Opinion

ASEAN’s involvement with the BRICS is chipping away at one of the most salient points of Southeast Asian foreign policy – the need to maintain “space for diplomacy” with rivals. In January 2025 Indonesia formally entered the BRICS and in this same year Malaysia and Thailand were confirmed as partner countries, and in June 2025, Vietnam was added. The draw …

Japan is not always simply placing a new life inside an old shell. Japan is changing the nature of its naval approach, if you will, via the conversion of her Kaga sister ships and JSD Sinpo’s newly built JS Kaju and JS Izumo into STOVL capable vessels.  The vessels are being modified to house the F-35B short-takeoff and vertical-landing fighters, …

The world has perhaps not completely jumbled up the vision of nuclear war. What seems to be fading is the omnipresent reminder of that fear. As renewed arsenals build up, arms control is becoming more fragile and military technologies more complicated, so are nuclear risk levels, but the danger of nuclear devices tends to be less focus of media attention …

India’s dealings with China are moving into the security face-off – economic face-off arena. However, New Delhi has insisted that border tensions should not automatically be accompanied by a total economic break from the neighbours, but should be based on a policy where national security is equally the first principle, and ease of trade as the second. This is a …

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi renewed ties of “Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership” during the two-nation meeting at the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit held here. How the two cities relate is to get energy, increase trade, build connectivity and reserve room for having more than one partner in the world. View this post …

Vladimir Putin has revived the oldest land dispute with his visit to Iturup, one of the four disputed islands in the Kuriles chain. The islands are the Northern Territories for Japan, the Southern Kurils for Russia. Putin’s visit was not simply a domestic tour, but a very public declaration of a Russian state of affairs. At the conclusion of World …

The expanded BRICS enters 2026 with greater economic weight but also greater internal complexity. For India as chair of the group, it is not just about expanding the membership of BRICS but about expanding them as members. To be useful to businesses, investors, and developing economies is implemented. That demands not only finding alternatives to the US dollar, but also …

The round-the-clock turmoil in the Strait of Hormuz has demonstrated the fragility of energy markets to choke points in the sea. European prices for liquefied natural gas have jumped since supplies from the Middle East have been constrained and Asian buyers turned to other regions as well. The Azerbaijan strategic significance comes from there. The significance that Azerbaijan can move …

The upcoming 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi from 12 to 13 September 2026 is not just another diplomatic meeting as the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to attend. Known by Indian PM Narendra Modi himself, Marcos will use this summit to highlight the Philippines’ priorities as Chair of ASEAN in 2026, while having a direct …

History has shown, a military victory doesn’t automatically mean the same result politically, when superior weaponry is deployed. Conventionally strong forces have repeatedly foundered in their battles against insurgent opponents that possessed little military strength but possessed the greater strategic sensibility and ability to be patient and to rely on local support and political endurance. This is the Asymmetry Paradox. …