International relations

A student shows a piece of ceramic in the archaeological excavation near Salbitz, central Germany, on Friday, April 8, 2011.

States at dawn: Part I

Critical State, a foreign policy newsletter by Inkstick Media, takes a deep dive this week into the pre-history of international relations.

US State Department Counselor Derek Chollet smiles ahead of a meeting in Serbia, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023. 

America’s top priority is to help Ukraine ‘defend itself’ as a sovereign nation, Blinken adviser says

Ukraine
A CH-47F Chinook helicopter sits nestled in the Alaska Range to offload National Park Service equipment, supplies and personnel on Kahiltna Glacier April 27, 2022. 

Arctic alternatives: Part I

Critical State
Ukrainian servicemen prepare their weapon to fire Russian positions in Kharkiv region, Ukraine, early Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022.

US will support Ukraine against Russian aggression ‘as long as it takes,’ US State Dept. spokesperson says

Ukraine
King Philippe of Belgium, right, greets 100-year-old corporal Albert Kunyuku, the last surviving Congolese veteran of World War II during a ceremony at the Veterans Memorial in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Wednesday June 8, 2022. 

Belgian King Philippe’s visit to DR Congo stirs hope for a ‘win-win partnership,’ historian says

Global Politics
Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson talks during the parliamentary debate on the Swedish application for NATO membership, in Stockholm, Monday, May 16, 2022. 

In historic shift, Sweden will join Finland in requesting NATO membership

Global Politics

The historic shift comes after more than 200 years of military nonalignment in the Nordic country, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

President Joe Biden walks to board Air Force One, April 21, 2022, at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, en route to Portland, Oregon.

Are sanctions against Russia working? An expert weighs in.

Ukraine

Bill Browder, CEO and co-founder of Hermitage Capital Management and author of “Freezing Order: A True Story of Money Laundering, Murder, and Surviving Vladimir Putin’s Wrath,” was once a big investor in Russia. He spoke to The World’s host Marco Werman about whether sanctions against Russia are working as intended.

In this image provided by the US Air Force, pallets of ammunition, weapons and other equipment bound for Ukraine are loaded on a plane by members from the 436th Aerial Port Squadron during a foreign military sales mission at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware

Harsh sanctions, military support are key to Ukraine’s defense, former amb to Ukraine says

Ukraine

Former US Ambassador to Ukraine William Taylor joined The World’s host Marco Werman to discuss Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s emotional speech to US Congress and the American response so far to Russia’s invasion into Ukraine. 

Pipes at the landfall facilities of the 'Nord Stream 2' gas pipeline are pictured in Lubmin, northern Germany

The invasion in Ukraine could mean less reliance on energy from Russia, analyst says

Energy

Russia currently supplies about 40% of Europe’s natural gas. Gregory Brew, who studies energy policy at Yale University, says that the Russian invasion into Ukraine has triggered “a crisis in longterm European energy security.”

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett speaks to a group of Bahraini businesspeople during an official visit to Manama, Bahrain

What’s at stake for Israel and Gulf Arab countries in light of the Abraham Accords?

Global Politics

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has visited Bahrain as part of a push to boost regional ties with Gulf Arab countries following the signing of the Abraham Accords in 2020. The World’s host Marco Werman spoke with Hussein Ibish, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, about what’s a stake for the regional partnerships.