

The Alliance is waiting now for the U.S.-Afghan agreement, which will give a political and legal base for the U.S. presence in Afghanistan. The problem is that Hamid Karzai is not ready to sign this agreement.

The SCO helps to create a spirit and network of cooperation in many fields, primarily in economics and security. Thanks to its structure, it can find responses to emerging security challenges.

Delivering arms to the conflicting sides, carrying out a unilateral, irresponsible strike, or blocking the work of the UNSC can only multiply the violence in Syria.

The Syrian case has proved the existence of a very serious problem in international relations. Russia and the United States, which used to regard themselves as great powers, have no capability to be such powers.

Investigation of chemical weapons use is in the interest of both the United States and Russia. Russia will continue to support Assad only if there is no evidence that he used chemical weapons.

The Soviet Union’s collapse and disintegration did not come all at once. It was a long process, which is still unfinished. Instability, unpredictability, and insecurity of the 1990s became a good launching pad for the current leadership of Russia.

The current nuclear program of North Korea would hardly deter a potential first attack, not to speak of ensuring nuclear retaliation which would require North Korea to have survivable nuclear forces capable of avoiding interception by the air and missile defense of the neighbor countries and the United States.

Owing to the mayor elections and the Navalny case, the political life in Russia has exploded in midsummer. The paradox is that the opposition has done nothing for this. The decisions of the government have been the main reason for these developments which benefit rather the opposition than the government.

Democracy is the process, passing through ups and downs. And a political leader is not a key factor here, even if he looks like a powerful figure. The main factor is the people, who can accept or reject this figure despite his power.

No doubt, the history of Turkey knows many exclusionist approaches (the case of the Kurdish movement is an evident example). Such approaches were on the table in the case of the Taksim movement. Yet finally Ankara has chosen inclusive response to the Taksim challenge. The cancelation of the Artillery Barracks project which had trigged the unrest is a symbol of this response.