U.S. Institute of Peace Weekly Bulletin

 

Weekly Bulletin USIP
Ukrainians fire at Russian forces in Donetsk province, a target of Russia’s current, narrowed offensive. Broad evidence shows Moscow has not narrowed its goals in Ukraine, a point vital to any notion for peace talks. (Tyler Hicks/The New York Times)

Russia’s Ukraine War Has Narrowed — But Not its Goals

Despite largely limiting Russia’s assault to the Donbas region, Putin remains fixed on erasing the entirety of Ukraine — and he is prepared to achieve it in slow, devastating increments. USIP’s Mary Glantz says this undermines suggestions for peace talks that are based on beliefs the Kremlin will settle for less.

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Protesters carrying the Sri Lanka flag march in the Galle Face Green area of Colombo, Sri Lanka, May 17, 2022. (Atul Loke/The New York Times)

Five Things to Know about Sri Lanka’s Crisis

After months of protests, Sri Lanka’s president has resigned and its economy has hit rock bottom, defaulting on international loans and facing rampant fuel and food shortages. USIP’s Tamanna Salikuddin discusses how Sri Lanka got here and what this crisis means for the country and region.

For more on Sri Lanka, join USIP on Monday for an online event to discuss what’s next.

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A Chinese frigate in the South China Sea, March 23, 2016. (Bryan Denton/The New York Times)

China’s Search for a Permanent Military Presence in the Pacific Islands

After the Solomon Islands signed an unprecedented security pact, Kiribati has shown similar interest in working with Beijing. To stave off China’s security ambitions in the Pacific, the United States must forge mutually beneficial relationships in the region, say USIP’s Brian Harding and Camilla Pohle-Anderson.

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President Joe Biden and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, far right, attend the Gulf Cooperation Council in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday, July 16, 2022. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)

Five Takeaways from President Biden’s Visit to the Middle East

Amid concerns of U.S. retrenchment in the Middle East, President Biden visited Israel and Saudia last week, demonstrating his administration’s commitment to expanding regional security and economic cooperation and to countering Iran. USIP’s Middle East experts outline the key takeaways.

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From left, former Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin meet to discuss Syria, in Tehran, Sept. 7, 2018. (Kirill Kudryavtsev/Pool via The New York Times)

Putin and Erdogan in Iran to Discuss Syria’s Future, Ukraine War

With the leaders of Russia, Turkey and Iran gathering in Tehran this week, USIP’s Mona YacoubianSarhang Hamasaeed and John Drennan examine Erdogan’s threat to initiate a new offensive in Syria, why it matters to the United States, and how the Ukraine war affects Moscow’s ties with Ankara and Tehran.

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Ukrainian activists march for rights for gender and sexual minorities in Kyiv in 2018, protected by police in the street. While some gays are now included in the military, transgender women remain among those most at risk. (Victor Vysochin/CC License 2.0)

A Democratic Ukraine Must Include All LGBTQ+ People

As Ukraine fights for survival, it has relaxed some barriers to the social inclusion of LGBTQ+ people. But countries at war often return to exclusionary practices once peace is established — making it vital that these changes are expanded and made permanent now, say USIP’s Asmik Arutyunyan and Julia Schiwal.

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A border guard blocks near Muangdaw, Myanmar, during a government-led tour of Rakhine State on May 29, 2019. (Adam Dean/The New York Times)

In Myanmar’s Rakhine State, a Fraying Truce May Hold Key to Anti-Regime Fight

Since the 2021 coup, the powerful Arakan Army in Rakhine State has maintained a tenuous cease-fire with the coup regime. Should it collapse, journalist Kyaw Hsan Hlaing says the regime will face a strengthened insurgency, but the people of Rakhine will all but certainly suffer brutal counterstrikes.

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A mosque in Davao, Philippines, Feb. 13, 2019. (Jes Aznar/The New York Times)

The Philippines’ Bangsamoro Transition Authority’s Expectation Management Challenge

As Bangsamoro authorities struggle to keep up with imposed timelines, their ability to communicate with citizens and manage expectations may prove decisive in maintaining popular commitment to the peace process, says Bangsamoro Information Office Executive Director Ameen Andrew Alonto.

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Ambassador William Taylor on the State of Russia’s War with Ukraine

As fighting intensifies in eastern Ukraine, USIP's Ambassador William Taylor says the war is now "a race … between the Ukrainians trying to get new weapons coming from the United States and other NATO nations while the Russians try to move through the eastern part of the country."
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