The United States leverages its “centrality” within global financial networks, particularly through the dominance of the US dollar and its influence over institutions such as SWIFT, to exert coercive economic pressure on other states. US sanctions policy has increasingly shifted from traditional trade embargoes toward targeted and secondary sanctions, extending pressure to non-sanctioned states and entities maintaining commercial or financial relations with sanctioned countri

The islands known as the Southern Kurils in Russia and the Northern Territories in Japan have regained importance after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent visit to the disputed territory. Russia has also conducted large-scale military exercises around the islands, which have provoked protests from Japan. Illustration by The Geostrata The renewed tensions over the islands come at a time when Russia’s military posture in the region is drawing greater attention from Japan

For Mongolia, geography does not just act as a hindrance to its foreign policy. In fact, geography is where foreign policy begins, since the country lies between Russia and China and therefore has to engage both countries diplomatically. Yet closer engagement with either also carries the risk of dependence. Mongolia’s response has traditionally been to balance its two neighbours while cultivating a network of “Third Neighbours” beyond its immediate geography. Recent developme

For years, Ankara balanced its position on the agenda of air defence systems while being constantly tested by both sides. On one hand, it acquired the Russian-made S-400 Triumf long- and medium-range anti-aircraft missile system, and on the other, it continued its appeal to Washington about its interest in obtaining access to American F-35 Fighter jets. Illustration by The Geostrata The contradiction deepened as Ankara insisted on keeping the American F-35, while Washington i

Indian foreign policy is reaching a stage where its relations with the US are too significant to give up but too unclear to stake everything on. New Delhi is strengthening its ties with Russia and China through its involvement in BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while bolstering its partnership with the United States in defence, technology, trade, and the Indo-Pacific region. Illustration by The Geostrata This growing strategic engagement with multiple power c

In 1987, Soviet political scientist Georgy Arbatov told off his American counterparts, saying, “We are going to do a terrible thing to you. We are going to deprive you of an enemy.” The West laughed off the warning, but it should have known better. If there was ever something that held the entire NATO alliance together, it was the common threat of the totalitarian regime beyond the Iron Curtain. Once that threat lost its plausibility, the fractures that had only been masked b

The Golden Dome Missile Defence Initiative is a plan to create a new missile defence system announced by the United States in 2025. It is similar to Israel's Iron Dome, but much bigger and is sought to be even more effective. Unlike the Iron Dome, which is primarily designed to intercept short-range artillery projectiles, the Golden Dome aims to defend the entire United States against a wide spectrum of aerial threats. Illustration by The Geostrata It will integrate ground-ba

Beijing has witnessed two high-stakes summits. U.S. President Donald Trump’s state visit from the 13th to the 15th of May, 2026, which resulted in a transactional framework of "constructive strategic stability,” stood in stark contrast to the arrival of the Russian President Vladimir Putin on the 19th of May to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sino-Russian Treaty of Friendship. Illustration by The Geostrata By hosting these rival leaders in rapid succession, China dem

On 12 April 2026, Hungary, for the first time in sixteen long years, welcomed a new government to the seat of power. In a watershed moment in Hungarian politics, around 79.5% of Hungary’s electorate turned out to vote in a monumental exercise of democracy. Viktor Orbán, the man who had dominated the seat of power since 2010, was defeated by Peter Magyar by a landslide margin of 138-55. Illustration by The Geostrata This change in governments is not a mere change in ruling par

The Popular opinion today is that the 2026 Middle East conflict between Israel, Iran, and the U.S.A has fundamentally destabilised the world’s largest oil importer, China. Contrary to this opinion, Beijing is rather successfully converting this systemic threat into its strategic advantage. While its regional peers in Asia face existential supply risks, China’s decade-long engineered resilience, anchored by 1.3 billion barrels of strategic petroleum reserves and alternative pi

The geopolitics of energy is historically associated with the supply security concerns of oil-importing states. The urgency of climate action, the long-term downward trend of the cost of renewable energy generation technologies, and the rapid technological advancements are all signs that demand a more analytical framework. Illustration by The Geostrata The field of energy geopolitics has grown to include not just the conventional fossil-fuel complexes, but also a wider array

The map of the world represents more than the geography of land and water; it is a cartography of power that the historic aggressors hold. For almost two centuries, invisible lines have crisscrossed the globe, not just representing sovereign borders, but also demarcating “backyards” – zones where great powers are asserting the unspoken rule that “might is right”. Illustration by The Geostrata In 1823, a ghost was born in the United States of America that continues to haunt t

India’s multi‑vector foreign policy in 2025 reflects a refined combination of adaptability and strategic depth in an increasingly complex world. In this new order, India carefully balances among the United States, China, and Russia while maintaining its strong influence within its South Asian neighbourhood. Illustration by The Geostrata The identified strategy, based on the belief in strategic autonomy, allows New Delhi to maneuver in unforeseen crises and take opportunities

“The winds of change are with us now.” When U.S. President George H.W. Bush spoke these words in 1991, he expressed hope for a " new world order ." The Cold War was about to end, and the ideological hostility between Moscow and Washington was receding. This seemed to suggest that a much more cooperative international security system might be possible, one in which nuclear dangers could be contained through ambitious arms control measures . Illustration by The Geostrata With

Across the shifting landscape of global politics, facts bend and twist under the weight of rival agendas. Global trade is no longer limited to goods; they trade choreographed realities. In that subterranean theatre, half-truths and outright fabrications stated briefly as “official facts”, their purpose not merely to deceive but to anchor diplomatic leverage, with an intention to lead allies down false paths of trust. Illustration by The Geostrata Similar to the society George

The United States continues to maintain an extensive military presence in West Asia, which represents one of the most enduring features of post-Cold War geopolitics. Many analysts describe the American military presence in West Asia as a stabilizing influence. However, its actual effects have proven more complex than traditional narratives suggest. Illustration by The Geostrata US leaders from both Republican and Democratic administrations have used military capabilities to p

There is a monument in Geneva that depicts a giant broken chair, and it stands just across the street from the world's premier organ for international law and cooperation- The United Nations. Originally meant to symbolise the devastation caused by landmines, the chair’s broken leg today serves as a powerful metaphor for the UN itself, as its principal pillars are broken and just one push away from total collapse. Illustration by The Geostrata The Vision was noble, born from

In the 19th century, the “Great Game” was the strategic competition between the British Empire and Tsarist Russia over the domination of Central Asia. This historic competition is resurfacing in a modern form, with new players, new tools, and billions of dollars at stake. Central Asia, which had long been viewed as a geopolitical backwater, has emerged as a critical front line in the contest for supremacy among great powers. Illustration by The Geostrata Today, China, Russia,

It has been over 1,200 days, and yet, the war between Russia and Ukraine is still ongoing. The world watched the lines of battle shift, peace talks struggle, and hopes for a ceasefire fade, but the fundamental issues fueling the conflict remain unchanged. Both the guns and diplomacy persist in a costly deadlock despite the stakes and efforts of the global leaders, leaving the future of Europe uncertain. Illustration by The Geostrata One such effort unfolded on 15th August, at

In February 2022, Russia began an invasion of Ukraine. And as a response, the West implemented extensive aviation sanctions through the governments and aircraft OEMs ( Original Equipment Manufacturers ) Boeing, Airbus, etc, by shutting down leases. Illustration by The Geostrata Russia responded by re-registering foreign aircraft in Russia. The re-registration effectively nationalised the aircraft, and termination and immediate cessation of support from maintenance to spare pa