Russia has been making statements about revival of the Russia–India–China trilateral mechanism recently. Moscow’s reluctance to end the war with Ukraine could further weaken Russia and fundamentally change the internal equations in the RIC in which Russia could be the weakest link and China the strongest.

U.S. seeks peace and stability, but the demonstration of its military capabilities in Iran serves as a stark reminder that it retains the ability to shape outcomes should adversaries attempt to break the status quo.

Canadian Prime Minister Carney provided clear indications in a pre-election debate by arguing that Canada’s biggest security threat is China. He afterwards explained that China is a geopolitical threat due to its support of Russia’s war against Ukraine and threats to Taiwan.

President Lee inherits a polarized diplomatic landscape. His predecessors pursued divergent paths: Moon Jae-in (2017-2022) sought a balancing act between the U.S. and China while facing setbacks in Seoul–Tokyo relations, whereas Yoon Suk-yeol (2022-2025) aligned closely with the U.S. and Japan. In contrast, Lee has signaled a shift toward pragmatic diplomacy, prioritizing national interest over ideological alignment.

The new President of South Korea, Lee Jae-myung, officially assumed the presidency on June 4. Currently, South Korea is facing a collapse of political trust, social confrontation, torn labour relations, and economic slowdown domestically, while externally it has to deal with complex international economic, trade, and security restructuring issues.

The coordinated Israel-U.S. operation against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure in June was highly successful in crippling the Islamist state’s ability to acquire nuclear weapons for at least the next few years.

As the United States shows signs of waning interest in supporting Ukraine, Europe’s role in the ongoing conflict is becoming critically important. Ukraine is sounding the alarm, and Europe is gradually waking up.

Singapore and Singaporeans have bet on what they know best, but like all bets there is a chance of things going awry. How Singapore seeks to update its range of external policies for a more contested, protectionist, and less restrained world in practical terms is uncertain even as economic negotiations with the Trump administration have yet to produce visible results.

Trump has made it clear that Ukraine is not a priority in his vision of U.S. national interests. Nevertheless, it is vital for Ukraine and its European allies to persuade Trump to use all available levers of influence on Putin to bring the war to an end — as the United States remains the only power with the actual tools to do so.