WORLD ROUNDUPWhere Asia Meets Europe | Ukraine, Europe, and the Art of the Deal | U.S. Arctic Strategy Is Wrong to Focus on China, and more

Syria Has Never Really Cared About Israel  (Anchal Vohra, Foreign Policy)
Why Damascus has conspicuously avoided getting involved in the region’s ongoing war.

The New U.S. Arctic Strategy Is Wrong to Focus on China  (Jo Inge Bekkevold and Paal Sigurd Hilde, Foreign Policy)
It emphasizes limited Chinese activities instead of the much more potent Russian threat.

The AI Machine Gun of the Future Is Already Here  (Jarred Keller, Wired)
The Pentagon is pursuing every available option to keep US troops safe from the rising tide of adversary drones, including a robotic twist on its standard-issue small arms.

Haiti Has Lost Its Prime Minister. Gangs Aren’t Going Anywhere  (Economist)
The sacking of Garry Conille worsens the instability in the western hemisphere’s poorest country.

Where Asia Meets Europe, Allies Become Rivals in a Tangle of Interests  (Anton Troianovski, New York Times)
In the volatile Caucasus region, Russia and Iran, often seen as united in their aims, are vying to secure trade routes and influence. That leaves Western countries facing an unusual dilemma.

Ukraine, Europe, and the Art of the Deal  (Luis Simon and Lotje Boswinkel, War on the Rocks)
Any possible deal entailing a peace-for-territories trade would represent a significant reversal from President Joe Biden’s promise to support Ukraine “for as long as it takes.”