Diplomacy & International Relations

EU Enlargement and Democracy (Emiliano Alessandri – GMFUS)

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has put enlargement back at the top of the EU agenda. After a long hiatus—Croatia was the last...

Beyond Autonomy: The Ripple Effects of Sabah Elections on Federal Power (Lee Hwok-Aun, Adib Zalkapli – FULCRUM)

Sabah’s voters delivered a stunning rebuke to Malaysia’s peninsula-based parties at the 29 November state election. The impact will extend beyond Kota Kinabalu; Sabah...

Critical Mass: The Complexity of Malaysia’s Nuclear Reboot (Amalina Anuar – FULCRUM)

Nuclear power is back on the table for Malaysia. The imperatives are clear: the country must increasingly feed energy-intensive sectors such as data centres....

ASEAN Business Entity: Integration at the Cost of Inclusion (Tham Siew Yean – FULCRUM)

The ASEAN Business Entity (ABE), initiated during Indonesia’s chairmanship in 2023, recently started a pilot programme in November 2025 under Malaysia’s watch. The ABE’s...

Reading ASEAN’s Sentiments in a Year of Crosswinds (Joanne Lin, Jasmine Yeo – FULCRUM)

Two complementary surveys in 2025 offer a synchronised read on Southeast Asia’s confidence at a time of transition. UOB’s ASEAN Consumer Sentiment Study (ACSS)...

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, December 21, 2025 (Institute for the Study of War)

Russian forces are conducting a new cognitive warfare campaign through limited cross-border attacks across a broad part of the previously dormant northern frontline in...

China’s Nuclear Carrier Aspirations and Strategic Impact (Atul Kumar – Observer Research Foundation)

China’s reported move to construct a nuclear aircraft carrier signals that the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is reaching an inflexion point in its...

Russia-South Korea ties: Drifting, Holding, or Hardening? (Abhishek Sharma, Rajoli Siddharth Jayaprakash – Observer Research Foundation)

Since the new administration under Lee Jae-Myung took office in Seoul, many changes have occurred in South Korea’s ties with its regional partners, except...

Japan’s Rearmament: Technology, Deterrence, and Alliance Dependence (Manoj Joshi – Observer Research Foundation)

In 2022, Japan laid the foundations for a new set of defence and security policies that shed the self-imposed post-World War II constraints on...

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