Archives International politics - Page 98 of 162 - New Eastern Outlook

On 11 March 2024, Russian media reported that a 53-year-old South Korean citizen named Baek (the detainee’s name varies – Baek Won Sung, less frequently Baek Kwang-soon) had been arrested for espionage and was currently being held in Moscow’s Lefortovo prison, normally reserved for high-level political prisoners. The news raised eyebrows both in Russia and abroad, as it is the first time a South Korean citizen has been arrested in Russia…

In the current situation, it seems that the US, following Barack Obama’s African policy of “leading from behind”, seeing the willingness of Turkey, Egypt, Somalia, Eritrea and Djibouti to oppose the plans of Abiy Ahmed and Muse Bihi, decided not to openly intervene in the process themselves, but to let the leaders of these countries deal with the Ethiopian prime minister, who had become unpredictable in his foreign policy…

There can be no permanence in relations between states (even more true for those with imperial pasts) due to the nature of conflicting interests and “changeable weather” in geographical latitudes (simply put, geopolitical conjuncture). In this respect, Turkey and Russia are an example of both convergence and divergence of approaches. Naturally, such a shift is predominantly determined by the objective state of the Russian state’s power. If Russia demonstrates strength, Turkey tries to maneuver and gain benefits. If the Kremlin loses its power, Ak Saray tries to finish it off in alliance with our main adversaries in the West…