Russia And The Collective West: The Global Politics Of The Cold War 1.0/2.0 – Analysis

 September 22, 2025

By Dr. Vladislav B. Sotirovic

Russia as the phoenix in global politics

After the end of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia became a less popular area of study and dealing with in comparison to before the end of the Cold War (1949‒1991). In the West, it was believed that after 1991, Russia was simply “finished” as Moscow was no longer the capital of a great power state (of the USSR) which had an important influence in global politics and international relations after WWII.

In other words, the Western policymakers thought that after 1991, Russia would remain irrelevant as both economic and political power in global politics, and, therefore, for instance, many universities’ studies programs on Russia in the USA and Western Europe were either canceled or downsized under the explanation that studying Russia was no longer important for international relations (IR) and global security.   

However, all of those who shared an opinion that Russia was “irrelevant” in global politics and international relations since the end of the Cold War realized at least from the 2008 Russo-Georgian War (1) onward their fatal mistake of judgment. Russia is “back,” and subsequently, Washington and Brussels declared a new Cold War (2.0) on Russia in 2008 (2) as they clearly understood that Russia is back as a military, economic, and political great power. In other words, the Collective West, especially (and led by) the USA, made a critical experiment of provoking Russia on the international stage, and they received a very clear answer. The second fatal experiment of challenging Russia was on the soil of the (Soviet) Ukraine from 2014 to 2022, when reborn post-Cold War 1.0 Russia accepted the thrown “white glove” in February 2022 by launching a Special Military Operation (SMO) against the Russofrenic neo-Nazi political regime in Kiev, directly politically, logistically, financially, and militarily supported by the Collective West since the 2014 EuroMaidan’s cup.   

Russia, as a country with tremendous energy resources, nuclear power, educated and talented people, simply cannot be ignored in global politics by the Collective West, as was the practice in the years from 1991 to 2008. It became true especially from the very point of fact that Russia has been actively since 2008 pursuing its own national interests and security policy near its borders (within the space of the ex-USSR). Nevertheless, it became totally wrong to believe that the post-Cold War Russia was going to be an adversary to the American “New World Order”, as reborn Russia after 2000 clearly shows to be a respectful Eurasian global power with national interests and aspirations of her own to be both acknowledged and respected. It was finally proven by the start of the Russian Special Military Operation on the territory of Eastern (Soviet) Ukraine populated by the Russian speakers in February 2022. This operation, at the same time, clearly showed the Global West that Russia once again (after the dissolution of the Soviet Union) became a member of the top global powers in global politics and, therefore, its influence in IR cannot be ignored anymore.      

Transformation of post-Soviet Russia into a Great Power

It is a historical law that each state changes with time. However, only a few states experience such dramatic change during the short period of time as Russia has over the last 30+ years. In other words, Russia has changed as a state, nation, and military power, followed by its fluctuating position in global politics and international relations. From 1991 to today, Russia has transformed peacefully and rapidly its entire political and economic system, which is a relatively rare example in history. When the USSR dissolved in 1991, Russia was left to be one of its 15 constituent republics, which proclaimed independence forced to substantially redefine its role in global politics. The 1990s were very painful for Russia’s position in international relations as the country’s foreign policy was, in fact, supervised and directed by Washington and Brussels as the case of NATO aggression on Serbia and Montenegro in 1999, for instance, clearly showed but since 2008 Russia’s foreign policy once again became an independent and gradually returning the country to the club of the Great Powers.  

The importance of Russia´s influence in the world in the arena of global politics is based on the fundamental fact that Russia is one of the strongest international actors that is determining the global political agenda. It means that Russia is once again a member of the Great Power club as „a great power state is a state deemed to rank amongst the most powerful in a hierarchical state-system“. (3) Russia, in this respect, surely fits the conventionally accepted academic criteria that define a Great Power:

1. A Great Power state is in the first rank of military capacity.
2. A Great Power state has the capacity to maintain its own security and to influence other states on how to behave.
3. A Great Power state is economically powerful, although this is a necessary but not a sufficient condition for membership in the Great Power club (the cases of Japan or Germany are the best illustrations of this claim).
4. A Great Power state has global but not only regional spheres of national interest and action.
5. A Great Power state is running a “forward“ foreign policy and, therefore, it has a real but not only potential influence on international relations and global (world) politics. (4)
6. A Great Power is a state (at least according to the 18th-century concept) that could not be conquered even by the combined might of other Great Powers. (5)

Russia surely belongs today to the club of key global powers having powerful nuclear weapons, a growing economy, and prospective economic capacities, being one of the leading BRICS members. However, what is most important and different to others, Russia possesses almost endless natural resources (many of them are probably still even not discovered). For instance, in September 2025, the Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Russia has reserves of coal for the next one thousand years. From a geopolitical viewpoint, Russia is occupying the crucial segment of the Heartland – the focal geopolitical part of the world. (6) Russia, with its rich history and national traditions, is today in the process of defining its new political role in the current century. Behind Russia’s policies, there is a comprehensible strategy based on a firm vision of the contemporary world and the protection of the Russian national interests.   

The six factors of Russian power in IR

A contemporary history of Russia starts after the dissolution of the USSR by Mikhail Gorbachev (according to the agreement with Ronald Reagan in Reykjavík in October 1986), (7) which marked at the same time the beginning of the political and economic turmoil in the 1990s, when Russia under Boris Yeltsin and his pro-Western liberals was a puppet state of the Collective West. However, the country gradually emerged from the period of instability since 2000 mainly due to the well-combined six factors, which a new administration of President Vladimir Putin skilfully exploited to the full extent: 

1. Substantial mineral resources, particularly of oil, gas, and coal.
2. Significant military power, based on the second greatest nuclear potential in the world. 
3. Relatively well-educated, productive segment of the population.
4. A high-quality scientific and technological base that survived in several industries.
5. Permanent membership in the UNSC, the G8, and the G20.

