COMMENTARY
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Does Keir Starmer Not Understand Who Britain’s Enemies Are?
I watched Keir Starmer’s visit to China with a mixture of disbelief and weary recognition. Disbelief, because it is astonishing that a British Prime Minister in 2026 can still wander into Beijing wearing the benign expression of a man who…
If Russia Wins: A Scenario and the Logic of the West’s Managed Defeat
When Carlo Masala set out his hypothetical “Russian victory” in Ukraine, he defined it narrowly: not a march to Kyiv, but Moscow retaining the territories it already occupies. That premise matters because it aligns with the kind of “freeze” or…
South China Sea Tensions Surge as China Steps Up Patrols around Scarborough Shoal
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theatre Command has announced a fresh round of naval and air patrols around Scarborough Shoal, the coral outcrop that has become the unlikeliest flashpoint of the Indo-Pacific’s simmering strategic contest. The declaration, terse but…
Chagos Archipelago: Britain’s Self-Inflicted Strategic Retreat in the Indian Ocean
There are bad ideas in politics, and then there are ideas so recklessly self-defeating that one wonders whether national interest has been deliberately left out of the room. The UK’s current Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s proposed handover of the Chagos…
China-linked machine tools and chips: claims of a supply chain behind Russia’s Oreshnik missile
European governments have often treated dialogue with Beijing as a practical channel in foreign policy, including in managing risks linked to Russia’s war against Ukraine. A recent investigation by The Telegraph has prompted a different focus: whether Chinese-origin industrial equipment…
Starlink terminals on Russian drones raise fears of real-time targeting
Russian forces are increasingly being linked by Ukrainian specialists to the use of Starlink satellite terminals on strike drones, a development that, if sustained, could complicate interception and widen the range of targets that can be engaged under operator control.…
Reclaiming Port of Darwin From China: Australia Sends a Signal of Resolve
In an increasingly volatile world, where strategic certainty is at a premium, Australia’s recent decision to reclaim control of the Port of Darwin represents more than a policy adjustment — it is a confident assertion of national interest that other…
CSIS: Russia’s advance in Ukraine measured in metres, not kilometres
A Washington-based think tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), says the pace of Russia’s ground advance in Ukraine has fallen to levels that are historically low when set against major combined-arms offensives over the past century. In…
Kharkiv rail strike raises questions over Russia’s civilian targeting and negotiation pressure on Ukraine
A Russian drone strike on a civilian passenger train in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region on 27 January 2026 has sharpened attention on the targeting of civilians as diplomatic contacts continue in parallel. Ukrainian prosecutors said five people were killed when drones…
Iran: Washington’s latest drills send a message Tehran cannot ignore
In Washington’s corridors of power, where rhetoric often alternates between bravado and caution, the announcement this week of a multi-day aerial military exercise in the Middle East has been portrayed by the Pentagon as a routine demonstration of readiness. Yet…