Border Disputes

Four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the war has brought immense destruction but no clear victor. What many observers expected to last weeks has become the longest major war fought on European soil since World War II. The conflict has reshaped Europe’s security landscape, devastated Ukraine, strained Russia’s military and economy, and tested the cohesion of the Western alliance.   Russia has fail...

While global attention is on the war involving the United States, Israel and Iran, another confrontation is unfolding further east. Pakistan and Afghanistan are edging toward escalation along one of Asia’s most volatile borders.   Fighting began to intensify in late February and continued into early March, forcing more than 115,000 people to flee their homes. The clashes are happening along the Durand Line, the 2,600-kilometer border...

Brazil is facing a security challenge shaped by the sheer length of its borders. With nearly 17,000 kilometers of land frontiers—one of the longest continuous stretches in the world—it shares boundaries with ten countries: Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, an overseas territory of France. No other country in South America manages such an extensive continental boundar...

Corn is one of the world’s most important food crops. It feeds billions of people, supports livestock, and is used for fuel and industry. But climate change is putting corn under serious threat, turning a basic food into a growing geopolitical problem.   Why Corn Is at Risk Corn needs large amounts of water to grow. As droughts and heatwaves become more common, corn harvests are shrinking in many parts of the world. This is especial...

More than 140 years after losing its Pacific coastline to Chile and becoming a landlocked country, Bolivia is trying a new approach. Instead of focusing solely on reclaiming sovereign sea access, Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz is promoting a pragmatic economic plan: offering Chile access through Bolivian land corridors to connect Pacific ports with Brazil’s vast markets.   From Old Rivalry to Surprise Partnership For generations, Bo...