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Global Diplomacy after Trump’s Meeting with Zelensky
By Dr. Nishakant Ojha - March 07, 2025 - The recent Oval Office meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sent diplomatic shockwaves across the globe. What was intended to be a strategic discussion on U.S.-Ukraine relations quickly devolved into a debate, culminating in the departure of President Zelenskyy from the White House. The impact of this incident may extend far beyond this bilateral relationship, possibly affecting global alliances and altering the strategic calculations of key international players. The Contentious Meeting: A Catalyst for Diplomatic Uncertainty On February 28, 2025, the highly anticipated meeting between Presidents Trump and Zelenskyy was set to address crucial issues, including military aid, Ukraine’s ongoing defense against Russian aggression, and a proposed rare minerals deal. However, instead of fostering collaboration, the meeting highlighted critical differences.
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Putin Still Has a Taste for War (From the FOX News Rundown)
By Rebecca L. Grant, Ph.D., Vice President - March 05, 2025 - Rare earth minerals, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Zelensky in Munich, the bottling up of Crimea and Putin’s future war plans? FOX News Rundown’s John Saucier and I talked it all over on a special Evening Edition during the Munich Security Conference. Full clip here and edited highlights below. Saucier first asked if it felt like in any way Zelensky’s role, or even Ukraine’s role has been diminished, as the United States and Russia tried to end this war? Grant: Remember that Trump and Zelensky met at the Notre Dame cathedral back in December, so Trump has been in pretty regular communication with Zelensky. He has at various times assured him that aid and support will continue. He’s obviously got to keep Ukraine in the game as a strong player, in order to have any hope of really negotiating with Putin.
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How Financial Institutions Are Using Data to Navigate Economic Uncertainty
By Janice Tagoe, MBA, MSc. - February 28, 2025 - Leading financial intelligence firms are witnessing a surge in demand for data and analytics solutions in 2025. In February, both S&P Global and Moody’s Corporation reported stronger-than-expected profits, attributing their success to a market shaped by economic uncertainty and shifting U.S. policies. Their financial performance reflects a broader industry trend: companies are relying more than ever on data-driven decision-making to navigate volatile economic conditions. S&P Global Strong Growth Amid Market Volatility S&P Global has projected an annual profit that surpasses the analysts’ expectations, driven by the growing need for market intelligence tools. Investors are increasingly turning to data-driven insights to make sense of the post-U.S. election market rally, fueled by uncertainties caused by anticipated deregulation and tax reforms under the current administration. In Q4 2024, S&P Global reported a 14% rise in total revenue, reaching $3.59 billion. Some key highlights include: A 27% jump in revenue for its Ratings division, totaling $1.06 billion. A 5% increase in Market Intelligence revenue, bringing in $1.19 billion. Reinforcing its confidence in future growth, the company also announced a $650 million accelerated share repurchase program, underscoring its commitment to delivering value to shareholders.
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Two New Chinese Warplanes Could Mean the End of U.S. Air Superiority (From Federal News Radio)
By Rebecca L. Grant, Ph.D. - February 27, 2025 - As if not enough is going on in the world, the Chinese military has flown two new stealthy jets. Some military observers consider them a tangible threat to the U.S. One is a bomber, and one is a fighter. This episode of The Federal Drive with Tom Temin covered the Chinese planes, plus the U.S. F-22, B-21, F-35, and the future Next Generation Air Force fighter called NGAD. Link here and readout below. Interview transcript: Tom Temin: And you’ve been watching military aircraft for some time now. Tell us what is the latest development in China? What’s going on there? Rebecca Grant: Back in December, China flew not one, but two new stealth aircraft. And these two stealth aircraft show a lot more advances in design in the composite materials probably used to make them. So it was really a little bit of a shock. We’re always expecting to see some advanced aircraft out of China, but one was a larger aircraft. The other one was a smaller demonstrator. And so that tells us that China has, again, not one but two new stealth aircraft ready. And their mission is to challenge the U.S. and allies over the Pacific. And frankly, their mission is to threaten Guam, threaten Hawaii and kill American airplanes if there’s ever a fight. Tom Temin: Well, how do we know the capability of these things? There’s been some fuzzy video at great distance. But has anyone put a hand on it to see what it’s made of or how many engines they have or how stealthy they actually are?
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Here’s How the Pentagon Purge Can Succeed (From FOX News)
By Rebecca L. Grant, Ph.D. - February 25, 2025 - A reset of the Department of Defense brass could set us up to counter the threat from China. Read at FOX News here and full text below. Even with DOGE on the move, the firings of Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General C. Q. Brown and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti on Feb. 21 stunned Washington. In part, that’s because no one got fired over national security issues during the Biden years. Even when they deserved it. Not for the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, not for bad estimates about Russia’s intentions in Ukraine, not for the open southern border, not even for the lapse in nuclear command and control when Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was in the hospital. Of course, presidents have fired generals before. President Donald J. Trump fired Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, an active-duty Army officer who served as National Security Adviser until March 2018. President Barack Obama fired Gen. Stanley McChrystal in 2010 due to remarks he made in Rolling Stone. Who can forget President Harry S. Truman’s firing of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, after he speculated to the press about using 50 atom bombs on China during the Korean War in 1951.
