Map of Middle East: What is background of Saudi Arabia-Iran Conflict? Religious Factionalism: Relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran have been sour in part because of religious differences, which go back centuries. Iran is largely Shia Muslim, while Saudi Arabia sees itself as the leading Sunni Muslim power. Leader of Islamic World: Historically, Saudi Arabia, …
NOTE: We will keep updating this article as situation evolves. Major outcomes: USA is not reliable: Rapid withdrawal from Afghanistan and now lack of military support for Ukraine. Similar situation might arise for other countries like Taiwan, Japan, Indo-Pacific nations and even India. Lack of coordinated approach from the west: Beijing, France and Italy were …
Ukraine crisis and its impact on the World order – UPSC GS2 Read More »
Context : Russia has invaded Ukraine Historical and Cultural links between Russia and Ukraine: Ukraine and Russia share hundreds of years of cultural, linguistic and familial links. For many in Russia and in the ethnically Russian parts of Ukraine, the shared heritage of the countries is an emotional issue that has been exploited for electoral and military purposes. …
Understanding Ukraine-Russia Crisis : Timeline – UPSC GS2 Read More »
Context: European Union has launched action against China at the World Trade Organization (WTO) for targeting Lithuania over its stance on Taiwan. Lithuania support for Taiwan: In November 2021, a Taiwanese Representative Office was opened in Lithuania. It is for the first time that Taiwan was allowed to use its own name to open an office within the EU. Following …
Context : Russia has mobilised around 1,00,000 troops on its border with Ukraine. Enlargement of NATO: NATO is a military alliance of twenty-eight European and two North American countries that constitutes a system of collective defense. Enlargement of NATO is the process of including new member states in NATO. Since the German unification in 1990, …
Threats to World: Future of democracy is under threat: Rise of authoritarian rulers in many countries. The attack on democratic tenets in recent years. America, seen as a bulwark for democracy, has become weak. China’s challenge to the existing international order: With increasing economic prosperity, China demands to be recognized as equal to the US …
India’s Vaccine Diplomacy: India gifted two lakh doses of COVID-19 vaccine for UN peacekeepers. India provided critical medicines, diagnostic kits, ventilators to more than 150 countries. India and South Africa moved a motion at the WTO. In that motion, they asked the WTO Council on TRIPS to provide a waiver of Intellectual Property Rights for …
Context: G-7 leaders have proposed Build Back Better World (B3W) to counter China’s rising influence across 100-plus countries through Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects. BRI projects are perceived as debt traps laid by China for its strategic dominance in trade, foreign policy and geopolitics in the world. What is B3W? The proposal, though at an early stage, aims …
Context: USA decision to exit from Afghanistan in September 2021. USA’s shifting focus from the Middle East region to Indo-Pacific. Background The US has played a pivotal role in the greater Middle East region in the last 50 years. It is a vaguely defined region comprising the “Arab world” plus Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, and Turkey. Many regional …
USA Withdrawal from Greater Middle East – UPSC GS2 Read More »
Context: The US hegemony started after the end of British imperialism in the aftermath of the Suez Crisis (1956). After, six decades-long control over the world order, the authority of the US has started declining. As a result, the world will witness a more decentralised and pluralistic global order. Reasons why the authority of the US is …