The war in the Middle East is quietly reshaping the balance of power in Ukraine. Russia didn’t need to plan it, act on it or fire a single shot to make it happen. Since the start of the U.S.–Israeli conflict with Iran, the attention has focused on escalation risks, energy markets, and regional instability, but when we zoom out, and look outside the immediate battlefield, there is an additional story taking place: Russia is emerging as one of the primary beneficiaries of the w

Most of the current discussions around energy security is centred around the Strait of Hormuz. The conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran has disrupted the Middle East in a way that is incalculable in many sectors but access to black gold has destabilised stock markets and made many countries vulnerable to further economic shocks. A quick result from this conflict is not likely and Wall Street analysts believe that the crude supply will drop to 12 million barrel

“Everything that exists requires energy to create and to operate—not some things, everything,” said energy analysis expert Mark P. Mills back in 2024. That remark may sound evident but it keeps returning to my mind in recent months with every new headline that piles up: Russian strikes on Ukrainian power stations, oil seizures and sanctions, a major blackout in Berlin, U.S. military action linked to Venezuela’s energy sector, and renewed American interest in acquiring Greenla

From the Caspian Sea to the borders of China, Kazakhstan—the world’s largest landlocked country and ninth in the world by territory—sits at the physical center of Eurasia, where Islamic, Christian, and Confucian civilizations have historically intersected and where today’s great powers quietly overlap. Rich in oil, gas, uranium, and critical minerals, and crossed by some of the most important land corridors connecting Europe and Asia, the country has long been embedded in glo