STOCKHOLM  —  A sigh of relief swept across Europe when it became clear that Joe Biden would replace Donald Trump in the White House.

STOCKHOLM — At a US Air Force base in Ohio 25 years ago, the European continent’s most devastating war since 1945 came to an end with the Dayton Agreement.

STOCKHOLM — Whether we are heading for a future of cooperation or of increasing confrontation in the Arctic remains to be seen.

STOCKHOLM — EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen offered an upbeat assessment in her first annual policy report (“state of the union” address) to the European Parliament this month.

STOCKHOLM — With Belarusians taking to the streets in unprecedented numbers and refusing to be cowed by state violence, it is obvious that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has failed in his bid to steal another election and prolong his time in power.

STOCKHOLM — An unprecedented threat demands an unprecedented response. Rarely, if ever, have governments had to shift into crisis-management mode as quickly as they have in the past few weeks.

MELBOURNE — By any reasonable standard, Australia is a long way off from most other countries. Sydney is closer to the South Pole than it is to Singapore.

Trump’s tweet suggests that his entire Iran policy is rooted deep in the past, as if actions taken today represent a belated response to wounds inflicted long ago.

STOCKHOLM — Recognising that the European Union is facing a number of vexing challenges on the world stage, Ursula von der Leyen, the new European Commission president, has promised to lead a “geopolitical Commission.” Echoing this sentiment, Josep Borrell, the new high