Articles by
Stefano di Lorenzo
Geopolitics of Central Asia: A New Silk Road?
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, collectively Central Asia, are countries about which most Europeans know little. Lying at the heart of Eurasia, they may become a new object of strategic rivalry between global and regional powers.
Oil, Gas, and Wars: The Caspian Sea at a Crossroads
Once a forgotten backwater, the Caspian Sea has become the chessboard of great powers and newcomers, with pipelines carving invisible frontlines across water and land. Oil, gas, and ambition collide here, turning calm waters into a potential powder keg.
George F. Kennan and Containment: History of a Great Misunderstanding
The American diplomat George Kennan is regarded as the father of containment and he shaped Cold War thought. But while he recognised the Soviet Union as an adversary and had little illusions about Communism, he thought the idea of a war with the USSR was insane.
Unexpected Warriors: Scandinavia’s New Assertive Posture
The Nordic countries’ role in the Ukraine war has been overlooked. Generally regarded as harmonious and peaceful nations, they were all too eager to join the party of war instead, in the name of a feeling of moral superiority that rejected any compromise with Russia.
Poland's Superpower Dreams resurface after centuries
In the eyes of too many Western Europeans, Poland was until recently dismissed as a poor country with little influence. But in the war against Russia, Poland was bound to take a leading role.
Belarus from a geopolitical perspective
Five years ago, a “popular revolution” seemed poised to overthrow Belarus' long-time president. Alexander Lukashenko struck back with determination. Against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, many people in Belarus seem grateful today. But the Belarusian opposition in exile, with the full support of the EU, intends to continue the fight for as long as necessary.
Geopolitics and morality
The West has long been trying to “moralize” politics in order to soften the brutality of its hegemonic interests in the public sphere. It is a futile endeavor.
Russia Has No Shortage of Self-Confidence
A report from the St. Petersburg Economic Forum