Underestimating the potential of one’s adversaries and expressing excessive self-confidence in one’s own abilities oftentimes leads to the said party being unpleasantly surprised if events don’t go exactly according to how they expect them to. Russia would well to reconsider its position towards the US’ proposed “European Energy Security And Diversification Act of 2019” because…
Let’s start with the essential background for the meeting in Paris on Tuesday between Chinese President Xi Jinping and three EU heavyweights – French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President of the European Commission (EC) Jean-Claude Juncker. As imperfect as these figures may be, economic growth for the past 10 years after…
All (silk) roads do lead to Rome, as this Saturday Chinese President Xi Jinping and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte will sign a memorandum to adhere to the New Silk Roads, or Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Afterward, Xi becomes a magnanimous version of The Sicilian, visiting the port of Palermo, with Beijing intent on investing…
The EU is planning to impose a de-facto “visa regime” for American citizens in 2021. The move is certainly symbolic but it’s only circumstantial and wasn’t anything preplanned to send a message to Trump like some people are portraying it as. The bloc will require Americans to complete the online “European Travel Information and Authorization…
Lebanon is preparing to receive US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo with no domestic enthusiasm. It is foreseen that the visit will bring no positive outcome to the country. This conclusion has been reached by many Lebanese officials following previous visits by Assistant Secretary of State David Hill, and after him by US Deputy Assistant…
This is going to get very ugly. Germany is openly defying US President Trump’s demands to spend more on its NATO budget. Already the American ambassador to the country is crying foul, prompting German calls for his expulsion. Of all the countries in the European Union, it is Germany that’s been mostly on the receiving end of Trump’s…
