The extended process of Sweden’s NATO accession, still incomplete, is an important reminder of the complexity of modern international politics. A move by Sweden to join a defensive alliance due to concerns stemming from Russian actions in Ukraine is delayed due to a dispute about security and human rights with Turkey.
Read More“The superior treatment of Ukrainian refugees is most likely due to a multitude of factors, the first one being the most obvious: EU citizens are better able to empathize with Ukrainians due to racial, linguistic, and religious ties according to research from Lamis Abdelaaty, an assistant professor of political science at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University.”
Read More“Given the history of political and ideological conflict between Western nations and Russia, recent Ukrainian alignment with Western nations as well as NATO has been perceived as betrayal by Putin. With former Soviet nations like Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania already members of NATO, Putin faces a waning sphere of Russian influence in Eastern Europe. Putin’s manifestation of war in Ukraine reveals his fear of losing political influence, as demonstrated by his impetuous and desperate military endeavor to maintain political influence and power over Ukraine.”
Read More“events in the Netherlands over the past week which, in response to stricter regulations and the implementation of a curfew, saw thousands take to the streets to protest, resulting in substantial damage, from smashed windows and fireworks to the burning of a COVID-19 testing center. The riots were in protest to the implementation of a curfew and harsher regulations across the country, which went into effect last Saturday, the day the riots began. According to a statement released by the Dutch government on January 20th, the new regulations were in response to concerns about new variants of the virus, stating, “The government is gravely concerned about the UK variant of COVID-19, which is even more infectious than the virus we are familiar with in the Netherlands. There are also other variants of the virus that are sparking concern,” adding that “New measures are needed in order to get these new variants under control.”
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