Ukraine: One Year On0

• Analysis
• February 23, 2023

It seems incredible to realize that it is a year since Russia invaded Ukraine.  Old certainties have seemingly been upended; new realities are apparently emerging.  What to make of it all?  Three things to consider.

First, the “West” is now …

The Rise of Violent Russian Entrepreneurs Amid Putin’s Invasion of Ukraine0

• Analysis
• February 22, 2023

One year after the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, no doubt remains about the difficulties the Russian army faced in Ukraine. From over-ambitious strategic goals seeking to topple the Ukrainian regime, logistical issues to supply overextended military advances …

We Need to Rethink Aid to Fragile Contexts0

• Analysis
• February 17, 2023

Fragile countries are those which are most in need of development aid. But to what extent can aid be effective in highly fragile situations? A recent systematic review of 315 individual evaluations of aid to Afghanistan, Mali and South Sudan …

🏆 2023 Best Blog Award Winner❗️Iran’s Revolution: Will the Islamic Regime Endure?0

• Analysis
• February 16, 2023

A wave of protests over the past few months has rocked Iran, with protesters calling for an end to the theocratic regime, the Islamic Republic.

The ongoing protests have unleashed a torrent of speculations about the regime’s future. Some observers …

Scotland’s Global Footprint: Navigating the Challenges and Opportunities of International Affairs0

• Analysis
• February 9, 2023

The Scottish Council for Global Affairs (SCGA) is a partnership between three Scottish universities, the Scottish Government and the UK government, providing a hub for collaborative policy-relevant research and non-partisan debate on international affairs.

SCGA seeks to facilitate and amplify …

Unpacking the Endgame: Examining the Possibility of Nuclear Escalation and Regime Change in the Russia-Ukraine War0

• Analysis
• January 30, 2023

In my previous blog post, I pushed back at an analysis of how the Russia-Ukraine war may end by Samuel Charap and Timothy J. Coulton at the 2022 Daniliw Seminar at the University of Ottawa. I am troubled by …

Thinking Through Scenarios for the End of the War in Ukraine0

• Analysis
• January 26, 2023

The study of how Russia’s war on Ukraine will end has been a niche subject, possibly due to the inherent difficulty of prediction, the surprise that greeted the full-scale invasion, and the Ukrainians’ success at stopping and rolling it back. …

Modern War: The Return of the Big Battalions0

• Analysis
• January 17, 2023

There are better and worse ways of fighting engagements, wrote the great Prussian strategist Carl von Clausewitz. But, he added, these were just a matter of tactics and not what decided the outcome of wars.

The latter depended upon strategy, …

Canada’s Partnership with Japan: Strengthening Security in the Indo-Pacific0

• Analysis
• January 13, 2023

One important element of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS) is accelerated alignment with Japan. Japan is a frontline democracy, pinched in with threats from Russia, China, and North Korea.

In the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) military exercises around Taiwan last August, …

Rôle du Gouvernement canadien en Ayiti0

• Analysis
• January 5, 2023

Aujourd’hui, le Core Group sous la houlette du Canada, entre autres, souhaite répondre à une demande inconstitutionnelle, illégale d’un gouvernement illégitime, décrié par le peuple Ayitien, pour venir contrer l’insécurité et résoudre la crise humanitaire qui s’en suit.

Cette intervention …

How Should Canada Navigate the Taiwan Strait Conundrum?0

• Analysis
• January 5, 2023

Taiwan is central to Canada’s new Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS). Only five years ago, Canada’s Strong, Secure, Engaged Defence Policy heralded: “We will seek to develop stronger relationships with other countries in the region, particularly China.” The naïve hope that Canada …

Nuclear Threats and Canada’s Disarmament Diplomacy: A Way Forward0

• Analysis
• December 19, 2022

A former Canadian Undersecretary of State for External Affairs, Allan Gotlieb, once described Canada’s strong role in disarmament activity as having “always been a natural calling, with broad public support and strong specialized constituencies”. While Canada has in the past …