geopolitics

On October 30, the Russian government submitted to the State Duma a bill "On International Development Assistance" (IDA). Will it become a real instrument of influence, or remain a framework for paperwork? Where will the money come from? And what changes for partner countries, for Russia and for its neighbors?

What the bill contains

The Kurds are perhaps the largest people in the region without a state of their own. For that reason, almost any major dispute between their neighbors sooner or later touches their interests. Where do the grievances come from? Whom have the Kurds backed, and whom have they opposed? What has changed in the past year?

Some people see the Kurds only as fighters, and others see them only as victims. To both groups I would say this: the conversation should begin with a map, not a weapon, because the Kurds did not draw the map.

With a ceasefire, a nuclear program and the fate of entire regions on the table, Washington has sent the president's son-in-law and an old friend to the negotiating table. What qualifies them? What does the American establishment make of it? And what do flamingos in Albania have to do with any of this?

How we see it in the United States

Who they are

Israeli voters gave neither Benjamin Netanyahu nor Gadi Eisenkot a decisive mandate. Meanwhile, Washington and Tel Aviv are preparing a new phase of the operation against Iran. How do the two developments connect? What do they mean for the region and the world? And where does the current alignment lead?

I am Dr. Hassan, VIGIL Journal's representative for the Middle East and North Africa. I want to take the two stories separately, then show where they intersect.

On October 20, the European Commission and the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, unveiled a strategy titled "Europe's Northern Neighbourhood." Security comes first among its four priorities. How far has the balance of power shifted? Are Brussels' ambitions realistic? And how might Moscow respond? We have gathered the facts and the views of two Russian experts.

What the document says

Almost ten months after the traumatic events that shook the country at the beginning of the year, Venezuela is navigating a complex and delicate political, economic, and military balance. To analyze in detail the foreign incursion of last January 3, the decisions made by the high leadership of the FANB (National Bolivarian Armed Forces), and the evolution of the institutional and economic framework to date, we spoke with military and strategic intelligence expert Colonel Irving Guilarte.

Many people do not understand the roots of the conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, and this is especially true of the younger generation. As someone who lives in these regions, and as a representative of VIGIL Journal, I want to offer some explanations, first of all to our young people, who carry our hopes.

Across the Middle East, governments are preparing for a possible return to large-scale fighting while trying to head it off through diplomacy. Iran is showing off its missile capabilities. Israel is debating a military operation that could bring it into direct confrontation with Tehran. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are sending their top defense and intelligence officials to the Iranian capital. This is no longer an exchange of statements: states are coordinating their actions in case the political standoff slides back into direct war.

HSBC's chief executive says the Strait of Hormuz could become "unnecessary" within five years. We tested that idea against the facts of this year. What did the September drones show? Why is a pipeline not the same as security? And what does a fair order for all parties have to do with any of it?

What the Banker Said

Just five years ago, most experts greeted the idea of the Northern Sea Route as a serious alternative to the Suez Canal with an indulgent smile. The navigation window was too short, icebreaker escorts too expensive, and ice conditions too unpredictable for major global carriers to consider the Arctic route over the familiar southern path through Suez, even for a moment. Today, in autumn 2026, that same route supports a regular weekly container service between China and the United Kingdom, and cargo volumes are heading for an annual record.