Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- July 16, 2020

Matthew Petti, National Interest: Armenia and Azerbaijan Are On the Brink of War—And Washington Is Worried

The State Department is neutral, but Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.) is backing Armenia.

U.S. policymakers are warning Armenia and Azerbaijan to stand down after fourteen people died in a deadly border clash between the two post-Soviet republics.

Armenia and Azerbaijan have been at odds over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh since both countries obtained independence from the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. The two sides agreed to a ceasefire in 1994 but have been unable to come to a permanent peace agreement in international talks.

This week’s events have threatened to unravel the peace process, as the deadliest clashes in years erupted along the tense border. The fighting began on Sunday and has killed at least sixteen people as of Tuesday afternoon, including an Azerbaijani major-general.

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Commentaries, Analysis, And Editorials -- July 16, 2020

Yemen war: Tortured for supporting the 'wrong' side -- Nawal Al-Maghafi BBC

Special edition: Lebanon grapples with worst economic meltdown in years -- France 24

In protests-hit DRC, a fierce power struggle deepens -- Peter Yeung, Al Jazeera

Kim Jong-un Zigs, Kim Yo-jong Zags, and How North Korea Negotiates -- The Interpreter

Why Chinese investment is stoking anger in Pakistan's Balochistan province -- S. Khan, DW

Hong Kong security law: how will US sanctions affect China’s plan to turn the yuan into a widely used global currency? -- Karen Yeung, SCMP

China’s Deepening Geopolitical Hole -- Minxin Pei, Project Syndicate

Will We See a U.S.-Vietnam Strategic Partnership? -- Bich T. Tran, The Diplomat

Nord Stream 2 undermines NATO unity -- Petr Iskenderov. Modern Diplomacy

Could Russia and West be heading for cyber-war? -- Gordon Corera, BBC

Macron needs an economic miracle to save his presidency. The coronavirus pandemic puts 2022 in play for far-right leader Marine Le Pen. -- Paul Taylor, Politico

Could US or UK ban TikTok? -- BBC

75 years ago, 'Trinity' test ushered in nuclear age, changed the world -- Don Jacobson, UPI

The chilling global impact of Siberia’s record heatwave -- France 24