APRIL 2025 | NO 2504

US/WORLD

Soft power isn’t as soft as you’d think

Winning hearts and minds to forge allies took off after the cold war. How benign is it? | PHILIP S GOLUB ▶ p8

EUROPE

Serbians demand political reform

The protests won’t stop as angry Serbians call for an immediate end to corruption | ANA OTAŠEVIĆ ▶ p10

AFRICA

Indian Ocean’s rare seagrass in danger Saya de Malha’s unique biodiversity is under threat from unregulated industrial fishing | IAN URBINA ▶ p11

ASIA

Nepal moves on but corruption lingers

Two decades of peace have brought democracy, but not enough to satisfy Nepali hopes | PIERRE DAUM ▶ p12

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Ukraine: disarray in Europe Europe on the horns of the security dilemma | HÉLÈNE RICHARD ▶ p2 The US washes its hands of Europe | SERGE HALIMI ▶ p4 Can Ukraine hold postwar elections? | SÉBASTIEN GOBERT ▶ p5 Europe’s crisis playbook | PIERRE RIMBERT ▶ p6 The illusion of a common EU defence policy | ANNE-CÉCILE ROBERT ▶ p7