Carl Liles

The author is a Master's student at the University of Tartu's International Relations and Regional Studies program. His research interests include Eurasian security, de facto states, and civil society development.

Mearsheimer Revisited: How Offensive Realism’s Founder Is Inconsistent on the Ukraine-Russia War

In his September/October 2014 essay in Foreign Affairs and March 2022 editorial in the Economist, John Mearsheimer argues that the 2014 occupation of Ukrainian...

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What Canada’s Submarine Decision Means for South Korean Arms Exports

Canada's submarine choice highlights a key lesson: modern arms sales depend not only on capability and price, but also on alliances, strategic trust, and long-term security partnerships. South Korea must sell relationships, not just weapons.

Can Abiy Ahmed Afford His Power in Ethiopia’s Political Marketplace?

Abiy Ahmed's political capital is shrinking as insecurity, inflation, elite fragmentation, and dependence on external patrons drive up the cost of power. Can Ethiopia's political marketplace sustain his rule much longer?

BRICS+ cooperation in a complex economic and geopolitical environment: Opportunities and impediments

BRICS+ offers vast potential in trade, technology and local currency cooperation, but geopolitical rivalries and divergent strategic priorities will shape whether it emerges as a cohesive force or remains a loose coalition.

BRICS and De-Dollarization: Is the Global Financial Order Really Changing?

BRICS may not end dollar dominance, but it is accelerating a shift toward a more multipolar financial order where currencies, influence, and economic power are becoming increasingly contested.

Between Two Fronts: Why Japan-South Korea Security Cooperation Is No Longer Optional

Japan and South Korea can no longer afford fragmented security policies. In a Taiwan-Korea dual contingency, coordination is no longer strategic preference, but the foundation of deterrence and regional stability.