Algeria and the UAE: A Diplomatic Rupture in a Changing Regional Order

LBM1948, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Allie Heiniger On September 10, 2026, Algeria severed diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), accusing Abu Dhabi of repeated “provocative or hostile” actions. Algeria expelled the Emirati ambassador and closed its airspace to UAE-registered aircraft, though it temporarily exempted commercial flights. The UAE responded... Continue Reading →

September 30, 2026 0

Serious Dialogue or Continued Discussions: The Results of the Recent Trump-Xi Meeting

Margo Martin, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Taylor Bishop On September 24, 2026, President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met for the next round of high-level talks amid rising tensions between the two powers, this time in Washington, D.C. In the months and weeks leading up to the event, scholars and policy... Continue Reading →

September 30, 2026 0

ISCNE Negotiation Simulation 2026: The South China Sea

By Katie Braman Through the weekend of September 18-19, the fall 2026 Patterson School cohort participated in the International Strategic Crisis Negotiation Exercise (ISCNE) presented by the U.S. Army War College. The exercise provides a unique opportunity for students to participate in two days of fast-paced negotiation rounds guided by the privileged instructions provided to... Continue Reading →

September 28, 2026 0

Houthis Create Chokepoint in the Red Sea

File:Red Sea 37.95521E 21.41271N.jpg. (2026, February 19). Wikimedia Commons. Retrieved September 28, 2026, from https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Red_Sea_37.95521E_21.41271N.jpg&oldid=1168454132. By Mia Durham In February of 2026, the United States and Israel led a joint attack against Iran, sending much of the world's attention to the critical economic chokepoint of the Strait of Hormuz, which has been closed since the... Continue Reading →

September 28, 2026 0

Fighting Escalates Across Ethiopia Between Armed Groups and Federal Forces

DoD photo by: MCC(AW/SW ERIC A. CLEMENT, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Brooke Bihl Renewed fighting throughout northern Ethiopia breaks out after a peace deal that ended the civil war between the Tigrayan rebels and the Ethiopian federal government nearly four years ago breaks apart. Authorities in the Tigray region released on Wednesday that... Continue Reading →

September 28, 2026 0

Fueling Dependence: Central Asia’s Growing Energy Security Challenges

Dan Lundberg, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Madelynn Linet For decades, Russia has remained one of Central Asia’s largest suppliers of oil and petroleum products. However, recent disruptions to Russia’s oil-refining industry and the introduction of restrictions on fuel exports have exposed the risks of high dependence on Russian energy supplies. Russian... Continue Reading →

September 28, 2026 0

Venezuela Promises to Hold Presidential Elections

Wilfredor, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Nimi Bala Nine months after Nicolás Maduro was removed from office as Venezuelan President, Venezuela will hold a presidential election. This comes after the interim-president, Delcy Rodríguez, stated at the UN General Assembly meeting on September 22 that there will be a presidential election held, though... Continue Reading →

September 28, 2026 0

Interim Government in Romania. Is Change Coming Soon?

gov.ro / Romanian Government Romania still only has an interim government, but positive steps have been made recently. Romania has had an interim government since May, when the former Prime Minister, Ilie Bolojan, was removed from the government after a vote of no confidence when the Social Democratic Party (PSD) decided to not be in the governmental... Continue Reading →

September 28, 2026 0

Canada: The Associate Member of the European Union

© European Union, 2026, CC BY 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By MJ Weaver Two weeks ago, the European Union (EU) invited Canda to become its first “associate member.” This proposal by the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, left many questioning what this new membership would entail and how it would be achieved... Continue Reading →

September 28, 2026 0

25 Years Since 9/11: Memory and Legacy for Future Foreign Policy Leaders

Flags on campus of University of Kentucky for 9/11 victims

By Abby Burczyk On September 11, 2026, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the events of 9/11, the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce held a panel for the first-year students. The room was filled with future leaders in international security and other disciplines who will enter the workforce in an era shaped by... Continue Reading →

September 14, 2026 0