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Opinion: The future of the China-US-Russia triangle after Pelosi's visit to Taiwan

Opinion: The future of the China-US-Russia triangle after Pelosi's visit to Taiwan

Since February 24, 2022, the international community's focus was concentrated entirely on the war in Ukraine and the growing Russia – West confrontation. It seemed that nothing could change the situation until the end of hostilities in Ukraine. However, on August 2 and 3, almost everyone’s attention shifted from Ukraine to Taiwan. As the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, stated her intention to visit Taiwan, up to half a million people were watching the trajectory of her plane on air flight tracking sites. The negative reaction of China, including the warning of President Xi during his conversation with President Biden that those who played with fire would be perished by it, created hype around this visit. Many were discussing the possibility of Chinese military jets closing the airspace over Taiwan and preventing Pelosi’s plane from landing in Taiwan, while some enthusiasts were even contemplating the possibility of a US-China direct military clash. As Pelosi landed in Taiwan and met with the Taiwanese President, the global social media was full of amateur assessments about the strategic victory of the US and the confirmation of the US global hegemony. However, as the dust settles down, and information noise and manipulation eventually decreases, a more serious assessment is needed to understand the real consequences of this visit.
Editor's choice
Opinion
Turkish policy in the South Caucasus and relations with Russia

Turkish policy in the South Caucasus and relations with Russia

Turkey-Russia relations are typically based on compartmentalization. They simultaneously compete and cooperate in various regions, separating the areas in which their interests are overlapping from those where they are in competition. This concept was the base of their competing relations in Syria until the demise of Assad regime in 2024, and mutual interactions in post-Gaddafi Libya.
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Opinion
People-to-People Contact Remains Absent in Armenia–Azerbaijan Normalisation

People-to-People Contact Remains Absent in Armenia–Azerbaijan Normalisation

“You must be glad to be here,” the bartender told my friend, a journalist for a major international media outlet just arrived that evening in Yerevan from Baku via Tbilisi. He raised an eyebrow in response as the bartender slowly poured our drinks. “Why?” he asked, clearly confused. “Because Azerbaijanis are Muslims, they don’t drink, and there are no bars in Baku,” she replied, somehow absolutely convinced that she was correct. The exchange was almost comical, but revealed something deeper. Three decades of conflict had turned former neighbours into strangers. In Tbilisi, where ethnic Armenians and Azerbaijanis live side by side, it would be met with ridicule. Only last October I sat at a table where the vodka flowed as a local Armenian sang in Azerbaijani and ethnic Azerbaijanis expressed their appreciation in Armenian.
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News
Gaza hospital struck twice by Israel killing journalists and rescuers

Gaza hospital struck twice by Israel killing journalists and rescuers

Israel struck one of the main hospitals in the Gaza strip on Monday 25 August and then hit the facility again as journalists and rescue workers rushed to the scene, killing at least 20 people and wounding many more, local health workers said. It was among the deadliest of multiple Israeli strikes that have hit both hospitals and journalists over the course of the 22-month war, Associated Press reported. The assault came as Israel plans to widen its offensive to heavily populated areas, vowing to destroy Hamas after its 7th October attack in 2023.
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News
Trump wants new meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un

Trump wants new meeting with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un

The US President has said that he would like to meet with Kim Jong-un before the end of the year. He announced this during a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the White House. “I'm looking forward to it.”
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News
Russian deputy governor of border region arrested in corruption case

Russian deputy governor of border region arrested in corruption case

Russia has once again prosecuted a former regional administrator bordering Ukraine. This time, the case concerns Vladimir Bazarov, the former deputy governor of Kursk. He has been arrested. He is suspected of corruption in connection with the embezzlement of around 10 million euros during the construction of defensive structures. This information was reported by the state press agency TASS.
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Commentary
Happy Birthday Ukraine

Happy Birthday Ukraine

Today is Ukraine's Independence Day. The editorial team of commonspace.eu congratulate the Ukrainian People on their national holiday. Ukraine’s Independence Day, celebrated annually on August 24, marks the declaration of Ukraine’s sovereignty from the Soviet Union in 1991. This historic day was a defining moment for the Ukrainian people, as the Verkhovna Rada (Ukraine's parliament) passed the Act of Declaration of Independence following the failed coup attempt in Moscow. This decision was a pivotal step in Ukraine's quest to rebuild its national identity and chart a new course in global politics. The day has taken an added significance in the last four years as Ukraine and Ukrainians fought off an unprovoked Russian invasion launched in February 2022. The courage, determination and resilience of the Ukrainian people have humbled and inspired all those who strive for peace and justice in the world.  Ahead of Ukraine's 34th anniversary of independence on 24 August, the European Union delivered another strong signal of unwavering support by disbursing €4.05 billion to the country. This includes €3.05 billion via the Ukraine Facility and €1 billion through the European Commission's exceptional Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA).  
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News
Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan hold important trilateral meeting

Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan hold important trilateral meeting

Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan held important trilateral meetings in the Turkmen city of Turkmenbashi on Friday, 22 August. Joint development of deposits on the Caspian shelf and cooperation in the field of energy exports, including renewable sources, were discussed. The talks came in the framework of the visit to Turkmenistan of President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan and President Shovkat Mirzizoyev of  Uzbekistan who were hosted by the Chairman of the Halk Maslahaty (Senate) of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, who is a former president and the father of the current president, Serdar Berdimuhamedov. Azerbaijani media noted that during the meeting Uzbekistan hailed a scheme to export green electricity to Europe as promising, while Turkmen officials signaled a new openness to ideas long discussed in Brussels and Ankara, to build a Trans-Caspian gas pipeline, a project that has been under discussion for more than 30 years.