WORLD ROUNDUPTake Greenland Seriously and Literally as a Vital National Security Issue | Why Gaza Is Israel’s Forever War | Why Biden’s Foreign Policy Fell Short, and more
· Why Trump Can’t Buy Greenland
· Take Greenland Seriously and Literally as a Vital National Security Issue
· The Long Road to Damascus: How the Syrian Rebels Toppled Assad and What Comes Next
· What would Donald Trump gain from seizing the Panama Canal?
· Russia Is Stepping Up Its Covert War Beyond Ukraine
· Why Gaza Is Israel’s Forever War
· Why Biden’s Foreign Policy Fell Short
Why Trump Can’t Buy Greenland (Scott R. Anderson, Lawfare)
Media headlines have been seized by what appears to be President Trump’s latest idiosyncratic policy proposal: purchasing Greenland, which is currently a part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Trump has reportedly asked the White House counsel, to look into the legality of the matter.
Take Greenland Seriously and Literally as a Vital National Security Issue (David Priess and Martijn Rasser, Lawfare)
Mentioning Greenland may invite laughs about President Trump’s rash interest in purchasing the island. Joking, however, overlooks the significant impact that Greenland will have on U.S. interests within the next decade.
The Long Road to Damascus: How the Syrian Rebels Toppled Assad and What Comes Next (Broderick McDonald, Just Security)
In just twelve days late last year, Syria’s armed opposition toppled Bashar al-Assad’s regime and captured Damascus. The lightening offensive has broad implications beyond Syria, rolling back Iran’s and Russia’s influence in the region and resetting the balance of power in the Middle East. While the rebels’ advances stunned the world, questions remain about how they were able to capture the country so quickly —and what will come next. The insurgents’ victory was a result of their evolution and patient planning, as well as the weakness of the Syrian regime and its foreign backers. But the road ahead is fraught with difficulties.
What would Donald Trump gain from seizing the Panama Canal? (Economist)
The president-elect claims the crossing is controlled by China and rips off American consumers.
Russia Is Stepping Up Its Covert War Beyond Ukraine (Bart Schuurman, Foreign Policy)
New data suggests a troubling new phase in the Kremlin’s tactics that directly threatens the lives of Europeans.
Why Gaza Is Israel’s Forever War (David E. Rosenberg, Foreign Policy)
Israelis want the fighting to end but their leaders don’t.
Why Biden’s Foreign Policy Fell Short (Kori Schake, Foreign Policy)
The White House never met its own grandiose standards.