Tony Van der Togt, MA in History, is a Senior Research Fellow at the Clingendael Institute, the Netherlands.
Is friendship possible when it comes to international relations and bilateral ties? Should a state consider interests of its counterpart when making big decisions? Even though the US and the EU are seen as an inseparable duo, at times their approaches to international challenges differ.
The EU could find a partner in China, which is pushing its New Silk Road initiative to include Central Asian states, Russia, and Eastern European states. This would connect the EU and the EEU in a new broader framework “from Lisbon to Shanghai,” stimulate inter-regional cooperation, and lead to greater prosperity across the whole of Eurasia.
The Russian-Chinese relations can be called excellent. However, this is what makes one think very seriously about the future of these relations. It is the main problem of any success: having achieved something, one always has to stop and think what to do next.
If President Donald Trump withholds the next round of Iran sanctions waivers due May 12, effectively exiting the nuclear deal, Tehran could resume its nuclear program “in a much more advanced way.”
Armenia has been in turmoil for the past few days. The fact that the central streets of Yerevan were packed with protesters did nothing to prevent ruling coalition MPs from convening in the National Assembly and voting for the appointment of Serzh Sargsyan as Prime Minister.
The history of sanctions against Iran deserves close analysis in light of the growing sanctions pressure on Russia. Although Iran and Russia are different countries facing different sanctions paradigms, Iran’s experience is meaningful if only because both countries have to contend with US sanction law.
The emerging trend towards de-dollarization in the EAEU can make domestic monetary policy more efficient as well as facilitate economic integration in the Eurasian space.