Against the backdrop of ineffectiveness of the UN in diffusing West Asia and Eurasia conflicts, failure to adopt a global pact on plastic pollution, and over and above all, the rise of unilateral trade protectionism, the China-led Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has concluded its two-day (August 31 - September 1) high-profile 25th Summit in Tianjin, China.
On April 1, 2025, Finland’s Prime Minister announced the country’s intention to withdraw from the international treaty banning anti-personnel land mines. Contrary to the date’s association with pranks, this declaration is no April Fool’s joke. Historically, wars have compelled states to suspend, derogate from, or even terminate treaty obligations.
This is a two part article. The first part focuses on the current state of China's military capabilities while also exposing the vulnerabilities undermining its strategic ambitions.
Bakhmut, an eastern Ukrainian city, has been enduring the consequences of Russia's aggression since the outset of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. Once known as Artemivsk, it retained this name until 2016, encompassing both the Soviet and post-Soviet periods. During the 2014 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Russian occupiers laid claim to Bakhmut as part of their territorial ambitions.
Introduction