The United States' strategy has been to isolate Russia internationally. Evidently, it is Washington that is becoming more isolated on the global stage. This week in the run-up to the G20 summit in Germany, the reverse in fortunes could not be more glaring.
The recent attacks in France, Belgium, Syria and Turkey earlier this year followed by the devastating mass shooting recorded in Orlando sent shockwaves around the world. Besides, conflicts in the Middle East and heightened tensions in the South China Sea have helped push global defence spending to a record high.
2017 could turn out to be a huge year for Russia. The significant involvement in Syria means that the country is back on the map, as a major force to reckon with. As it stands, the Kremlin is still concerned about the economic recovery. In addition, Donald Trump’s presidency adds a whole new dimension to the situation, and one has to wait and see the future relationship between Russia and the US. Commodity prices and the new geopolitical landscape are likely to swing in Russia’s favour.
Singapore is one of the best places to be born in and to live in.
India faces an uphill battle to become a low-inflation economy where growth and inequalities are important issues. The current government believes that inflation is an acceptable tool to pay for faster growth.
The French presidential election has been full of surprises—from former Prime Minister Manuel Valls’s failed Socialist primary bid to the financial scandal plaguing the campaign of François Fillon, the center-right candidate. No one has benefitted from these surprises more than Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron, where a win of the extreme right wing candidate is looming over the bond markets.
Donald Trump has begun his presidency with a series of policy interventions, taking aim at Barack Obama’s signature healthcare policy, raising the prospect of a new US missile defence system and ushering in a new period of American protectionism. His presidency is likely to bring big policy shifts across several key aspects of American life.