It is predicted that Russia will remain in the future as one of the focal and strongest international actors on the same or above level of influence, together with the US, EU, China, and rising Islamic cultures, especially Iran and Turkey. Russia’s natural resources and capabilities may allow it to follow an independent line in foreign policy and security national interests, both in the post-Soviet regions and in some key areas of the world: Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East. Predictably, however, Moscow’s interests will inevitably clash with those of other major actors – especially the US and its European clients. That is for sure that world order in international relations is going to continue to function according to World Systems Theory: a variant of structuralism that conceptualizes world order as being structured into 1) A rich and developed core, 2) Poor and underdeveloped periphery, and 3) A number of intermediary or semi-peripheral states. Russia is going to improve its own position within the first (leading) group, which includes all Great Powers who are hopefully (after the 2025 meeting of the Shangai Cooperation Organization-SCO) going to govern international relations and global politics according to the principle of Balance of Power which refers to a mechanism whereby Great Power’s states collaborate with each other in order to maintain their interests against threats from those who would seek systemic dominance. 

Why study and respect Russia?

There are at least four focal and most important reasons for both studying and respecting Russia’s importance in global politics and international relations today:

1. Geopolitical position and the size of the country: Russia is the largest country in the world, stretching over 17 million sq. km and covering 11 time zones. Russia borders the Baltic Sea in the west, the Black Sea and Caspian Sea (in fact, the lake) in the south, the Arctic Ocean in the north, and the Pacific Ocean in the east. Russia is both a European and Asian country, which, in fact, occupies the crucial geopolitical position in the world – the core of the Heartland. Russia shares borders with six NATO member states (Poland, Norway, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, and Latvia), faces a seventh one across the Black Sea (Turkey), and is geographically separated by only 85,30 km wide Bering Strait from the USA (also a member of NATO). Russia borders 16 internationally recognized states, which is the largest number of neighbors that one country has in the world. A geopolitical factor of Russia can be shortly understood if we know that anything that is happening on the territory of Eurasia from Central Europe to Japan is affecting to a certain extent Russia and, therefore, Moscow has to react by some means to that. (8)
2. Regional power: Russia is surely a regional power within the perimeter of Heartland, which is striving to realize its own political, economic, national, and security interests. Russia, after 2000, succeeded in developing its own independent policies toward other states, including NATO and the EU’s members. The “problems” with Russia in global politics and international relations started when, since 2008, Russia’s foreign policy did not in many segments correspond with the strategic interests of the USA and its European and other clients of NATO and the EU. To the full level of dissatisfaction by Washington and Brussels, Russia maintains friendly relations with the three main American enemies and competitors – North Korea, China, and Iran. The most “problematic” issue of Russian foreign policy in the region for Washington is the fact that Moscow is continuing its efforts to build multi-state economic and political coalitions with neighboring countries, including super-powerful China, followed by rising powers of Iran and India. Russia, China, and India are already members of the international bloc, the BRICS, together with Brazil and South Africa as founders, followed by newly accepted member states. (9) The Collective West finally 2008 recognized Russia’s claim to have “privileged interests” within the post-Soviet territories, except in those countries that joined the EU and NATO before (the Baltic States).  (10)
3. Military power: With the total dissatisfaction by the Pentagon and Brussels, Russia still even during overwhelming economic, financial, and other sanctions by the Collective West introduced since 2022, remains a very strong military state with stable economic growth, respectful military and nuclear capacity, and developing potentials which are keeping it as one of the Great Powers (even a Super Power) in global politics. It is quite understandable that even after Cold War 1.0, when bare American imperialism received its full expression at least till 2008, Moscow continues with its security policy based on the priority of having strong military capacities. Historically, for the Russian authorities is quite clear that after NATO’s establishment in 1949, Russia’s survival, independence, and sovereignty depended only on its military power, especially the nuclear one. (11) Russia (at that time the USSR) started to produce nuclear weapons in 1949 when the US created its imperialistic military bloc of Western puppet states and reached nuclear parity with the US at the beginning of the 1970s. Russia is today maintaining a nuclear arsenal and delivery systems that are comparable to the arsenal of the US. (12) Unfortunately, due to the US’ policy of open gangsterism in international relations after the end of the Cold War 1.0, the so-called Western liberal democracies (the EU and NATO) are still an enemy to both Russia’s and global security and, therefore, one of the most important tasks for the near future in global politics has to be the creation of new reliable policies of common security based on justice, democracy, and friendship – a kind of multilateral global politics or at least the international relations founded on the form of the balancing power among the Great Powers.  
4. Economic power: Russia remains a global economic power with a growing economy index higher than many Western countries, having a population of some 142 million, which makes it one of the ten most populous states in the world. Her GDP per annum is selecting Russia among the world’s top 10 economies. In 2007, the private sector, with 5 million private enterprises, contributed 65% of Russia’s GDP. Although an economic slowdown is possible, Russia is most likely to continue with its economic growth in the near future, regardless of the harsh economic and other sanctions imposed by the Collective West since 2022 onward. The main source of revenue (80%) is the exploitation of natural resources (and selling them to the world market), followed by a wide range of different industries. The most important Russian export of natural resources is oil, gas, coal, timber, and metals. We have to keep in mind that, for instance, Russia has 23% of the total world’s forested land (13) and is in the 8th place in the world according to the oil reserves (the first is Venezuela). After 2000, Russia became as well as one of the biggest world’s energy suppliers and the exporter of weapons (among the top 3). The potential economic power of Russia comes from the fact that this country possesses vast reserves of natural resources on its territory, for example, 30% of global gas reserves. The country is quite near to the Arctic’s gas and oil reserves, a large but still unexplored source of energy, which is probably going to be mainly under Russian exploitation in the future. It is not so difficult to claim that energy resources are going to be the focal reason for the conflicts in international relations.        

