International Politics Weekly

 Russia has recently flown drones over the airspace of Poland, in a concerning escalation of tensions between Russia and the rest of Europe.  These actions become more alarming considering the fact Poland belongs to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance.  Article 5 of the NATO charter states that an attack on one NATO party is an attack on all.  Granted, Russia did not attack Poland, however, Russia's motivations behind the incursion, although difficult to dissect entirely, may be to test the lengths which the alliance is willing to go to protect another NATO state.  The United Kingdom, for instance, has sent Royal Air Force jets to Poland as a deterrent to further Russian incursion.  Since this event, Romania claims that Russia violated its airspace during an attack on Ukraine.  What do these events mean for the future of NATO-Russia relations?  What is Russia trying to achieve? One may be wondering what Russia gains from provoki...

 Over the past seven months, Syria has undergone a stark transformation.  In December of 2024, longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad's regime was overthrown, ending a 24 year long reign of tyranny and fear.  The new president is a former militant, Ahmed al-Sharaa.  al-Sharaa was a member of al-Qaeda in Iraq during the U.S. led invasion, later founding the anti-Assad organization, al-Nusra Front.  The devastating civil war in Syria lasted 13 years, and caused widespread damage and casualties.  The civil war as it was known since 2011 has all but ended with Assad's removal.  However, concerns over potential conflicts still linger, and clashes with Israel, and between groups in southern Syria have further complicated matters.  How sustainable is Syria in its current state? It is undoubtedly a relief for millions of Syrians that Bashar al-Assad's horrific rule has come to an end.  His regime was well known for its cruelty, including the use of chemic...

 Russia and Iran have been noted as becoming ever closer together as their anti-west viewpoints increasingly converge.  Most notably, Moscow and Tehran signed a partnership treaty to bolster cooperation between the two countries.  It must be noted that this is not a defense pact, meaning neither country is obligated to come to the defense of the other in a time of conflict.  The main fear of certain analysts was the possibility of Russia, China, or possibly North Korea, coming to the direct defense of Iran should it be attacked.  When Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran just a few weeks ago, anxieties increased dramatically.  This fear was brought to new heights when the United States bombed Iranian nuclear sites directly, a bold move for an administration that has claimed it wants to see peaceful resolutions to global conflicts.  The strikes came and went, Iran struck land near a U.S. military base in Qatar as a form of retaliation-despite the U...

 As the constant tit-for-tat missile strikes between Israel and Iran continue into its seventh day, Israel is asking for direct American involvement in the conflict.  Specifically, Israel wants the United States to drop a bunker-busting bomb onto Iranian nuclear sites, a bomb that Israel does not possess nor have a delivery system capable of dropping it themselves.  This bomb can penetrate deep into the ground and inflict damage well beyond the surface level.  Israel believes these bombs can set the Iranian nuclear program back, and perhaps destroy it.  Assuming this belief is accurate, it would mean the United States will enter the fray, and Iran would certainly retaliate with strikes on American military bases and interests in the region.  The United States becoming entangled in yet another conflict in the Middle East is not only a bad idea, it would simply continue the stupidity of interventionist foreign policy that has not benefitted the United States ...

Just last evening, Israel conducted strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites, hoping to weaken and destabilize Iran and their nuclear program.  Two of the most senior officers in the Iranian military were killed in the strikes.  These events are an escalation of tensions in the Middle East that hasn't been seen in months.  Just as this piece is being written, Iran has retaliated with strikes on Israel.  Further strikes against Iran in retaliation are certainly on the table, and the situation may unravel quickly.  Israel claims the strikes were in response to the threat Iran poses to the state, and their nuclear program was of immediate focus.  Are there possible motives Israel had to enact the strikes they are not revealing? These strikes by Israel are a major escalation against Iran, and within the broader region.  With Iran's retaliatory strikes, this situation has a real chance to snowball into a complete war, which will inevitably involve the ...

 Recently, the Trump Administration has publicly targeted international college students, and revoked many of their visas.  Harvard has been of particular ire to Trump, with the prestigious university vowing lawsuits over the reduction of their federal funding.  The saga over international students is the latest in the tit-for-tat between Trump and Harvard.  Many Americans may not realize the impact that banning international students will have on the economy, on American universities, or even on their children's odds of getting into college.  A federal judge has blocked Trump's order banning international students from attending Harvard.  The checks and balances of the federal government are serving their purpose in this case.  However, if Trump is able to circumvent the courts, what do the consequences of banning international students look like? The United States losing international students would have grave economic consequences and would impact A...