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Stefan Wolff

Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham
The author of eighteen books and over fifty journal articles and book chapters, Stefan Wolff is Professor of International Security at the University of Birmingham, England, UK. He is also A political scientist by background, he specialises in the management of contemporary security challenges, especially in the prevention and settlement of ethnic conflicts and civil wars, and in post-conflict reconstruction, peace-building and state-building in deeply divided and war-torn societies. He has extensive expertise in Northern Ireland, the Balkans, Central and Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union, and has also worked on a wide range of other conflicts elsewhere, including the Middle East, Africa, and Central, South and Southeast Asia. Bridging the divide between academia and policy-making, he has been, and is, involved in various phases of conflict settlement processes, including in Iraq, Sudan, Moldova, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Kosovo.

Global Geopolitics Series

Germany steps up to replace ‘unreliable’ US as guarantor of European security

May 30, 2025 12:08 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Two statements from world leaders this week bear closer examination. On May 27, the US president Donald Trump took to his Truth Social social media channel to proclaim that if it wasnt for him, lots of really bad things...

Ukraine war: Trump is not trying to appease Putin – he has a vision of a new US-China-Russia order

Feb 25, 2025 07:49 am UTC| Economy Insights & Views Politics

There has been much and justified focus on the implications of a likely deal between US president Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and the overwhelmingly negative consequences this will have for...

Global Geopolitics Series

Trump wants China’s help in making peace in Ukraine. He’s unlikely to get it

Dec 16, 2024 05:00 am UTC| Insights & Views

US president-elect Donald Trump has invited Chinas president Xi Jinping to his inauguration on January 20 in a surprise move which appears to be part of a plan to involve Beijing in ceasefire negotiations in...

Global Geopolitics Series

Russia and Ukraine face off at European security conference as all sides wait for Trump presidency

Dec 12, 2024 02:46 am UTC| Insights & Views

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) marks the 50th anniversary of its foundation next year. Last week, after months of wrangling, its 57 members meeting in Malta managed to agree on a new...

Global Geopolitics Series

Ukraine war: polls show more than half of Ukrainians would support a negotiated peace as Russian advances continue

Nov 26, 2024 13:27 pm UTC| Insights & Views

The war in Ukraine is at a critical juncture. Kyiv has been given permission to use western-supplied Atacms and Storm Shadow missiles against targets inside Russia. It did so as soon as that permission was granted, with...

Ukraine: after 1,000 days of war, Europe must prepare for a Trump-brokered peace deal by asserting its own interests

Nov 20, 2024 23:14 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Since Donald Trump was reelected on November 5, speculation about what his presidency will mean for the war in Ukraine, which has now entered its 1,000th day, has become frenzied. It is easy to be sceptical of Trumps...

Ukraine war: Kyiv rejects Orbán ceasefire plan but global security deals offer hope

Jul 04, 2024 06:25 am UTC| Insights & Views

Ukraine has firmly ruled out any compromises in its war with Russia, according to a senior aide to President Volodymyr Zelensky. Andriy Yermak, the Ukrainian presidents chief of staff, said that while Kyiv welcomed advice...

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Economy

Russian Stocks Flat as VTB, MOEX Lead Gains Amid Volatile Commodity Moves

Russian equities closed flat on Saturday, with the MOEX Russia Index ending unchanged at 0.00%. Market activity saw mixed performances among major stocks, as gains in financials and metals offset minor losses elsewhere....

S&P 500, Nasdaq Steady Amid Trump Tariff Talk and Mixed Earnings

U.S. stocks ended flat on Friday as markets shook off initial jitters from a Financial Times report suggesting former President Donald Trump is pushing for steep tariffsbetween 15% and 20%on European Union goods. While the...

Trump 2026 Budget Plan’s NIH Cuts Could Slow Drug Development, CBO Warns

The U.S. Congressional Budget Office (CBO) cautioned that President Trumps proposed 2026 federal budgetfeaturing deep cuts to scientific researchcould significantly hinder the introduction of new drugs. The plan suggests...

IMF Approves $1B Boost to Ecuador’s Loan Program, Unlocks $600M in Funds

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a $1 billion increase to Ecuadors Extended Fund Facility, raising the total program access to $5 billion. The decision, announced Friday, allows Ecuador to immediately...

