Nato General Secretary Mark Rutte warned that the West needs to prepare of the possibility that Chinese President Xi Jinping will ask Russian President Vladimir Putin to attack Nato so that China can invade and take control of Taiwan. Is that a realistic possibility?

bne IntelliNews’ editor-in-chief Ben Aris talks to Professor Axel Schneider, the head of the sinology faculty at Goettingen University to discuss these issues and more.

Russia’s economy is under pressure, but life on the streets in Moscow and the regions has never been so good, says Chris Weafer, the founder and CEO of Macro Advisory and former head of research at multiple Moscow-based investment banks. The government are trying to crash land the overheating economy and there will be damage, but not a plane wreak, says Weafer.

But to solve Russia’s basic problems, the war in Ukraine needs to stop. Reports are out that it is official: Trump will not send Ukraine any more air defence ammo, “because our own stocks are running low.”

Ukraine has been cut off from US help for the second time. It was already cut off this time last year when the US ran out of money for Ukraine and that ended up with Kyiv running out of air defence missiles and the destruction of its entire non-nuclear power generation capacity. Now Trump has cut Ukraine off for a second time and as the skies open again, Russia is likely to spend the summer bombing anything it wants to with impunity. The mood is black. Some commentators now give Ukraine only six more months before it will have to sue for peace.

In the meantime Putin’s efforts to build up a multipolar world order are going surprisingly well. But it is not just a Sino-Russian effort. Countries around the world are clubbing together in regional alliances to better protect themselves from US bullying. Iran’s relationship with Russia in the 12 day war with Israel is a case in point. The annual BRICS summit is due to convene this month in Brazil and the business of building up the non-aligned alliance between the Global South countries continues.

Adelle Nazarian is an international journalist, foreign policy analyst, and entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience across media, geopolitics, and technology. Fluent in English, Persian, French, and Mandarin Chinese, Adelle has reported for outlets including CNN, Fox News, and Breitbart, and conducted exclusive interviews with global leaders. She is the founder and CEO of Vista Nexum and has served as CEO of the American Blockchain PAC, championing innovation at the intersection of technology and policy. As a senior fellow at the Gold Institute and the Observer Research Foundation, Adelle is recognized for her expertise in national security, human rights, and international affairs, making her a sought-after voice on global issues

In this episode of the Emerging Global Podcast, Ruthie Blum, former advisor to the Office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, provides her insights on the ongoing Middle East conflict as well as Israel's internal political state of play. Blum walks us through her personal and professional journey while giving us an insight into Israel's involvement in Syria and Prime Minister Netanyahu's ongoing corruption trial.

In this episode of the Emerging Global podcast, South America correspondent Mathew Cohen provides an in-depth analysis of President Javier Milei's controversial economic reforms in Argentina. Cohen examines the impact of Milei's libertarian policies, including deregulation and austerity measures, on the country's economy and its citizens. The discussion covers public reaction to these sweeping changes, the challenges facing Milei's administration, and the potential long-term consequences for Argentina's economic landscape. This timely conversation offers listeners valuable insights into one of South America's most significant current political and economic developments.

Bruce Pannier is a longtime journalist and correspondent covering Central Asia. He currently writes for Bne IntelliNews and appears regularly on the Majlis podcast for RFE/RL. Prior to joining RFE/RL in 1997, Bruce worked at the Open Media Research Institute in Prague.

You can also read more on the topic here: https://www.intellinews.com/pannier-russia-is-pushing-turkmenistan-out-of-the-natural-gas-market-326833/?source=asia

Daniel Rad interviews Frazan Sabet about the future of Iran after the unexpected death of president Ebrahim Raisi.

Dr. Farzan Sabet is an expert on economic sanctions, nuclear non-proliferation, and Middle East politics. He is a Senior Research Associate of the Global Governance Centre and the Sanctions and Sustainable Peace Hub at the Geneva Graduate Institute.

One year after the tragic death of a young Iranian woman at the hands of the Iranian state led to a year of disturbances and challenges to the cleric-led state.

Dr. Arasha Azizi talks with bne IntelliNews on the one year anniversary of the death of Mahsa Amini and Iran's future.

China and the US are on a collision course while Beijing and Moscow are moving closer together and geopolitical tensions are rising. What exactly is China’s foreign policy and attitudes to its growing rivalry with the US? Are Russia and China in an emerging anti-Western alliance or is it just a marriage of convenience? Can Beijing broker a peace in Ukraine and will it invade Taiwan?

bne IntelliNews’ editor-in-chief Ben Aris talks to Professor Axel Schneider, the head of the sinology faculty at Goettingen University to discuss these issues and more.

Watch the conversation here.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin spent three days in Moscow to form a new deeper economic and pollical alliance. How important was the meeting and what do Xi and Putin get out of it.

Ben Aris - Editor in chief of bne IntelliNews in a panel discussion with two of the leading experts on Russia’s oil business:

Nigel Gould-Davis - The former UK ambassador to Belarus and Senior Fellow for Russia and Eurasia with the International Institute for Strategic Studies

Alexander Titov - A lecturer of Modern European History at the university of Belfast