Current reality of Russo-Western relations in IR

Questions about the nature of Russia’s political and economic systems and Russia’s policy after 2000 are of crucial importance in understanding its place in both Eurasia and the world (BRICS+), and assessing the prospects for dealing with some of the focal challenges to regional and global security. The policymakers of the Collective West understood this truth only after Russia’s military intervention in the Caucasus in August 2008, which was intended to clearly demonstrate that further incorporation of areas of special interest to Moscow into the Western client zone was totally unacceptable. What the same Western policymakers also understood was that this intervention was a clear counterpunch to Western-sponsored Kosovo’s proclamation of “independence” in February of the same year.  

Russia is a leading political subject, a strong economic and military power, a rich energy producer and supplier, an extremely important player in global politics, which is still building its position in the post-Cold War 1.0 era (that, in fact, is already the era of the Cold War 2.0). Russia is and is going to be for a long period of time in the future both one of the crucial players in international relations and one of the most important decision-makers in global politics. However, up to 2022, Russia’s post-Cold War 1.0 geopolitics was forced to be accommodated to the behavior of NATO. (14) Nevertheless, since February 2022, when the SMO of Russia started, in fact, against the Collective Western Russofrenic imperialism, on the territory of the Soviet (Greater) Ukraine, NATO and the rest of the Collective West are forced to accommodate their politics on the global arena to the Russian behaviour. 

• Personal disclaimer: The author writes for this publication in a private capacity, which is unrepresentative of anyone or any organization except for his own personal views. Nothing written by the author should ever be conflated with the editorial views or official positions of any other media outlet or institution. 

Endnotes:

1.  On this war, at least from the Western perspective, see in [Roger E. Kanet (ed.), Russian Foreign Policy in the 21st Century, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011, 101−178].
2.  Edward Lucas, The New Cold War: Putin’s Russia and the Threat to the West, London‒New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2008.
3.  Andrew Heywood, Global Politics, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011, 7.
4.  About world politics, see in [Jeffrey Haynes et al, World Politics, New York: Routledge, 2013].
5.  Richard W. Mansbach, Karsten L. Taylor, Introduction to Global Politics, Second Edition, London−New York: Routledge, 2012, 578.
6.  About geography and history, see in [Halford John Mackinder, “The Geographical Pivot of History”, The Geographical Journal, 23, 1904, 421−437; Pascal Venier, „The Geographical Pivot of History and Early 20th Century Geopolitical Culture“, Geographical Journal, 170 (4), 2004, 330−336].
7.  About R. Reagan and M. Gorbachev’s relations, see in [Jack F. Matlock Jr., Reagan and Gorbachev: How the Cold War Ended, New York, Random House, 2005]. 
8.  On Eurasia and Great Powers, see in [Roger E. Kanet, Maria Raquel Freire (eds.), Key Players and Regional Dynamics in Eurasia: The Return of the Great Game, Basingstoke, UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010].
9.  The BRICS is an acronym first used by the investment firm Goldman Sachs in 2003 (as the BRIC). Taking their rapid economic development, Goldman Sachs predicted that these economies are going to be wealthier by 2050 than the world’s current economic powers. 
10.  About the foreign policy of Russia in the 21st century from the Western perspective, see in [Robert Legvold (ed.), Russian Foreign Policy in the 21st Century and the Shadow of the Past, New York: Columbia University Press, 2007; Roger E. Kanet (ed.), Russian Foreign Policy in the 21st Century, New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2011]. 
11.  About this issue, see in [Richard Pipes, Survival is not Enough: Soviet Realities and America’s Future, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1984].
12.  Robert Legvold, “The Russian File: How to Move Toward a Strategic Partnership”, Foreign Affairs, July/August 2009, 78−93.
13.  World Resource Institute: www.globalforestwatch.org/english/russia (2009).
14.  About the post-Cold War 1.0 geopolitics of Russia, see in [Срђан Перишић, Нова геополитика Русије, Београд: Медија центар „Одбрана“, 2015]. About the new Cold War 2.0, see in [Robert Legvold, Return to Cold War, Cambridge, UK−Malden, MA: Polity Press, 2016].

Dr. Vladislav B. Sotirovic

Dr. Vladislav B. Sotirovic is an ex-university professor and a Research Fellow at the Center for Geostrategic Studies in Belgrade, Serbia.

Russia to respect nuclear arms limits with US for one more year, Putin says

Copyright AP Photo

By Gavin Blackburn
Published on 22/09/2025 - 15:18 GMT+2 •Updated 15:38

The New START deal, signed by then-US and Russian presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev, limits each country to no more than 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Moscow will adhere to nuclear arms limits for one more year after the last remaining nuclear pact with the United States expires in February.

Putin said that the termination of the New START agreement would have negative consequences for global stability.

