require an understanding how much has changed and the extent to which the center of gravity in global power has shifted.
Moscow's more active policy stance on North Korea serves Russia's strategic, political, and economic interests and could potentially have a positive impact on the situation on the Korean Peninsula.
While Turkey’s vote against additional UN Security Council sanctions on Iran was viewed by some as a sign that Turkey is drifting away from the West, in reality the relationship is much more complicated.
The upcoming White House review of President Obama’s war strategy in Afghanstan is expected to cite progress in the fight against the Taliban, but also to highlight key remaining challenges to U.S. efforts in the country.