Sanjay Karthikeyan

Giorgia Meloni was sworn in as Italy’s prime minister in October 2023. A confounding member of the right-wing Brothers of Italy Party (Fratelli d’Italia), she was noted for controversial statements pertaining to social issues and economic policy. Recently, Meloni shocked China with the recent announcement to pull out from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), aimed at bolstering infrastructure projects abroad with China’s surplus. Following the announcement, Meloni met up with the Biden administration, showing a clear move to strengthen economic ties with the U.S. rather than China in preparation for departure from a once-ambitious project. This brief analyzes the reasons behind Italy’s exit from BRI, reveals the diplomatic consequences Italy may have to deal with and provides policy descriptions in maintaining concord with China.

As Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to wage his war of atrocity in Ukraine, internal actors are becoming less willing to stay by the autocrat’s side. In the most recent and severe instance of domestic discontent, the Wagner Group — a Russian paramilitary corporation — mounted and aborted a coup against the Kremlin. Such a direct challenge to Putin’s power has sent shockwaves across the world as countries work to understand what comes next. This brief analyzes how countries are beginning to make these assessments, reveals the repercussions of the revolt on the war in Ukraine, and provides policy prescriptions for moving forward.

This brief details Finland's surprising, recent membership into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization by revealing its shift from neutrality to active deterrence. It portrays the strong public support and political relationship between NATO and Finland, highlighting the elevated security and interoperability gained by new membership.