https://timesofpol.com/ Geopolitics news, analysis and explainers en-us Thu, 16 Jul 2026 06:56:14 +0000 https://timesofpol.com/patriot-production-licence-kyiv.html https://timesofpol.com/patriot-production-licence-kyiv.html At the NATO summit in Türkiye, Washington agreed to let Ukraine manufacture Patriot air-defence interceptors on its own soil — a shift that could reshape the air war after a record barrage on Kyiv. Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://timesofpol.com/taiwan-strait-tensions-2026.html https://timesofpol.com/taiwan-strait-tensions-2026.html Record incursions, naval stand-offs and a global economy that runs on Taiwanese chips have made the Taiwan Strait the single most dangerous flashpoint on earth. What is driving the escalation, and what a crisis would cost. Fri, 10 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://timesofpol.com/global-economy-2026-outlook.html https://timesofpol.com/global-economy-2026-outlook.html An oil-price spike, higher-for-longer interest rates and a fragmenting trade system are testing a global economy that never fully recovered its footing. A clear-eyed guide to where the world economy stands in 2026. Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://timesofpol.com/hormuz-ceasefire-collapse-iran.html https://timesofpol.com/hormuz-ceasefire-collapse-iran.html Weeks after a fragile truce, attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz have shattered the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, triggering renewed US strikes and sending oil prices soaring past $100 a barrel. Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://timesofpol.com/oil-prices-surge-past-100.html https://timesofpol.com/oil-prices-surge-past-100.html Crude prices have jumped from around $70 to more than $100 a barrel in days as conflict returns to the Gulf. Here is how a Strait of Hormuz shock feeds through to inflation, growth and your fuel bill. Thu, 09 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://timesofpol.com/drone-warfare-ukraine-front.html https://timesofpol.com/drone-warfare-ukraine-front.html Reconnaissance and strike drones have turned the Ukrainian front into a transparent, lethal battlefield where movement in daylight is a gamble. Inside the network-centric warfare reshaping modern combat. Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://timesofpol.com/china-critical-minerals-leverage.html https://timesofpol.com/china-critical-minerals-leverage.html From rare earths to strategic gases such as helium, Beijing is turning control of critical materials into a tool of statecraft. How export curbs are reshaping global technology supply chains. Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://timesofpol.com/chip-war-semiconductor-race.html https://timesofpol.com/chip-war-semiconductor-race.html Export controls, subsidy races and a scramble to secure the world's most advanced chips have turned semiconductors into the central front of great-power competition. Inside the contest that will shape the balance of power. Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://timesofpol.com/elections-2026-democracy-strained.html https://timesofpol.com/elections-2026-democracy-strained.html From polarised electorates to disinformation and razor-thin margins, the wave of elections defining 2026 is stress-testing democratic institutions across the world. What the votes reveal about the state of self-government. Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://timesofpol.com/what-is-deterrence-in-international-relations.html https://timesofpol.com/what-is-deterrence-in-international-relations.html An explainer on deterrence theory, how it aims to prevent war, and why credibility and signalling are central to it. Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://timesofpol.com/understanding-nato-and-collective-defense.html https://timesofpol.com/understanding-nato-and-collective-defense.html A clear explainer of NATO's purpose, the meaning of collective defense, and the debates shaping the alliance today. Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://timesofpol.com/understanding-supply-chain-geopolitics.html https://timesofpol.com/understanding-supply-chain-geopolitics.html How supply chains became a strategic battleground, from chips to minerals, and what 'friend-shoring' and resilience mean. Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://timesofpol.com/what-is-soft-power.html https://timesofpol.com/what-is-soft-power.html An accessible explainer of soft power, how states use culture, diplomacy and values to shape outcomes, and its limits. Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://timesofpol.com/what-is-a-proxy-war.html https://timesofpol.com/what-is-a-proxy-war.html An explainer on proxy wars, why states fight through intermediaries, historical patterns and the risks of escalation. Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://timesofpol.com/what-is-geopolitics-explained.html https://timesofpol.com/what-is-geopolitics-explained.html A beginner-friendly explainer of geopolitics: what it means, the core ideas, and why geography and power still drive world events. Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://timesofpol.com/how-the-un-security-council-works.html https://timesofpol.com/how-the-un-security-council-works.html A plain explainer of the Security Council's structure, the veto, and why the body so often struggles to act. Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://timesofpol.com/how-economic-sanctions-work.html https://timesofpol.com/how-economic-sanctions-work.html An explainer on how sanctions are designed to change state behaviour, the different types, and why they often fall short. Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://timesofpol.com/great-power-diplomacy-2026.html https://timesofpol.com/great-power-diplomacy-2026.html As alliances harden and back-channels shrink, the world's largest economies are negotiating less and posturing more. What the breakdown of routine diplomacy means for the year ahead. Wed, 14 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://timesofpol.com/frozen-conflicts-flare-again.html https://timesofpol.com/frozen-conflicts-flare-again.html Long-dormant territorial disputes are heating up as external powers test old ceasefire lines. A look at where the risks are rising fastest and why the old freezes are thawing. Tue, 13 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://timesofpol.com/sanctions-reshaping-global-trade.html https://timesofpol.com/sanctions-reshaping-global-trade.html Restrictions meant to isolate a handful of states are rerouting supply chains and creating new economic blocs. The unintended consequences are global and lasting. Mon, 12 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://timesofpol.com/energy-security-new-flashpoint.html https://timesofpol.com/energy-security-new-flashpoint.html Pipelines, ports and power grids are now strategic weapons. Why control of energy infrastructure is reshaping alliances and rivalries alike across the globe. Sun, 11 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://timesofpol.com/un-security-council-gridlock.html https://timesofpol.com/un-security-council-gridlock.html Vetoes, walkouts and stalled resolutions have left the world's peacekeeping bodies struggling to respond. Inside the crisis of multilateralism and the search for alternatives. Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://timesofpol.com/cyber-conflict-invisible-war.html https://timesofpol.com/cyber-conflict-invisible-war.html From power grids to elections, digital intrusions are now a routine instrument of statecraft. What that means for the rules of conflict and the security of everyday life. Fri, 09 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://timesofpol.com/migration-crisis-borders-strained.html https://timesofpol.com/migration-crisis-borders-strained.html Record displacement is testing the limits of asylum systems and reshaping domestic politics far from the front lines. A humanitarian and political reckoning. Thu, 08 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://timesofpol.com/military-buildups-arms-race.html https://timesofpol.com/military-buildups-arms-race.html Defence budgets are climbing at their fastest pace in decades. What's driving the spending — and where it could lead as rivalries harden and technology accelerates. Wed, 07 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000