Emir of Qatar in Washington for Broad Discussions

Emir of Qatar in Washington for Broad Discussions

A little over a year into his presidency, Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani became the first leader of a Persian Gulf nation to meet with President Joe Biden when he arrived in the U.S. capital in January 2022. Biden asked al-Thani if hsi government would be willing to divert natural gas away from existing customers to Europe if a Russia-Ukraine conflict …

Russia Ups Ante in Ukrainian War of Words

Russia Ups Ante in Ukrainian War of Words

Officials in Moscow recently charged that American private military contractors are stockpiling chemical weapons near Ukrainian villages in violation of various treaties and laws. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu claimed that about 100 contractors near Avdeevka and Krasny Liman had deployed tanks with “unidentified chemical weapons.” Additionally, “for the completion of the provocations,” the American contractors were training Ukrainian soldiers. …

Mali: No Russian Mercenaries in These Parts

Mali: No Russian Mercenaries in These Parts

Officials in the West African nation and international battleground said Canada and about a dozen European nations wrongfully accused it of partnering with the shadowy Wagner Group. Government spokesman Abdoulaye Maiga acknowledged that the government had hired “Russian trainers.” However, “elements of a private security company” had not been deployed in Mali, he insisted. “[Mali] formally denies these baseless allegations …

EU Sanctions Wagner Group

EU Sanctions Wagner Group

In a largely symbolic move, the European Union stated that “the Wagner Group is responsible for serious human rights abuses in Ukraine, Syria, Libya, the Central African Republic, Sudan, and Mozambique.” Furthermore, the EU blacklisted eight individuals, including former Russian Military Intelligence (GRU) officer, and suspected Wagner Group founder, Dimitriy Utkin. France was the most outspoken nation. Officials labeled the …

Haiti on the Knife’s Edge

Haiti on the Knife’s Edge

The struggling Caribbean nation cannot seem to get off the ropes. In fact, one journalist said Haiti “is a place that could explode very easily and at any time, because the situation is so bad.” During the summer of 2021, President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated, thousands of Haitain migrants were deported, and a strong earthquake devastated much of the country. …