Speaking at a meeting with members of Russia's Security Council, he said that Russia would expect the US to follow Moscow's example and also stick to the treaty's limits.

The New START, signed by then-US and Russian presidents, Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev, limits each country to no more than 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed missiles and bombers.

Its looming expiration and the lack of dialogue on anchoring a successor deal have worried arms control advocates.

Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a Security Council meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow, 22 September, 2025 AP Photo

The agreement envisages sweeping on-site inspections to verify compliance, but they have been dormant since 2020.

In February 2023, Putin suspended Moscow’s participation in the treaty, saying Russia could not allow US inspections of its nuclear sites at a time when Washington and its NATO allies openly declared Moscow's defeat in Ukraine as their goal.

Moscow has emphasised, however, that it was not withdrawing from the pact altogether and would continue to respect the caps on nuclear weapons the treaty has set.

Prior to the suspension, Moscow claimed it wanted to maintain the treaty, despite what it called a "destructive" US approach to arms control.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters it was necessary to preserve at least some "hints" of continued dialogue with Washington, "no matter how sad the situation is at the present time."

"We consider the continuation of this treaty very important," he said, describing it as the only one that remained "at least hypothetically viable".

"Otherwise, we see that the United States has actually destroyed the legal framework" for arms control, he said.

Together, Russia and the United States account for about 90% of the world's nuclear warheads.

The future of New START has taken on added importance at a time when Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine has pushed the two countries closer to direct confrontation than at any time in the past 60 years.

Rescuers work at a building destroyed during a Russian strike in Zaporizhzhia, 22 September, 2025 AP Photo

In September last year, Putin announced a revision to Moscow's nuclear doctrine, declaring that a conventional attack by any non-nuclear nation with the support of a nuclear power would be seen as a joint attack on his country.

The threat, discussed at a meeting of Russia’s Security Council, was clearly aimed at discouraging the West from allowing Ukraine to strike Russia with longer-range weapons and seems to significantly reduce the threshold for potential use of Russia’s nuclear arsenal.

Putin did not specify whether the modified document envisages a nuclear response to such an attack.

However, he emphasised that Russia could use nuclear weapons in response to a conventional attack posing a "critical threat to our sovereignty," a vague formulation that leaves broad room for interpretation.

Additional sources

 SECURITY STATE

Albania shifts to high-tech policing with expanded use of security cameras and surveillance drones

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By bne IntelliNews September 21, 2025

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has unveiled a vision for the country’s internal security, with a major expansion of surveillance technology, including intelligent cameras, drones, and satellite monitoring, alongside the appointment of Albana Koçiu as the country’s first female minister of internal affairs.

The announcement signals a significant increase in the use of technology for public security in Albania, reflecting a broader trend in the Western Balkans of leveraging cameras, drones, and AI to enhance law enforcement and administrative oversight. However, such moves in both Albania and Serbia have raised concerns about privacy and how the data gathered may be used by the authorities. 

Speaking at the presidential palace following the swearing-in of the new cabinet on September 18, Rama said the ministry would move beyond its traditional police-centric role to address a broader range of public safety and administrative challenges, from road safety and school security to fire prevention and territorial monitoring.

“Higher road safety will begin with the deployment of intelligent cameras along major national routes and in urban areas,” Rama said. “School security will be enhanced with video recording systems accessible to both authorities and parents, preventing minor disputes from escalating into violence.”

Rama emphasised the use of aerial surveillance, saying that intelligent drones and satellite systems would be used to monitor Albania’s beaches, rivers, and other public territories in real time. 

“We already have these systems at an advanced stage,” he said, according to a government statement, “but one last component is needed to make any violation recognisable immediately, not periodically.”

The prime minister also outlined plans for the tracking of goods and cybersecurity measures. A new state-owned company, AlbTrace, created through a partnership with a leading United Arab Emirates (UAE) firm, will provide real-time monitoring of imported goods, medical supplies, and fuel, according to Rama.

While promoting technology, Rama stressed it would not replace human responsibility. “Digital tools and artificial intelligence can help, but they cannot replace civic responsibility, education, or the work of teachers and parents,” he said, noting the importance of respect for traffic rules, property, and environmental stewardship.

Koçiu, who takes over as interior minister, will lead the ministry’s transformation to align with European standards. Rama described her appointment as the “logical starting point” for a qualitative shift in internal affairs, saying that the ministry must adopt a 360-degree perspective on public security and administration.

Rama also highlighted longstanding gaps in Albania’s internal affairs infrastructure, including outdated address systems and under-resourced firefighting services, which he said would be modernised alongside the expansion of surveillance capabilities.

The prime minister framed these reforms as part of Albania’s EU accession ambitions, saying that a modernised and technologically advanced internal affairs apparatus was critical to achieving membership by 2030.

However, plans for increase use of security cameras and other forms of surveillance have raised concerns in Albania and other Western Balkan countries. 

Human rights activists objected after the Albanian government signed a memorandum of understanding with a the UAE’s Presight AI on a ‘smart city’ project that would have involved setting up security cameras and other equipments in the country’s major cities.

Serbia was also revealed earlier this year to be expanding a controversial Chinese-made surveillance system, according to documents leaked to RFE/RL. Security cameras have already been installed in Belgrade, where rights activists warn they can be used to identify protesters using biometric facial recognition.

