Our Scans · Geopolitics · Weekly Summary

• [New] Lee's G7 diplomacy gives Seoul a wider platform to coordinate on Iran, Ukraine, AI, financial risk, and development aid, but the EU steel restrictions and Russia-linked oil flows show that global coordination also brings trade and sanctions-management costs. Fault Lines
• [New] Britain wants to project military power from Eastern Europe to the Middle East, lead NATO initiatives in the Arctic, support Ukraine indefinitely, and modernize its armed forces, all while carrying massive debt burdens and facing weak economic growth. Armstrong Economics
• [New] Around the world, countless girls are learning to use their voices in schools, youth programs, and community projects, shaping the kind of confidence that one day might lead to diplomacy. Meer
• [New] The Pentagon has raised Israel's counterintelligence threat level to critical after concerns that Israeli agencies intensified efforts to spy on U.S. officials and eavesdrop on U.S. negotiations with Iran, including targeting senior figures involved in policy and diplomacy. Just Security
• [New] The supply constraints from mining cost inflation, byproduct disruptions, and COMEX delivery stress are independent of US-China diplomacy. investing.com
• [New] In broader terms, the Turkey-Ethiopia alignment illustrates how regional orders are increasingly shaped by middle powers operating through flexible partnerships rather than rigid blocs, and it challenges the assumption that African geopolitics will be dominated exclusively by great powers. Manara Magazine
• Geopolitics was considered the fastest-growing threat in 2025, with three-quarters of central banks indicating an increase over the past year. European Central Bank
• Energy security, once viewed primarily as an international question concerning access to commodities like oil, coal and gas, will become a national governance issue focused on providing continuous service IRENA Geopolitics of the energy transition: Energy security. Green Technology Book: Energy Solutions for Climate Cha
• Over the past 100 years, the global population, GDP, and resource use have multiplied, while technology, geopolitics, and climate risks have fundamentally altered the landscape we operate in. Temasek Trust
• Tariff threats, military conflict in the Middle East, oil price spikes, central bank decisions, and US-China diplomacy all played a role in driving sharp movements across global equities. POEMS
• If 2025 was defined by the continued rise of generative AI and growing concern regarding its vulnerabilities, 2026 looks set to be the year in which AI becomes more embedded in the physical world, more autonomous, and ever more entwined with geopolitics. Centre for Emerging Technology and Security
• Liberal approaches to trade are threatened by US hostility and the growing mercantilism prompted by geopolitics and the securitization of key sectors, especially high-technology areas. East Asia Forum
• The political instability could have broader implications for UK foreign policy, including arms exports and diplomatic relations, particularly with regard to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. Crypto Briefing
• Iran's proposal keeps Hormuz at the center of war diplomacy and shipping risk. Fault Lines
• Examining Deepfake Security Risks in 2026 reveals that diplomatic relations are highly vulnerable to synthetic audio claiming political hostilities or false trade embargoes, creating friction where none truly exists. Shelby Global
• Singapore will deepen collaboration in areas like the digital economy, green transition and emerging technologies with Japan as both nations mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2026. ST
• Geopolitics Is Reshaping Supply Chains Global logistics disruptions continue to ripple through packaging supply chains. LinkedIn
• In practical terms, Japan is signaling that its diplomacy with Beijing will continue, but from a colder baseline in which economic security and deterrence concerns now weigh more heavily than the old stabilizing language suggested. Fault Lines
• As ASEAN chair in 2026, Manila could adopt Jakarta's mix of clear objectives, legal firmness, economic deliverables, and quiet diplomacy without yielding its maritime rights or long-term interests. The Asia Cable
• Global risks at the nexus of geopolitics and technology are increasingly disruptive as they exhibit rapid growth, unpredictability, diffusions from state to non-state actors and require a security policy paradigm shift from defence to resilience. GCSP
• There's a conspicuous lack of increased budget support for vital regional climate diplomacy, which is very clearly in the national interest, and another missed opportunity given Australia's crucial role as chair of global climate negotiations this year. Mirage News

Last updated: 20 June 2026