Axel de Vernou

Peter the Great, Stalin, and Russia’s Historical Reckoning

There are three possible objectives in a war of conquest: assimilation, imposition, and accommodation. The first was demonstrated by the Holy Roman Empire as it sought to tie its origins to the Hungarian state which, following centuries of Habsburg supervision, became formally absorbed by the Austrian Empire in 1867 as …

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Apple in China

Putting a Price on Human Rights

A few days after Nike CEO John Donahoe called his shoe company a “brand of China and for China” in June 2021, Beijing’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijan slammed a Biden administration fact sheet highlighting forced labor in Xinjiang as “lies and disinformation” based on the “systematic implementation of the conspiracy to …

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Russian presence in Africa

Africa Is Russia’s New Resource Outlet

On April 13, Russia’s Institute of Technological Development for the Fuel-Energy Complex organized a panel to discuss energy cooperation between Moscow and African countries. One of the experts, Gabriel Anicet Kotchofa, who served as Benin’s ambassador to Russia, explained that “in Africa, we are waiting for Russia—for what Russia can …

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Kuala Lumpur Skyline

Huawei hasn’t Won the 5G Race: A Case Study of 5G Competition in Malaysia

On September 28th, 2022, Malaysia and China signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on digital communications cooperation with regard to 5G, paving the road for future joint initiatives between the two states on sharing best practices, experience and expertise. While Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Minister Saifuddin Abdulla noted that Huawei would “manage the …

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Vladimir Putin make statements to the press following Russian-Indian talks in Saint Petersburg.

As China and Russia Unite, Look to India

Rapprochement between Russia and China has dramatically accelerated since the former suspended its participation in the New START treaty. Chinese senior diplomat Wang Yi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to affirm the flourishing relations between the two countries and their mutual desire to see a multipolar international order. The Communist Party …

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USS Yorktown at sea

Defense and Inflation: From Roosevelt to 2023

The world is entering a year of increased defense spending as countries prepare their armed forces for spontaneous threats while developing long-term military doctrines that respond to new technologies and shifting alliances. Washington will need to develop a sustainable model for reinforcing its defenses in a domestic and international environment …

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Ieva Ilves

The View from the Baltics: A Conversation with Ieva Ilves, Former First Lady of Estonia

  Ieva Ilves is a cybersecurity expert and diplomat who currently serves as a digital policy advisor to Latvian President Egils Levits. She was the First Lady of Estonia during the presidency of her husband, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, who served until 2016. A native of Latvia, she served as the …

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Brezhnev Portrait

Purposeless Polls: How Soviet Citizens Rebelled Against a Regime that Rejected Open Communication

Leonid Brezhnev was no Joseph Stalin when it came to his ascendancy to power. Far less authoritative and more furtive in his gradual promotion of subordinates that had previously served under his rule, Brezhnev was regarded as a distant figure by the citizens of the Soviet Union. And while he …

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The Final Struggle

The Real Meaning of Great Power Competition

Both sides of the aisle in Washington agree that the United States is in a momentous era of great power competition against China. This consensus has overshadowed recent developments, including Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan and Beijing’s subsequent military exercises, the signing of the Chips and Science Act, and the …

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