UK updates official maps to show 'Palestine' following recognition

New map of Israel and Palestine on UK governmnent website. / CC: FCDO

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By bnm Gulf bureau September 22, 2025

Britain has redrawn its maps of the Middle East to label the "State of Palestine" for the first time after Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced London's formal recognition of Palestinian statehood on September 21. 

The updated map and recognition come amid ongoing conflict in Gaza and increasing international pressure on Israel over its military operations and settlement expansion in the West Bank, which have been heavily criticised by the Starmer administration.

The update appeared across the Foreign Office's website, including travel advisories, embassy listings and regional maps. "In the face of growing horrors in the Middle East, we are acting to preserve the chance of peace and a two-state solution," Starmer said.

The UK joined Canada and Australia in recognising Palestine, whilst Spain, Ireland and Norway had already done so earlier in 2025. Diplomats expect more EU members to follow, though Washington remains opposed, insisting statehood must come through direct talks with Israel.

The move comes ahead of a Saudi-French-led conference at the UN General Assembly, where France and other countries are expected to announce similar recognition. Belgium is also preparing to follow suit, with Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot warning of possible sanctions against Israel.

The map changes represent a tangible manifestation of Britain's policy shift, moving beyond diplomatic statements to practical implementation across government platforms.

According to the latest version of the website, the Israeli page has also had its map changed to reflect the UK government's recognition of the State of Palestine. 

For Gaza, the FCDO advises against all travel to the territory and within 500 metres of the Gaza border. The advisory reflects ongoing security concerns and active conflict in the region.

On the West Bank, the FCDO advises against all travel to Tulkarm Governorate, Jenin Governorate, and Tubas Governorate except Route 90.

For the remainder of the West Bank, the advisory recommends against all but essential travel, with specific exceptions for East Jerusalem, Bethlehem Governorate, Ramallah Municipality, Jericho municipality and areas south of it including the Allenby crossing.

The advisory also exempts Highway 1 linking Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and areas south and west of the highway including Highway 3, plus Route 443 and Highway 45 which connect Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

For Northern Israel and the Occupied Golan Heights, the FCDO advises against all travel within 500 metres of the Area of Separation in the occupied Golan Heights known as the 'Alpha line'. Travellers are warned not to attempt entering the occupied Golan Heights through Syria.

The advisory specifically warns against all travel to the Sheba'a Farms and Ghajja areas, and against all but essential travel within 500 metres of the Lebanese border.

The timing coincides with the UN General Assembly meetings in New York, where Palestinian statehood recognition has become a key diplomatic issue. The coordinated approach by multiple Western nations suggests a broader shift in international sentiment regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

What exactly is the state of Palestine?

Issued on: 22/09/2025 -

 The state of #Palestine was declared on November 15, 1988, by Yasser Arafat, then leader of the Palestine Liberation Organisation. 🌍 Today it is recognised by more than 140 of the 193 🇺🇳 UN member states, with 🇫🇷 France, 🇧🇪 Belgium, 🇨🇦 Canada and 🇦🇺 Australia to recognise it at the @UN General Assembly in September. But what, exactly, is the state of Palestine?

Replay: France's Macron officially recognises state of Palestine at UN summit

Issued on: 22/09/2025 - 

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday recognised a Palestinian state at a UN summit aimed at galvanising support for a two-state solution to the Mideast conflict a day ahead of the 2025 UN General Assembly in New York.

Video by: FRANCE 24

France joins UK, Portugal and Canada in recognising Palestinian state

Copyright AP Photo

By Tamsin Paternoster

Published on 22/09/2025 - EURONEWS

French President Emmanuel Macron said the world can "no longer wait" to put an end to the war in the Gaza Strip and releasing the remaining 48 hostages held by Hamas.

France on Monday joined the UK, Portugal, Canada and Australia in formally recognising a Palestinian state, French President Emmanuel Macron announced whilst addressing the United Nations in New York.

“True to the historic commitment of my country to the Middle East, to peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians, this is why I declare that today, France recognises the state of Palestine,” Macron said to loud applause from leaders in attendance.

Before making the announcement, Macron told the UN the world was a few moments away from no longer being able to seize peace.

"We can no longer wait," the French leader said, as he condemned the 7 October attacks and called for a two-state solution.

"Nothing justifies the ongoing war", he said, adding that "everything compels us" to bring it to a definitive end.

French President Emmanuel Macron, arrives inside the United Nations General Assembly Hall, Monday, Sept. 22, 2025, at UN headquarters. AP Photo

France recognized the Palestinian state after the UK, Portugal, Canada and Australia did so on Sunday.

Around three-fourths of the 193-member United Nations recognise Palestine, but the majority of major Western nations had until recently declined to do so.

The creation of a Palestinian state alongside Israel in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem — territories seized by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war — is widely seen internationally as the only way to resolve the conflict, which began more than a century before Hamas' 7 October attack ignited the war in Gaza nearly two years ago.

Palestinians have welcomed the moves toward recognition, hoping they might someday lead to independence.

'Will not happen'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has yet to comment on Macron's declaration but said in a video posted before Portugal made the move that a Palestinian state "will not happen.

"A Palestinian state will not be established west of the Jordan River," he said adding that Israel has doubled Jewish settlements in the West Bank and "will continue on this path."

Netanyahu said he would respond to the "latest attempt to impose a terrorist state" on Israel following the conclusion of Monday's UN General Assembly meeting.

Israel has opposed Palestinian statehood before the war, and now argued that recognising Palestine would reward Hamas.

The Israeli leader is under pressure from parts of his coalition government to move ahead with annexing parts of the West Bank, which would complicate Palestinian efforts.

