Michael Kugelman

Michael Kugelman is the writer of Foreign Policy’s weekly South Asia Brief. He has been an analyst of the region for nearly two decades.

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Articles by Michael Kugelman
A view of the Sherpur area, where al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed by a drone strike, is seen in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 2.
A view of the Sherpur area, where al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed by a drone strike, is seen in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 2.

Zawahiri’s Killing Is a Blow to the Taliban

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
A Taliban border security guard stands as Uzbek security guards check a truck at the Afghanistan-Uzbekistan Friendship Bridge in Hairatan, Afghanistan, on Oct. 27, 2021.
A Taliban border security guard stands as Uzbek security guards check a truck at the Afghanistan-Uzbekistan Friendship Bridge in Hairatan, Afghanistan, on Oct. 27, 2021.

Central Asia Steps Up Its Regional Diplomacy

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
Political activists shout slogans outside a polling station during the Punjab province by-election in Lahore, Pakistan, on July 17.
Political activists shout slogans outside a polling station during the Punjab province by-election in Lahore, Pakistan, on July 17.

Is Pakistan’s New Government on Shaky Ground?

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
Biden and Lapid sit at a desk in front of large screens.
Biden and Lapid sit at a desk in front of large screens.

Another Quad Rises

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
Young people look down at their phones.
Young people look down at their phones.

Why Twitter Is Taking India to Court

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa pose during a BRICS meeting at the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 28, 2019.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa pose during a BRICS meeting at the G-20 summit in Osaka, Japan, on June 28, 2019.

India Plays BRICS to Its Interests

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
Demonstrators carry pictures of former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, during a protest in Karachi on Dec. 24, 2019.
Demonstrators carry pictures of former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, during a protest in Karachi on Dec. 24, 2019.

Does South Asia Have a New Guard?

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
Supporters of Pakistan's Islamic and political Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) party shout anti-India slogans during a demonstration in Karachi, Pakistan, on June 6.
Supporters of Pakistan's Islamic and political Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) party shout anti-India slogans during a demonstration in Karachi, Pakistan, on June 6.

Will India’s Domestic Politics Dent Its Diplomacy?

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Bangladeshi Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen at the U.S. State Department in Washington on April 4.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Bangladeshi Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen at the U.S. State Department in Washington on April 4.

Is Biden Building a Broader South Asia Policy?

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pose for a photo in Tokyo on May 24.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pose for a photo in Tokyo on May 24.

The Quad Looks West

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
Workers load sacks of wheat on a freight train at Chawa Pail railway station in Khanna, India, on May 19.
Workers load sacks of wheat on a freight train at Chawa Pail railway station in Khanna, India, on May 19.

Why India Just Limited Wheat Exports

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
Sri Lankan security personnel walk inside outgoing Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa's official residence a day after it was breached by protesters in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on May 10.
Sri Lankan security personnel walk inside outgoing Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa's official residence a day after it was breached by protesters in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on May 10.

Why Sri Lanka’s Crisis Has No End in Sight

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi before their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris on May 4.
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi before their meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris on May 4.

Can Modi Overcome India’s Ukraine Stance?

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
Men rest by the riverside on a hot day in Allahabad, India, on April 28.
Men rest by the riverside on a hot day in Allahabad, India, on April 28.

South Asia’s Record-Breaking Heat Wave Isn’t Over Yet

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
U.S. President Joe Biden, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and Indian Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh take part in a virtual meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington on April 11.
U.S. President Joe Biden, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and Indian Minister of Defense Rajnath Singh take part in a virtual meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington on April 11.

Russia Still Looms Over U.S.-India Relationship

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
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