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Stefan Wolff

Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham
The author of eighteen books and over fifty journal articles and book chapters, Stefan Wolff is Professor of International Security at the University of Birmingham, England, UK. He is also A political scientist by background, he specialises in the management of contemporary security challenges, especially in the prevention and settlement of ethnic conflicts and civil wars, and in post-conflict reconstruction, peace-building and state-building in deeply divided and war-torn societies. He has extensive expertise in Northern Ireland, the Balkans, Central and Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union, and has also worked on a wide range of other conflicts elsewhere, including the Middle East, Africa, and Central, South and Southeast Asia. Bridging the divide between academia and policy-making, he has been, and is, involved in various phases of conflict settlement processes, including in Iraq, Sudan, Moldova, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Kosovo.

Ukraine war: Russia's hard line at European security meeting ratchets up tensions another notch

Dec 06, 2023 07:55 am UTC| Politics

After many months of diplomatic wrangling, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) was granted another lease of life at the annual ministerial council meeting last week in a messy compromise between...

Global Geopolitics Series

Ukraine war: stalemate on the battlefield and shaky international support putting pressure on Zelensky

Nov 07, 2023 09:05 am UTC| Politics

More than 20 months into the war in Ukraine and over five months into Ukraines latest counteroffensive, the situation on the front is bleak and no breakthrough imminent, the countrys commander-in-chief admitted in a recent...

Global Geopolitics Series

Xi-Putin meeting: here's what it says about their current, and future, relationship

Oct 15, 2023 04:13 am UTC| Insights & Views

Vladimir Putin is expected to travel outside the borders of the former Soviet Union for the first time in 20 months to meet Chinas Xi Jinping on October 17. The visit, if it happens, is likely to entrench a relationship in...

Ukraine war: mixed signals among Kyiv's allies hint at growing conflict fatigue

Sep 26, 2023 03:54 am UTC| Politics

It is now almost 600 days since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the war that has followed has tested the resilience of both countries. But it has also tested those in the west that have supported...

Nagorno-Karabakh: longest war in post-Soviet space flares yet again as Russia distracted in Ukraine

Sep 21, 2023 00:02 am UTC| Politics

A 24-hour anti-terrorist operation launched by Azerbaijan to restore the countrys constitutional order threatened briefly to escalate into a full-scale war with Armenia over the contested territory of Nagorno-Karabakh. But...

Moscow drone attacks are a morale booster for Ukraine and a warning for Russia – here's why

Jun 03, 2023 03:28 am UTC| Politics

A wave of approximately 30 drones appeared in skies around the Russian capital, Moscow, on May 30. Though widely sensationalised as a major attack against the heart of the Russian government, they caused only minor damage,...

Global Geopolitics Series

Ukraine war: Zelensky's diplomatic tour has improved the ground for a fresh military offensive – but it needs to come soon

May 26, 2023 14:57 pm UTC| Politics

Ukraines offensive is in full swing at least diplomatically. President Volodymyr Zelensky has been touring capitals and summits over the past several weeks, trying to keep Ukraine on top of the international agenda while...

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Economy

US-Iran Gulf Clash Raises Oil Market and Defense Stock Concerns

A fresh military confrontation between the United States and Iran has intensified concerns over global oil supplies, defense sector performance, and Middle East security. According to reports citing U.S. Central Command...

Oil Prices Slip but End Two-Week Losing Streak as Middle East Tensions Persist in 2026

Global oil prices moved lower on Friday after operations resumed at Omans key Mina al Fahal oil terminal following reports of a drone-related incident. Despite the daily decline, both Brent crude and West Texas...

Gold Prices Tumble as Strong U.S. Jobs Report Fuels Fed Rate Hike Expectations

Gold prices recorded a sharp decline on Friday and were set for a weekly loss after stronger-than-expected U.S. employment data increased expectations that the Federal Reserve may raise interest rates later in 2026. The...

US Dollar Hits Near Two-Month High as Strong Jobs Data and Middle East Tensions Boost Rate Hike Expectations

The U.S. dollar climbed to its highest level in nearly two months on Friday, supported by stronger-than-expected labor market data and escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. The U.S. Dollar Index (DXY), which...

US Stock Market Tumbles as Tech and Semiconductor Stocks Lead Massive Selloff

U.S. stocks suffered a sharp decline on Friday, ending Wall Streets impressive nine-week winning streak as technology and semiconductor shares experienced heavy selling pressure. The market downturn came after a...

Politics

Russian Strikes Kill Five in Ukraine’s Kherson Region as Border Attacks Continue

Russian attacks killed five people in Ukraines southern Kherson region on Friday, according to regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin, highlighting the continued intensity of the Russia-Ukraine war. The incidents occurred in...

US Approves $1.5 Billion Seahawk Helicopter Sale to New Zealand Amid Defense Spending Surge

The United States has approved a potential $1.5 billion Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to New Zealand for five MH-60R Seahawk multi-mission maritime helicopters and related military equipment, marking a significant step in...

US Strikes Iranian Radar Sites After Drones Threaten Strait of Hormuz

The United States military confirmed that it carried out targeted strikes against Iranian radar installations on Friday after Iran allegedly launched four attack drones toward the strategically important Strait of Hormuz....

Trump Forced Labour Tariff Plan Faces Criticism as Experts Question Effectiveness

President Donald Trumps proposed tariffs targeting countries accused of failing to combat forced labour are drawing criticism from trade experts, business organizations, and human rights advocates, who argue the measures...

Putin Says Ukraine War Could End Through Compromise as Russian Forces Continue Advances

Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed Russias hardline position on the Ukraine war, stating that Russian troops continue to make battlefield gains while signaling that a peace agreement remains possible if Kyiv...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Apollo and Blackstone Complete $35 Billion Anthropic AI Infrastructure Financing Deal

Apollo Global Management (NYSE: APO) and Blackstone (NYSE: BX) have completed a landmark $35 billion financing package for artificial intelligence company Anthropic, marking one of the largest private credit transactions...

US Officials Explore AI Company Equity Stakes Ahead of OpenAI and Anthropic IPO Plans

Senior U.S. government officials have reportedly held preliminary discussions with leading artificial intelligence companies regarding the possibility of the federal government acquiring equity stakes in their businesses....

Switch Eyes Multi-Billion-Dollar Funding Round at $50 Billion Valuation Ahead of Potential IPO

Data center operator Switch is reportedly in discussions to raise billions of dollars in a new funding round that could value the company at more than $50 billion, according to a report from The Information. The potential...

South Korea Weighs AI Profit Sharing as Samsung and SK Hynix Earnings Surge

South Koreas Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon has called for a national discussion on how to distribute the extraordinary profits generated by the countrys booming artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductor industries....

Jensen Huang Strengthens Nvidia’s South Korea Ties Amid AI Expansion

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is set to make his second visit to South Korea in just seven months, underscoring the countrys growing importance in the global artificial intelligence ecosystem. Beyond high-level business...