Attitudes vis-à-vis Russia expressed in the public sphere are heterogeneous, in France more so than in Germany. In both France and Germany, the general public is by and large skeptical of Vladimir Putin and his policies. The picture is more diverse in the political realm. In Germany, there (still) is an approach that might be qualified as “mainstream”. The French debate, in turn, is highly fragmented.

The European Union (EU) is facing what the European Commission President, Jean-Claude Juncker, calls a ‘polycrisis’. The EU is under increasing pressure to deliver and address citizens’ concerns.

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is one of the most resource-rich countries in the world, but successive governments have failed to put the country on a stable development track.

Following difficult years for the European gas industry, natural gas is back to the front stage.

President Trump’s administration is characterized by its systematic denial and repealing of measures from his predecessor, be it in foreign policy or domestic policy. This is particularly the case for the energy and environmental policies. There is however a continuity from one administration to another: the steady rise of US hydrocarbon production and the development of the US as a global leader in oil and gas production and in the near future, their exports to global markets.

The geopolitical analyses of energy markets are traditionally focused on fossil fuels, and less on renewable energy sources.  

The global environment for trade is undergoing significant changes. New emerging players such as China are aiming to adapt the rules and institutions inherited from the postwar Bretton Woods system.

This article focuses on a little-explored aspect of Russia’s intervention in Syria: the new and diverse expeditionary forces engaged on the Syrian frontlines alongside Russian regular armed forces.