Eastern Europe / Opinion
COMMENT: The long road to a BRICS-led world order hits familiar obstacles
Brazil's upcoming BRICS summit exposes the bloc's growing pains as 21 members wrestle with deep divisions. The group's ambitious challenge to US financial dominance hits reality as internal disagreements threaten its push for global clout.
COMMENT: Black Sea becomes central to Europe’s evolving security order
As the war in Ukraine grinds on, the Black Sea is emerging as the key theatre in Europe’s long-term security contest with Russia, according to political analyst Dimitar Bechev of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
COMMENT: Georgia goes from sanctions-dodging transit country to Russia’s oil export backdoor into Europe
Georgia has long been suspected of being a major transit country for European sanctioned goods travelling to Russia, but now it appears the trade is flowing in the other direction: Georgia has become a major backdoor into the EU for Russian oil.
Russia provoking conflict in Western Balkans as leverage against West, think-tank says
Instability in the Western Balkans "presents Russia with a win-win scenario", says FPRI analysis.
COMMENT: Middle East oil shock scenarios pose inflation risk, but economic hit seen as modest
The threat of escalating conflict between Israel and Iran has returned geopolitical risk to the heart of the global oil market. Yet according to Oxford Economics, the macroeconomic fallout – even in the most extreme case – may be mild.