Analysis
Why Small States Keep Hosting the Conversations That Matter
Singapore, Switzerland and a growing queue of minnows have built a niche the great powers cannot occupy: neutral ground with good logistics.
Christopher Lee · April 5, 2026
Analysis: What the Numbers Mean
Analysis is where longer arguments are made. Pieces trace a conflict, alliance, sanction regime or economic crisis back through the decisions and interests that produced it, then set out the range of outcomes still available. Sources and assumptions are stated. Written for readers who want causation rather than a summary of yesterday.
Analysis
Twenty-Four Languages, One Law: What Multilingual Parliaments Actually Cost
The European Union translates every binding text into every official language — a legal choice with a price tag and a hidden politics.
Valentina Sokolov · March 13, 2026
Analysis
The World's Gold Sits Under London. Increasingly, Its Owners Want It Back
Central banks keep reserves in each other's vaults for sound technical reasons — which is exactly what makes the repatriation wave a political seismograph.
Valentina Sokolov · February 18, 2026
Analysis
Enemies Keep Sharing Rivers. Water Treaties Outlast the Wars Around Them
The Nile, the Mekong and the Indus carry more than water — they carry the world's most resilient diplomacy, and its most delayed crises.
Valentina Sokolov · January 26, 2026
Analysis
The Benin Bronzes Came Home — Some of Them. Why the Rest Wait
Germany transferred ownership of hundreds of bronzes, yet most looted objects sit in limbo between museum boards, laws and Nigerian rival claimants.
Valentina Sokolov · January 4, 2026