Best of the fortnight - 20 October 2023
Guest Editor Dominic Hart has scoured the internet for IR-related content that might interest you. Here he brings you the past fortnight's best readings and podcasts to keep you up to date with what's happening around the world.
Global Issues
How China And Russia Can Help Us Avoid Escalation In The Middle East Anatol Lieven and George Beebe for Responsible Statecraft
How Europeans should respond to the Hamas offensive against Israel Julien Barnes-Dacey and Hugh Lovatt for ECFR
Israel-Gaza conflict: how could it change the Middle East’s political landscape? Expert Q&A Simon Mabon for The Conversation
UK and Europe
Poland votes for change after nearly a decade spent sliding towards autocracy – but tricky coalition talks lie ahead for Donald Tusk Simon Guerra and Fernando Casal Bertoa for The Conversation
Poland’s elections alter the balance of power in the EU Sebastien Maillard for Chatham House
Russia and Ukraine
Ukraine recap: what war in the Middle East means for Putin and Ukraine Rachel Jolley for The Conversation
Ukraine: Russia’s losses mount – but self-sacrifice in war is part of the country’s mythology Ben Soodavar for The Conversation
Israel-Gaza conflict: an opportunity for Putin while the world is distracted Robert Dover for The Conversation
How will Russia’s war in Ukraine develop as we near winter? Paul Rogers for OpenDemocracy
USA
President Biden’s Middle East visit reveals the challenges for US diplomacy – and the cost of American withdrawal from the region Dr Leslie Vinjamuri for Chatham House
The Long Unipolar Moment? Debating American Dominance Foreign Affairs
America Is a Root Cause of Israel and Palestine’s Latest War Stephen Walt for Foreign Policy
Latin America
1100 Kenyans Will Not Save Haiti Ebenezer Obadare for Council on Foreign Relations
Can a New Intervention Do Right by Haiti? Catherine Osborn for Foreign Policy
Ecuador’s 2023 Election: What Noboa’s Victory Means Will Freeman for Council on Foreign Relations
China
Xi-Putin meeting: here’s what it says about their current, and future, relationship Stefan Wolff for The Conversation
China’s Belt and Road Initiative Enters Its Second Decade: Which Leaders Went to Beijing to Celebrate with Xi Jinping? David Sacks for Council on Foreign Relations
Asia
Conflict In The Caucasus May Not Be Over Shireen Hunter for Responsible Statecraft
How India and China compete in non-aligned South Asia and the Indian Ocean Podcast by The Brookings Institute
Middle East
Israel-Gaza conflict: when social media fakes are rampant, news verification is vital Mitali Mukherjee for The Conversation
If this is Israel’s 9/11, we should remember what happened next Paul Rogers for OpenDemocracy
Hamas has achieved what it wanted by attacking Israel: terror, escalation, and disruption to the international order Michele Groppi for The Conversation
Africa
MENA countries should lead the way de-escalating the Israel–Hamas war Dr Sanam Vakil for Chatham House
Will Egypt Play a Role in Easing the Gaza War? Steven Cook for Council on Foreign Relations
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