Lula Slams U.S. Tariff Threat as “Unacceptable Blackmail” Amid Trade Dispute

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva fiercely criticized the United States on Thursday over new tariffs set by President Donald Trump, calling the move unacceptable blackmail and vowing to defend Brazils...

Politics

ICE Expands Migrant Detention Plan with $45B Funding and Military Tent Camps

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is rapidly scaling up migrant detention operations nationwide after securing $45 billion in new federal funding, aiming to increase bed capacity from 40,000 to 100,000 by the...

Venezuela-U.S. Prisoner Exchange Frees 252 Deportees, 10 Americans

In a rare three-nation prisoner exchange, 252 Venezuelans deported from the U.S. and held in El Salvadors CECOT prison were returned to Caracas on Friday, while Venezuela released 10 detained Americans. The agreement,...

U.S. Threatens Retaliation Over Mexico Flight Slot Cuts and Cargo Relocation

The Trump administration is preparing retaliatory action against Mexico following decisions that disrupted U.S. airline operations in Mexico City. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy warned that flight requests from...

Israel and Syria Agree to Ceasefire Amid Deadly Druze-Bedouin Clashes in Sweida

Israel and Syria have agreed to a ceasefire following a week of deadly violence in Syrias Druze-majority Sweida province, which has left over 300 dead and hundreds wounded. The truce, brokered with support from the U.S.,...

Blackstone Exits TikTok U.S. Deal Amid Growing Uncertainty

Private equity giant Blackstone (NYSE:BX) has withdrawn from a consortium bidding for TikToks U.S. operations, according to a Reuters source. The exit comes as ongoing delays and rising uncertainty cloud the future of...

Science

FDA Lifts REMS Requirement for CAR-T Cell Cancer Therapies

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has removed the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) requirement for all currently approved CAR-T cell therapies, a move expected to improve patient access to these...

Neuren Pharmaceuticals Surges on U.S. Patent Win for Rare Disorder Drug

Shares of Neuren Pharmaceuticals Ltd (ASX:NEU) jumped over 10% on Thursday after the company announced a key development in its rare disease pipeline. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has approved Neurens patent...

CDC Vaccine Review Sparks Controversy Over Thimerosal Study Citation

A presentation on thimerosal, a mercury-based vaccine preservative, set to be delivered to the CDCs advisory committee has come under scrutiny for referencing a non-existent study. The report, Thimerosal as a Vaccine...

SpaceX Starship Explodes in Texas During Test, Citing Nitrogen Tank Failure

SpaceXs Starship spacecraft exploded in a dramatic fireball during a late-night test at the companys Starbase facility in Brownsville, Texas, on June 18, 2025. The 400-foot Mars-bound rocket, a key part of Elon Musks...

NASA Astronauts Wilmore and Williams Recover After Boeing Starliner Delay

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are steadily recovering after spending nine unexpected months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) due to issues with Boeings Starliner capsule. Initially intended...

Technology

Microsoft Ends China-Based Engineer Support for U.S. Military After Security Concerns

Microsoft has announced it will no longer use engineers based in China to support U.S. military cloud services, following backlash over potential cybersecurity risks. The decision comes after an investigative report by...

Perplexity AI Eyes Mobile Expansion with Comet Browser to Challenge Google

Nvidia-backed Perplexity AI is ramping up its efforts to disrupt Googles dominance in search by pushing its AI-powered Comet browser onto mobile devices. CEO Aravind Srinivas told Reuters that the startup is in talks with...

Nvidia’s H20 Chip Sales to China Face Criticism Over AI Concerns

U.S. lawmakers are raising alarms over the Commerce Departments decision to allow Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) to resume sales of its H20 AI chips to China. Republican Representative John Moolenaar, chair of the House panel on...

Citigroup and Ant International Launch AI-Powered FX Risk Management Pilot

Citigroup and Ant International, a fintech affiliate of Chinas Ant Group, have launched a pilot program leveraging artificial intelligence to help global businesses manage foreign exchange (FX) risk more effectively. The...

Meta Taps Former Apple AI Experts for Superintelligence Labs Team

Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) has hired two top artificial intelligence researchers from Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), according to a Bloomberg report citing sources familiar with the matter. The move highlights Metas continued push...