Israel says that the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority, led by rivals of Hamas, is not fully committed to peace. It has accused it of incitement to militancy. Many Palestinians view its leadership as increasingly autocratic.

Hamas, which won the last Palestinian national elections in 2006, has at times hinted it might accept a state on the 1967 lines but remains formally committed to a Palestinian state in all of the territory between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, including Israel.

Netanyahu said he would decide on Israel's response to the Palestinian statehood push after meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House next week, their fourth meeting since Trump returned to office.

The Trump administration is also opposed to growing recognition of a Palestinian state and blames it for the derailment of ceasefire talks with Hamas.

Palestinian and Israeli flags projected onto the Eiffel Tower
Issued on: 22/09/2025 
The unannounced projection of the Palestinian and Israeli flags and a dove symbolising peace onto the Eiffel Tower in Paris began at 9pm and ran until 11:45pm local time.

Video by: Stella ELGERSMA

French town halls raise the Palestinian flag

in defiance of interior ministry order

Left-wing politicians unfurled a Palestinian flag on the Paris City Hall facade for around 30 minutes on Monday, defying Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and a French interior ministry advisory against such displays. More than 86 French towns and cities raised Palestinian flags ahead of President Emmanuel Macron’s expected recognition of the state of Palestine at the UN.

Issued on: 22/09/2025 

By: FRANCE 24

Video by: Antonia KERRIGAN

The Palestinian flag, centre, flies on the facade of the Saint-Denis city hall on Monday, September 22, 2025, in Saint-Denis, outside Paris. © Michel Euler, AP

02:54


Just hours before President Emmanuel Macron was set to announce France’s recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN, pro-Palestinian activists and left-wing politicians on Monday unfurled a large Palestinian flag from a Paris City Hall window.

The move was not endorsed by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and the flag was taken down after about 30 minutes.

While Macron has spearheaded a recent move, among many Western countries – including the UK, Australia and Canada – to recognise a Palestinian state, France's hardline Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau issued a circular last week ordering prefects – the top local state-appointed officials – to oppose the flying of the flags.

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Macron set to recognise Palestinian state: Why is France forbidding mayors from flying the flag?


"The principle of neutrality in public service prohibits such displays," the interior ministry said, adding that any decisions by mayors to fly the Palestinian flag should be referred to courts.

At least 86 town and city halls run by leftist parties, including Lyon, Nantes, Rennes and Saint-Denis, flew Palestinian flags on their facades, according to the interior ministry.

'Nantes supports this historic decision by raising the Palestinian flag,' the mayor says. © Loic Venance, AFP


The standoff has underlined the social and political tension in France in the wake of the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas and the relentless bombardment and aid blockades by Israel on the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip that followed.

Read moreMideast conflict: 'Dialogue of the deaf' doomed two-state solution, but are history's lessons heard?

France is home to western Europe's largest Jewish population, at around half a million people, as well as a significant Muslim community sensitive to the plight of the Palestinian people in Gaza.

The Socialist Party (PS) mayors of Nantes and Rennes, big cities in western and northwestern France, were among the first to fly Palestinian flags outside their city halls to mark the occasion.

"Our responsibility is to reject silence and to do everything in our power, here and now, to put an end to the horror," Rennes Mayor Nathalie Appéré said in a statement.

EN Paris flags © France24
00:24

'Historic day for peace'

The northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis also raised the Palestinian flag at a ceremony attended by Socialist Party leader Faure, who opposed Retailleau's order and said he had written to Macron asking the president to rescind it.

"This flag is not the flag of Hamas, it is the flag of women and men who also have the right to freedom and self-determination," he said.

Foreign Minster Jean-Noël Barrot appeared wary of being drawn into the debate on what he described a "historic day for peace".

"I do not want ... it to be used for political polemics, to divide us at a time when, more than ever, we need to be united to be strong," he told TF1 television.

The flags of both Israel and Palestine, as well as peace images of a dove and olive branch, were displayed late Sunday at the Eiffel Tower, which was illuminated in celebration of the recognition of the Palestinian state.

The Eiffel Tower displayed Palestinian and Israeli flags and Paris city hall backed a two-state solution. © Bertrand Guay, AFP


"Paris reaffirms its commitment to peace, which more than ever requires a two-state solution," Socialist Mayor Anne Hidalgo wrote on Bluesky.

But hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) figurehead Jean-Luc Mélenchon fulminated over the projection of the Israeli flag on the emblematic Paris landmark, saying that the "PS is betraying everyone at once".

Acknowledging the impassioned responses caused by his decision, which have included anger from within France's Jewish community, Macron posted a video on X on Sunday saying France wanted "peace, an immediate ceasefire and the release, without delay" of the Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

Of the 251 people seized by Palestinian militants during their attack on Israel in October 2023, 47 remain in Gaza, including 25 the Israeli military says are dead.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Settler attacks escalate in West Bank village despite recognition of Palestine


Issued on: 22/09/2025 - 


In the occupied West Bank village of Al-Mughayyir, Palestinians face daily attacks from Israeli settlers and raids by the army. Residents report destroyed olive groves, stolen livestock, and restricted access to roads. Despite international recognition of Palestine by countries like France and the UK, villagers continue to live under threat, resisting displacement and hoping for concrete change rather than symbolic gestures. Here's an exclusive report from our journalists in the region.

