In this episode of Gendering Geopolitics, New Lines’ own Emily Prey sits down with Rajaa Altalli, the co-founder of the Center for Civil Society and Democracy and member of the Syrian Women’s Advisory Board for the U.N. Special Envoy for Syria. Together, they discuss the potential roles that women should play in Syria's politics moving forward, the process of reconciliation in the country, and need for the establishment of representative democracy in the post-Assad era.

Women's Participation in Syria's Transition

This week, the U.S. floated the conditions for a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine as President Donald Trump held phone calls with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. In the Middle East, Trump threatened Hamas if the group did not surrender all its hostages as scheduled and further threatened to cut off aid for Jordan and Egypt if they did not agree to take in Palestinian refugees from Gaza. In the Indo-Pacific, China’s tariffs on select U.S. imports went into effect, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Trump in Washington. Trump announced he would impose 25% tariffs on all U.S. imports of steel and aluminum, drawing strong reactions globally.

Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250214/

Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Global Hotspots: Diplomacy Over Ukraine Conflict Intensifies; Trump Tariffs Go Global

This week, U.S. and Russian officials met in Riyadh without any Ukrainian representation to discuss first steps for a Ukraine cease-fire, while U.S. President Donald Trump caused a diplomatic stir by calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a “dictator.” In the Middle East, Israel and Hamas continued their prisoner exchanges and agreed to commence with the second phase of their cease-fire agreement by the end of the week, while regional states discussed alternative plans for the future of Gaza. In the Indo-Pacific, China filed official complaints with the World Trade Organization against U.S. tariffs, as Trump suggested he would expand tariffs to include 25% taxes on all imports of automobile, semiconductor, and pharmaceutical products.

Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250221/

Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Global Hotspots: Trump's Rift with Zelenskyy Amid U.S.-Russia Diplomacy

In this edition of The New Lines Institute Middle East Center’s Post-Assad Podcast series, Middle East Center co-director Nicholas A. Heras sits down with Voice of America (VOA) reporter Sirwan Kajjo to assess how the emerging regime in Damascus will engage with the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in Northeast Syria. Sirwan, a well-known Syrian-American intellectual and journalist, works for the Extremism Watch Desk at VOA where he focuses on Islamic militancy, extremism, and conflict in the Middle East and beyond that region. Heras and Kajjo also discuss how the emerging government in Damascus will lead the process of creating a post-Assad order and whether that order can successfully incorporate all the country’s different communities.

Syria’s Tricky Northeast Region

This week, the United States conducted Ukraine-related diplomacy with Russia, France, and the U.K., while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy travelled to Washington to finalize a critical minerals deal. In the Indo-Pacific, Taiwan is investigating a Chinese ship’s possible role in recent damage to one of its undersea cables, while the Trump administration unveiled sanctions against entities in the Chinese oil industry. In the Middle East, the first phase of hostage and prisoner swaps between Hamas and Israel was completed, and Israel deployed tanks into the West Bank. Global trade escalations continued as U.S. President Donald Trump announced he will impose 25% tariffs on EU imports, drawing promises of retaliation from the bloc, and that he will press ahead with tariffs against Canada, Mexico, and China on March 4.

Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250228/

Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Global Hotspots: US and Ukraine Reach Deal on Critical Minerals

The Middle East Center at The New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy is proud to initiate a special new podcast series, “Bridging the Gap: Conversations on Israel and Palestine.” This series is led by Rachel Nelson, the Analyst in the Middle East Center, and will provide nuanced, detailed, and on-the-ground perspectives on the situation in Israel and Palestine. In this episode, Rachel sits down with Destiny Magnett, the Programs and Outreach Manager at Churches for Middle East Peace, to discuss Christian Zionism, its current manifestations, and the work that Destiny and CMEP do to foster and advocate for peace in Israel and Palestine.

Christian Zionism and Its Current Manifestations

This week, the United States suspended military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine, while European leaders proposed initiatives on Ukrainian and European security. In the Indo-Pacific, China announced it will impose retaliatory tariffs of 15% on key U.S. agricultural imports, and Taiwan announced it will increase its investment in the U.S. semiconductor industry. In the Middle East, Israel cut off humanitarian aid into Gaza, while the U.S. and Arab states contended over a Gaza reconstruction plan. President Donald Trump imposed his previously delayed 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico before making exemptions for car imports following a steep drop in the U.S. stock market.

Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: https://newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250307/

Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Global Hotspots: Europe Reacts to US/Ukraine Fallout; Trump Ramps Up Global Tariffs

In this episode of the Contours podcast, host Caroline Rose and Tammy Palacios, senior analyst of New Lines' Priority Sustainable Counterterrorism portfolio, to discuss the history of the French involvement in the Sahel, the security implications of the French departure from the region, and how it affects U.S. security.

French Withdrawal and the Security Landscape of the Sahel

This week, the U.S. agreed to a resumption of Ukrainian military and intelligence aid as a 30-day cease-fire was discussed with Ukraine and Russia. In the Indo-Pacific, China’s retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. went into effect, and the Taiwanese government announced a series of measures designed to curb Chinese espionage and influence operations. In the Middle East, the U.S. pushed for an extension of Phase I negotiations between Israel and Gaza, while Israeli and Lebanese officials began discussions over the normalization of bilateral relations. In global trade, the U.S. imposed 25% tariffs on global steel and aluminum imports, prompting strong reactions and announcements of retaliation from Canada and the EU.

Read the full Weekly Forecast Monitor here: newlinesinstitute.org/forecast/week-20250314/

Marxist Arrow by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Global Hotspots: U.S. to Resume Aid to Ukraine; China's Retaliatory Tariffs Take Effect

New Lines Institute focuses on issues at the intersection of U.S. foreign policy and global geopolitics.

For more on Newlines Institute, please visit our website: www.newlinesinstitute.org

Global Hotspots: US and Ukraine Reach Deal on Critical Minerals

New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy

Related tracks