The Week in Review: January 8-14, 2022

Russia-NATO talks go nowhere, Mali faces heavy sanctions, and more

This week, conflicting reports on negotiations over the Iran nuclear deal hinted at some progress and the possibility of an interim deal. Iraq’s parliament met for the first time since October elections to select a new speaker, only to have his election blocked by the Federal Supreme Court. Kazakhstan’s security situation remained “tensely calm” as over 14,000 people were arrested. The Economic Community of West African States heavily sanctioned Mali over its ruling junta’s refusal to expedite the country’s political transition. Finally, relations between the US-NATO alliance and Russia reached a new low as a week of intense diplomacy failed to produce anything of note.