Video by:Catherine NORRIS TRENT/Pauline GODART

FRANCE24

West Bank settlers defy Palestinian statehood hopes on the ground


From our special correspondent in Jerusalem – The Israeli government has in recent weeks announced the extension of settlements or the legalisation of Israeli outposts in the West Bank. Israel’s territorial expansion comes as France and other Western countries are set to recognise a Palestinian state.


Issued on: 22/09/2025 
FRANCE24
By: David GORMEZANO

The Israeli settlement of Ma'ale Adumim, located between Jerusalem and the Jordan Valley. © David Gormezano, FRANCE 24



On September 3, Israel's far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich outlined his proposal to annex 82 percent of the occupied West Bank. During a press conference in Jerusalem, he presented a map that delineated the new borders of the state of Israel, leaving the Palestinian Authority with the management of just six large cities in the occupied West Bank.

Smoltrich’s project is part of the Israeli government’s effort to extend its sovereignty over the occupied West Bank and comes after several Western countries, including France, decided to recognise a Palestinian state.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on September 11 visited Ma’ale Adumim, one of the largest settlements in the occupied West Bank to announce to the settlement’s 40,000 inhabitants that his government approved its expansion. “There will be no Palestinian state. This place belongs to us,” Netanyahu added.

Eight days later, the day before Sabbath and the Jewish new year, the residents of the settlement – which has grown into the size of a small city – flocked to the supermarket to prepare for family celebrations.

‘Everything must be done to prevent the creation of a Palestinian state’

Dany Hadar, carrying a shopping bag and wearing a kippah, approved of Netanyahu's decision. Hadar, now retired, has lived in Ma’ale Adumim for 40 years and said the expansion “should have been carried out at least ten years ago”.

Dany Hadar standing in front of a shopping centre in the Israeli settlement of Ma’ale Adumim. © David Gormezano, FRANCE 24


Eda, a resident encountered near the small shopping centre, said the government’s decision was much anticipated by the residents, because “since October 7, 2023, we need to reinforce our security and connect to Jerusalem”.

Eda was fully aware that the project to expand her city, the third largest settlement in the West Bank, has been strongly criticised by the international community. Yet she insisted that “we must do everything we can to prevent the creation of a Palestinian state, because they don’t want us, wherever we are. We know they don’t want peace. We already tried. Now we have to build and get on with our lives."

Hadar agreed, adding that there was no point in “looking back, no matter what other countries say about us”.

At the entrance to the Israeli settlement of Ma’ale Adumim, located in the West Bank. © David Gormezano, FRANCE 24


The Israeli government's green light to expand Ma’ale Adumim was a clear response to France and other Western countries' decision to formally recognise a Palestinian state.

In a show of their rejection of this announcement, Netanyahu and Smotrich – who is also in charge of civilian affairs in the occupied West Bank – chose to endorse an old project to expand Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank known as E1. The acronym refers to the 12 square kilometres of land located between Ma’ale Adumim and Jerusalem, “the first parcel of land east of Jerusalem” (East 1).

Blocked since the mid-2000s because of opposition from the US, the project aims to build 3,400 housing units and create a block of settlements that would extend towards the Jordan Valley. For the United Nations (UN), the E1 project “would divide the north and south of the occupied West Bank and have serious consequences for the territorial contiguity of the occupied Palestinian territory".

E1, the project to build more than 3,000 housing units to connect Ma'ale Adumim to Jerusalem. © Graphic studio, France Médias Monde


Guy Ifrah, Ma’ale Adumim's young mayor, hailed his government’s decision to move forward with the E1 project. “E1 is located within municipal boundaries. We aren’t taking land from anyone. It’s false to say the construction of E1 will break the territorial continuity between Palestinian cities. I don’t deny the fact that there is a Palestinian population that lives in Judea and Samaria [the biblical name often used in Israel to refer to the West Bank, editor’s note]. But there are two roads being constructed east of Ma’ale Adumim which will allow Palestinians to move around without checkpoints.” These roads will still force Palestinian neighbours to make a 15-kilometre detour to reach Jerusalem.

Guy Ifrah, mayor and native of Ma'ale Adumim. © David Gormezano, FRANCE 24


Born in Ma'ale Adumim 43 years ago, Ifrah does not wear a kippah and described himself as "a believer, but not religious". A member of the Likud party, the mayor said his priority was to “enable future generations to live in Ma'ale Adumim. The E1 project will allow 15,000 more people to join us. There will be subsidies for residents, as well as for reservists who sacrificed two years of their lives with the war in Gaza."
Deny the illegal nature of settlements

For Israeli lobbyists who aim to increase the presence of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the approval of the E1 project is a major political victory.

Naomi Kahn, spokesperson for the pro-settlement movement Regavim, believes that "the E1 project was delayed for too long. There are no Arabs living on this land.’ This claim is disputed by the UN, which states that "the area in question is currently inhabited by approximately 5,000 Palestinians".

Kahn also argued that the “State of Israel should not be required to ask for permission from anyone to exploit the land resources at its disposal in Area C [of the West Bank]”. The area makes up around 60 percent of the occupied West Bank placed under Israeli transitional control under the Oslo Accords.

Naomi Kahn, director of the International Division of the pro-settlement movement Regavim. © David Gormezano, FRANCE 24


A proponent of a "Greater Israel" which extends "from the river to the sea", Kahn refuted accusations of colonisation, and presented her own particular interpretation of international law. "It is absurd to say that Israel has been illegally occupying the West Bank since 1967," she said. The West Bank has been a "disputed territory" since the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1922, she added.

