The national conversation in Turkey remains focused on domestic politics as we get closer and closer to a critical meeting in the international arena where President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is set to meet U.S. President Joe Biden for the first time, on the margins of the June 14 NATO summit.

What is the content of the agreement? Why did Poland prefer the Bayraktar TB2 drone? What are the possible implications of the agreement?

This analysis attempts to explain developments in the Donbas region of Eastern Ukraine, where a low-intensity armed conflict has been taking place since early 2014. The Kyiv authorities, on the one hand, and the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR), on the other, are the two major parties to the conflict. Meanwhile, Russia is perceived as the main supporter of the two unrecognized republics of Donetsk and Luhansk.

The backlash over U.S. President Joe Biden’s statement on the so-called Armenian 'genocide' continues. Deeming the Turkish government’s reaction insufficient, opposition leaders argued that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan lacked 'the courage to hang up on Biden.' Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Chairperson Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and Good Party (IP) leader Meral Akşener eagerly attacked the government much more fiercely than they reacted to the White House statement. Turkey’s contemporary foreign policy, they said, was actually responsible for what happened.

The European Union and the United States were approaching Turkey using the language of sanctions and political pressure rather than empathy and genuine understanding of the country's vulnerabilities.

United States President Joe Biden took another step against Russia last week, as Washington imposed fresh sanctions on Moscow over the latter’s alleged meddling in the 2020 presidential election and cyberattacks.

The foreseen face-to-face between U.S. President Biden and his Russian counterpart expected to be a significant determinant in Washington's upcoming Asia-Pacific moves

The European Union’s leaders are still preoccupied with the 'protocol crisis' they conjured up last week, as Turkey launches a diplomatic offensive.

There is almost a consensus among scholars and observers of world politics that we are entering a new phase in international relations. This is expected to be another period of great power rivalry.

Ukraine’s Donbass region is, once again, at the top of the global agenda. Tensions have escalated there following the March 26 killing of four Ukrainian soldiers by Russian-backed separatists, as Moscow and Kyiv started a war or words. Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, threatened that 'any attempt to start a new war in Donbass could destroy Ukraine.' In truth, Lavrov merely uttered those words on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s behalf.

Last week there were two separate meetings that may have a long-lasting impact on the international political system and international relations. In Brussels, after a year of interruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, foreign ministers from NATO countries gathered to discuss matters important to the alliance.

Some influential figures in Washington and Brussels are continuing to advise authorities on both sides of the Atlantic to sideline, or even contain Turkey in the defense architecture of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), the Black Sea region and southeastern Europe.

It has become commonplace for incoming U.S. administrations to revise the nation's foreign policy toward Russia. In some instances, it can be as ambitious as former President Barack Obama's 'reset.'

Whether it be de-escalating tensions with Greece through negotiation, jump-starting the Cyprus talks, organizing a regional conference on the Eastern Mediterranean, renegotiating the refugee deal, visa liberalization or updating the customs union, Turkey will persistently pursue diplomacy as it attempts to make a fresh start with the European Union. All of these points are on Ankara's agenda as it awaits the upcoming visit of the presidents of the European Council and Commission to Turkey.

Before the European Council's leaders' summit two months ago, experts and journalists in Turkey discussed the European Union's possible sanctions. The frozen EU agenda came into the Turkish public's focus with the sanctions threat. Both sides knew that sanctions were illogical and would not contribute to bilateral relations.

The TurkStream pipeline, a milestone project for both Turkey and Russia, marks its first anniversary since it delivered the Russian natural gas to Turkey and Europe on Jan. 8, 2020. In a general evaluation of its first year, the pipeline can be considered as a success for both Turkey and Russia, while its achievements are expected to increase more in the following years.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan reciprocated Russian President Vladimir Putin's earlier remarks about him being "a man of his word who would go all the way for his country." He, too, described Putin as "someone who speaks his mind and keeps his promises."