Diplomacy 101: Undiplomatically Speaking
Where Beliefs Clash and Stories Flash
Airstrikes, Algorithms, and Arctic Ambitions
U.S. and UK forces struck Houthi positions across Yemen in a joint escalation meant to secure Red Sea shipping lanes. The strikes prompted UN Security Council emergency consultations, but no resolution was passed due to Russian and Chinese veto threats. Iran called the strikes “illegal acts of aggression” and warned of regional blowback.
In AI diplomacy, the OECD released a draft framework on cross-border data governance and AI ethics, drawing cautious praise from the EU and South Korea. China criticized it as “normative colonization,” preferring a state-led, sovereignty-first approach. The framework marks a key attempt at global digital governance, though real harmonization remains distant.
Finally, Russia announced new joint naval exercises with China in the Arctic Sea, raising eyebrows in NATO capitals. While framed as “anti-piracy operations,” the deployment of nuclear-capable submarines signals a broader ambition to rewrite Arctic governance—and test NATO's response latitude in non-traditional theaters.