"Since 1922 the eastern border of Israel has been the Jordan River," the activist claimed. In 1948, Jordan invaded the occupied West Bank, an act that was condemned by all nations [except two], because Israeli sovereignty was recognised by everyone."

Read moreTimeline: The state of Palestine’s long road to recognition

Based on this interpretation of history, Kahn’s pro-settler movement denies any Palestinian claim to sovereignty in the West Bank. The movement has even created a map of "illegal Palestinian settlements in the West Bank", arguing that the E1 project aims to allow Israelis to move freely in the occupied territories.

“This road leads to Palestinian village. The entrance for Israeli citizens is dangerous,” reads a sign at the exit of Ma'ale Adumim. © David Gormezano, FRANCE 24

‘Recognising a Palestinian state is a moral and political error’

When asked about France's recognition of Palestine, Kahn said that "recognising a Palestinian state is a moral and political mistake. It means supporting a terrorist entity that has vowed to destroy the Jewish people. It is shameful that Western democracies support the creation of a racist, misogynist, Islamist state that has no chance of success."

A few kilometres away, a small group of settlers that seized a hill in the West Bank between Bethlehem and Jerusalem six years ago, shared the spokeswoman’s convictions.

Lior Tal, the head of a settlement of 19 families, slammed France’s diplomatic gesture in much harsher terms. “If the Western countries want to recognise a Palestinian state, fine. But let them do it at home, in Europe,” he said. Israeli sovereignty is not up for debate, he added, and Palestinians should go and live, “in an Arab country; there are plenty of them”.

Tal has been known for his violent words and actions for many years. Yet the Israeli government on May 29 legalised 22 illegal settlements (often called “outposts”) including the one where he lived.

Tal now hopes the government's decision means that houses, roads, and other infrastructure will be built in the coming years. "I’m hoping 600 families will settle here," he said.

Lior Tal, the armed leader of an illegal settlement located between Bethlehem and Jerusalem © David Gormezano, FRANCE 24


Focused on tending to his sheep and studying the Torah, Tal has a radical and mystical view of Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank. He is not afraid of clashes with his Palestinian neighbours, asserting that “the land of Israel is the land of Jews. It’s our land. We were here during the time of the Second Temple [between 516 BC and 70 AD]. There is archaeological evidence to prove it. We also know that there were vineyards here at that time. Islam destroyed them and replaced them with olive trees. We replanted vineyards to mark our rebirth. I am here to cultivate the land of Israel and preserve it."

Lior Tal in front of his house which overlooks Palestinian villages in the West Bank. © David Gormezano, FRANCE 24


Since the October 7, 2023 attacks and the massacre committed by Hamas on Israeli territory, Netanyahu and Smotrich have been in a race against time to increase the number of Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. The number of illegal settlements is also skyrocketing: 32 were established in 2023, 61 in 2024, and 58 were built during the first six months of 2025 alone.

Expressing deep concern, the Israeli peace organisation Peace Now stated in a press release that, “by relentlessly pursuing this project, the Israeli government is undermining any possibility of a political solution and dragging Israelis and Palestinians into a cycle of endless conflict".

In favour of a two-state solution, the organisation estimates that 141 Israeli settlements were officially recognised by the government in the occupied West Bank at the end of 2024, and the approval of the E1 plan has buried "the hope of a peaceful future for both nations".

After nearly two years of war on multiple fronts in the Middle East, Netanyahu and the settler movement are reaffirming their refusal to recognise a Palestinian state, week after week and without any ambiguity. The government is simultaneously accelerating its colonisation of the occupied West Bank, leaving just a few scraps of territory for a moribund Palestinian Authority.

This article has been translated from the original in French.

Thousands strike across Italy in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, causing widespread disruption
Copyright AP PhotoGavin BlackburnPublished on 22/09/2025 - EURONEWS

Monday marks the second day of strike action after a similar walk-off was called on Sunday by the southern European country's largest trade union, the Italian Confederation of Labour (CGIL).

Thousands of workers and students across Italy joined a general strike and widespread demonstrations on Monday in solidarity with the Palestinians living in Gaza.

Italy’s grassroots unions called for a 24-hour general strike in both public and private sectors, predominantly affecting public transport, trains, schools and ports.

The strike caused disruptions across the country, with long delays for trains and limited public transport in major cities, including Rome and Milan.

The transit of goods was slowed or partially blocked by workers' sit-ins and rallies in Italy’s main ports of Genoa and Livorno.

It's the second day of strike action after a similar walk-off was called on Sunday by Italy's largest trade union, the Italian Confederation of Labour (CGI

"The strike is taking place in response to the ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip, the blockade of humanitarian aid by the Israeli army and the threats against the international Global Sumud Flotilla mission," a statement from the USB trade union federation said.

People take part in a demonstration in Rome part of a nationwide protest and general strike against the war in Gaza, 22 September, 2025 AP Photo

"USB also denounces the inertia of the Italian government and the European Union, which refuse to impose sanctions on the State of Israel and continue to maintain economic and institutional relations despite the gravity of the situation."

Organisers of the rally in Rome say they expect around 100,000 people to attend.

However, city authorities put the number at 20,000 gathered in front of the Termini central train station around midday Monday, adding that the number was not final and that it was rising.

Related

• Israeli troops press on with Gaza City offensive as death toll exceeds 65,000

The Italian government headed by Premier Giorgia Meloni has more recently adopted a harsher tone on its policies as domestic pressure has mounted over the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

Italy has not joined the European countries including France and the UK that will formally recognise a Palestinian state at this week’s UN General Assembly in New York.

Additional sources