Trump’s Wall is Alive in Hungary, which is why Orban is befriending Assad

by Nicolai Due-Gundersen “You’re respected all over Europe,” Trump insisted when meeting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the White House in May 2019. For his part, Orban confirmed that his views on immigration were aligned with Trump’s border wall… Continue Reading

Putin’s Mercenaries Are Using Syria as a Training Ground

by Nicolai Due-Gundersen The year 2014 was a difficult one for the Middle East but an interesting one for Russia. While the Muslim world watched the rise of the Islamic State (IS or ISIS), Russian President Vladimir Putin was reversing… Continue Reading

Trump’s Withdrawal from the JCPOA Could Boost China’s Support for It

by Nicolai Due-Gundersen Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA in 2018 should come as no surprise. The abandonment of a framework years in the making fits Trump’s muddled modus operandi… Continue Reading

How the GCC Blockade Reignited Qatar’s Nationalism

by Nicolai Due-Gundersen On July 21, 2017, Qatar’s emir gave his first address since the start of a two-month blockade launched by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt. “The time has come for us to spare the… Continue Reading