Europe is taking a pragmatic approach to Syria. Its origins lie in Kabul
Europe’s engagement with the new Syrian leadership has been notably swift, yet it still refuses to recognise the Taliban. On 19 December 2024, the European Council issued guidelines for recognising Syria’s transitional government, tying it to respect for ‘human rights, including women’s rights, non-sectarian governance, and the protection of members of religious and ethnic minorities.’ […]
After Afghanistan
Shocking images of the historically unprecedented Afghanistan airlift caught the attention of people around the world. It also caught the attention of European Commission President Von der Leyen in her State of the Union address, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and European Commission Vice-President (HRVP) Josep Borrell, and European Council President Charles Michel, […]
Historical parenthesis?
The end of Washington’s two-decade-long war effort in Afghanistan has inevitably raised questions over whether the era of Western nation-building and interventionism has now truly ended. This follows years of mounting concerns over the fate of the ‘liberal international order’ since the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the election of Donald Trump in […]