In thirteen years of writing journey, Globe Upfront went on a crusade to disseminate long form writing on myriad global issues. Due to some circumstances, the writer of the blog won’t be able to write on the beat anymore. A farewell note from the writer is apt for a time like this. While writing for Globe Upfront, author Naveed Qazi was also praised by some in the local media. He mentions this blog as part of his fulfilment journey towards societal emancipation. He also acknowledges that it’s a journey that he would cherish in future as an intellectual nostalgia.

Photo source: Global Times By Naveed Qazi | Editor, Globe Upfront Seventy-five years after its founding, NATO stands at a moment of both continuity and strain. Established in 1949 to contain Soviet influence and anchor Western Europe to the United States, the alliance has survived the Cold War by adapting to new realities. Critics have long argued that it should have dissolved after the Soviet Union’s collapse, yet NATO has instead expanded its membership and redefined its purpose—at times acting as a military instrument of Western power, at others as a security framework for its members. In today’s geopolitical climate, however, NATO appears more contested than at any point in its history. With Russia once again cast as its principal adversary following the war in Ukraine, the alliance has refocused its mission on European security. At the same time, it has identified China as a ‘systemic challenge’, extending its strategic outlook far beyond the North Atlantic. This widening scop...

  Photo source: Euractiv By Naveed Qazi | Editor, Globe Upfront Russia’s Arctic and forested borderlands may seem an unlikely gateway into Europe, yet the route is not new. During the migration crisis of 2015–16, thousands of asylum seekers travelled through Russia’s far north and crossed into Finland and Norway, often using bicycles because some border crossings did not permit pedestrians. Reuters and BBC News reported that the route became a source of tension between Nordic governments and Moscow, with officials in Finland and Norway questioning why Russian authorities were allowing migrants to approach border checkpoints. Russia denied facilitating the movement of migrants. The route largely disappeared after 2016 but re-emerged in late 2023. According to Finland’s Border Guard and reporting by Reuters, nearly 900 asylum seekers arrived at Finland’s eastern border from Russia during November 2023. Finnish authorities stated that most arrivals came from countries including Syria,...