Global Scans · Geopolitics · Weekly Summary

• [New] The world faces a crossroads threatening the rules-based international order, with the resurgence of power politics and declining respect for international law. Al Jazeera Centre for Studies
• [New] While China has grown to become a dominant player on the global political and economic stage, the less predictable US trade and foreign policies create an opportunity for the European Union - and the EURO - to grow its global influence. Feed & Additive Magazine
• [New] Geopolitical tensions: Broader U.S.-China tensions and concerns about other adversarial nations will continue driving political focus on foreign funding regardless of specific university actions. University Herald
• [New] The post-January crackdown signals a shift inside Iran's power structure, where longtime political insiders are no longer treated as a stabilizing force - but as a risk. NCRI
• [New] In 2026, a dense electoral calendar will take the political temperature across Europe, with national elections in Hungary, Sweden and Denmark; regional or municipal elections in Spain, Germany, France and Italy; and parliamentary elections in Slovenia and Latvia. IDDRI
• [New] The precarious Middle East political climate is a major potential threat to global oil supplies. Acorn Wealth
• [New] Accelerating technology transfer to anti-Western regimes before Western export controls tighten, while exploiting Turkey's component dependencies and political tensions within NATO, could preserve access to Turkish drone technology and maintain strategic ambiguity in Ankara's alignment. Drone Warfare
• [New] Israel's genocidal war on Gaza reflects a deeper transformation of global politics, warning that the erosion of international institutions has enabled atrocities to unfold with limited accountability. Al Jazeera
• [New] The major macroeconomic theme impacting the power sector in 2026 will be geopolitics and tariffs. GlobeNewswire
• [New] Russia's behaviour towards its neighbours reflects several enduring drivers, including longstanding concerns about geographic vulnerabilities, a self-conception of great-power status, and a desire to keep political control centralized for regime security. Belfer Center
• [New] A fast-moving Russian operation to seize a symbolically significant border area could result in a fait accompli before NATO can reach political consensus. Belfer Center
• [New] The global political environment in the next ten years is expected to be a multipolar or fragmented order in which middle and great powers contest, set, and enforce regional rules and norms with greater risk of multipolarity without multilateralism. Democracy Without Borders
• [New] Thanks to Trump's endorsement of overt geopolitics, China's appeal as a multilateral partner has markedly increased, although many across Western capitals might disagree with Beijing's policy preferences. The Diplomat
• [New] Open threats by US politicians to seize Greenland and the political and military reactions from allies reveal how fragile alliances such as NATO or the United Nations become once material interests collide. Socialist World Media
• [New] On regional geopolitics, India prefers long-standing normative positions to preserve stability without any encouragement of disruption caused by particular states. The Indian Express
• [New] Iran is more a movement for the political Islamisation of the world than a government in a functioning country, and they will never resign unless they are forced to do so. Johan No.1 Substack page
• [New] As Xi nears the end of his third term, achieving reunification with Taiwan is expected to become his defining political objective. East Asia Forum
• [New] With Iran and Russia representing less than 4% of China's overall trade, the two sanctioned countries should not expect full political backing from Beijing. Middle East Forum
• [New] From renewed threats of tariffs to negotiations with the EU, firms are starting 2026 in an environment shaped by geopolitics as much as economics. CBI
• [New] The political battle over expiring ACA subsidies, the Trump administration's proposed outline for healthcare and the ongoing political question of what Medicaid and Medicare will (and will not) cover all make 2026 a year of potential upheaval. J.P. MORGAN
• [New] Ukraine's political leadership will be busy searching for additional funding options for 2027 and beyond. Kyiv Post
• [New] There is the question of whether growing economic discontent in Russia will translate into growing political discontent. The Guardian
• [New] China's hopes that the European Union would emerge as an independent and comprehensive player in global politics, serving as a counterbalance to the United States, have diminished. World and New World Journal

Last updated: 15 February 2026