Diplomacy 101: Undiplomatically Speaking
Where Beliefs Clash and Stories Flash
Green Smoke, Gray Zones, and Global Gridlock
After days of tension and brinkmanship, COP29 concluded with a deal that’s being called both “historic” and “hollow.” The final text includes the phrase “transitioning away from fossil fuels”—a semantic victory for climate advocates, but short on specifics or enforcement mechanisms. Developing nations decried the lack of binding finance mechanisms, and activists labeled the outcome a “green smoke screen.”
Meanwhile, in the South China Sea, Philippine and Chinese vessels collided during a disputed maritime patrol near Second Thomas Shoal. Both sides blamed the other, with Washington reiterating its defense commitments to Manila. ASEAN issued a cautious statement, once again exposing the bloc’s limits as a regional security actor.
Elsewhere, Argentina’s new libertarian president formally froze diplomatic ties with Venezuela and announced a pivot away from Mercosur in favor of bilateral trade with the U.S. and UK. The move marks a sharp ideological departure in South American regionalism, likely setting the tone for a fractured 2025 ahead.