EDITORIAL

Efi Gana
(Analyst at the Epoch Times in Greece)

Copyright: @ 2026 theepochtimes.gr - RIEAS posted the English version (www.rieas.gr)- Publication date: 14 February 2026

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

The court ruling against CK Hutchison exposes the U.S.–China strategic confrontation and the limits of Chinese influence
Panama’s Supreme Court has annulled the concession contracts for two pivotal ports of the Panama Canal—Balboa on the Pacific side and Cristóbal on the Atlantic—both of which were under the control of Panama Ports Company (PPC), a subsidiary of the Hong Kong–based CK Hutchison group.

The court ruled that the laws under which the port concessions had been granted were unconstitutional, effectively ending decades of Chinese-linked involvement at the gateways of the world’s most strategic maritime route.... Read more

Demetrios Tsailas (ret Admiral)
(He has taught for many years, operational planning, strategy, and security, to senior officers at the Supreme Joint War College. He is a member and researcher of the Institute for National and International Security)

Copyright: @ 2026 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 7 February 2026

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

Introduction

The fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 has profoundly reshaped the geopolitical landscape of the Levant. Among the regional actors, Turkey is frequently described as the principal beneficiary of this transformation. While Ankara has indeed gained strategic depth in Syria, this perception of Turkey as the “great winner” risks oversimplifying a far more complex reality. Turkey’s influence is real but constrained, and its post-Assad role must be assessed through the prism of regional instability, economic fragility, and evolving great-power competition.... Read more

Demetrios Tsailas (ret Admiral)
(He has taught for many years, operational planning, strategy, and security, to senior officers at the Supreme Joint War College. He is a member and researcher of the Institute for National and International Security)

Copyright: @ 2026 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 31 January 2026

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

When the European Union and India concluded their long-awaited trade agreement a week ago, headlines focused on percentages: 97 percent of EU exports liberalized, 99 percent of Indian goods granted preferential access. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called it the “mother of all trade deals.” Yet to view this agreement primarily through the lens of tariffs is to misunderstand its true significance.... Read more

Eirini Lagonika
(DBA Candidate, Researcher / Analyst, LGNK Consulting)

Copyright: @ 2026 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 31 January 2026

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

Prior to 2022, the European Union relied for decades on a deeply formative relationship of energy dependence on Russian gas, a reality explicitly recognized by the International Energy Agency as a fundamental feature of the European energy architecture. This long-standing dependence has become a structural element of Europe's energy system, affecting both the strategic choices of member states and the resilience of the European market in the face of geopolitical turbulence (IEA, 2022). ... Read more

A Policy Framework for the United States and the European Union

Leonidas Kapetanakis
(START Services Founder, Leakey Texas, USA)

Copyright: @ 2025 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 30 January 2026

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

Executive Summary

Over the past decade, Kurdish forces in Syria and Iraq have emerged as one of the most reliable and effective partners of the United States and the international coalition in the fight against the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) and al-Qaeda–linked organizations. At extraordinary human cost, Kurdish fighters dismantled the territorial “caliphate,” liberated major cities such as Kobane and Raqqa, protected religious and ethnic minorities, and created some of the most stable zones in war-torn Syria.... Read more

Demetrios Tsailas (ret Admiral)
(He has taught for many years, operational planning, strategy, and security, to senior officers at the Supreme Joint War College. He is a member and researcher of the Institute for National and International Security)

Copyright: @ 2025 Research Institute for European and American Studies (www.rieas.gr) Publication date: 24 January 2026

Note: The article reflects the opinion of the author and not necessarily the views of the Research Institute for European and American Studies

In the evolving landscape of international conflict, hybrid warfare has emerged as a defining feature of 21st-century statecraft. Though some analysts view it as a novel development, others rightly point out that hybrid tactics, the fusion of conventional military force with unconventional and subversive tools, have deep historical roots. What sets today's hybrid warfare apart is its unprecedented scale, speed, and strategic centrality in an era dominated by digital connectivity, information warfare, and cognitive manipulation.... Read more