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GPI-BAU Talk Series – Entrepreneurship: A Mindset (Europe vs. U.S.)
On Monday, February 24, 2025, at 3:00 PM (EST) the Global Policy Institute (GPI) and Bay Atlantic University (BAU) will hold a talk titled "Entrepreneurship: A Mindset (Europe vs. U.S.)" via Zoom and in-person at BAU. The focus will be on examining whether entrepreneurship is a bottleneck in Europe, rather than geopolitics, and exploring how the US and EU differ in their approaches. How to be a Successful Entrepreneur Capitalism is an economic system that succeeds when risk takers are able and free to engage in an economic activity that will lead to material gains. We call these risk takers “entrepreneurs.” Successful entrepreneurs are at the core of growing economies. They are individuals willing to take chances on new business ideas that may fail. But how does one become a good entrepreneur? Is it all about skills learnt in school, or about having the right mental attitude? Or perhaps about both? And what about the impact of the economic ecosystem? For sure, laws, regulations, permits, and credit availability affect the ability to create and then grow a new business. Many issues, many questions. Please join us for a timely conversation with Professor Rudy Aernoudt, a major expert in this field and author of “Entrepreneurship, a Mindset.”
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The Rising Tide of Extremism: Why Central Asian Youth Are Drawn to Terrorist Groups- An Inside Mind Theory
By Dr. Nishakant Ojha - February 19, 2025 - In recent years, the increasing attraction of Central Asian youth to extremist and Takfiri groups has become a major security concern for regional governments and international security experts. The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict has further exacerbated these concerns, with reports of young migrant workers being recruited for extremist activities, mirroring past recruitment patterns observed during the conflicts in Syria and Iraq. Notably, the emergence of the Turan Battalion, a group composed of Turkic-speaking Central Asians fighting alongside Ukrainian forces against Russia, underscores the urgency of addressing radicalization among youth. Additionally, extremist propaganda spread by leaders like Idas Sadeghov has contributed to the rising tide of radicalism. This article explores the underlying causes of this phenomenon, the role of external influences, and the measures being taken by governments to curb this threat, based on insights from experts across Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
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Affordable Supersonic Travel is Coming Soon
By Paolo von Schirach - February 17, 2025 - Boom Achieves Supersonic Flight. The first civil supersonic jet made in America breaks the sound barrier in historic Mojave airspace.” Here is a simple statement on the website of Boom, a relatively small American company, based in Denver, Colorado and Greensboro, North Carolina. Boom was created with the goal of building Overture, a supersonic passenger aircraft that will make business sense for passengers and for the airlines that will buy it and operate it. Imagine this: for the price of a business class ticket, you will be able to fly from Paris to Boston in half the time. For sure, supersonic flight is not news. American companies have been making state of the art supersonic airplanes for decades. But those are military jets, built on government contracts for the U.S. Air Force. Until now, no U.S. corporation seriously tried to manufacture a passenger jet that would travel at supersonic speed. The problem was and is the exorbitant operating costs of supersonic airplanes that would make it impossible for any airline to make money flying them.
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The Arab Superpower Emerges: Redefining Global Power Dynamics – A Point-Blank Analysis
By Prof. (Dr.) Nishakant Ojha - February 14, 2025 - At the Verge of a New Beginning A new geopolitical force is emerging—an independent Arab bloc wielding economic strength, military self-reliance, and diplomatic influence. No longer just an energy supplier or regional player, the Arab world is evolving into a strategic powerhouse, shaping global policies, alliances, and technological progress. Historically, the Arab world aligned with either Western powers or Eastern blocs like BRICS. However, the dynamics are shifting. As Arab nations reduce their dependence on the West and diversify alliances, they are positioning themselves as a third power, independent of the U.S.-led order and the China-Russia axis. This transformation is driven by economic diversification, military modernization, and shifting energy policies. U.S. foreign policy under Donald Trump has inadvertently pushed the Arab world towards self-reliance, while Russia and China must now adapt to a more independent Arab bloc.
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Trump is Serious about Change in the Ukraine War (From the FOX News Rundown)
By Rebecca L. Grant, Ph.D. - February 11, 2025 - Oil prices, Ukraine in NATO, the decimation of the Russian military and what about a meeting between President Donald J. Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin? FOX News Radio White House Correspondent Jared Halpern and I talked it all over on the FOX News Rundown, Full clip here, beginning at 12:08 and catch these edited highlights below. First Halpern played some of Trump’s recent remarks: “President Zelensky would like to have peace, he’s told me that very strongly,” Trump said and “OPEC ought to get on the ball and drop the price of oil and that war will stop right away.” Then came my turn to react. “Trump is serious about change in the Ukraine war,” I said. “Biden’s policy was, as long as it takes. Trump’s policy is ‘end this war now.’ The thing he’s finding is that there are certain conditions he needs to set to make that happen. The number one condition, already done, is to continue military aid to Ukraine. Next is his second move, and that is to tell Russia that they are going to have to face some consequences, if Putin won’t come to the bargaining table. That of course is the big issue: Putin has not been ready to negotiate.
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