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
Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan takes part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin Wall in Moscow on Feb. 24.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan takes part in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by the Kremlin Wall in Moscow on Feb. 24.

What the Russia-Ukraine Crisis Means for South Asia

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
Men receive aid from a charity on the outskirts of Kabul on Jan. 30.
Men receive aid from a charity on the outskirts of Kabul on Jan. 30.

Biden Hands the Taliban a Propaganda Victory

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
People drive past a poster of late Bollywood singer Lata Mangeshkar in Mumbai on Feb. 7.
People drive past a poster of late Bollywood singer Lata Mangeshkar in Mumbai on Feb. 7.

Lata Mangeshkar Was a South Asian Icon

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
A pedestrian watches a digital screen relaying the budget speech by Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the facade of the BSE Limited stock exchange in Mumbai on Feb. 1.
A pedestrian watches a digital screen relaying the budget speech by Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the facade of the BSE Limited stock exchange in Mumbai on Feb. 1.

India’s Economy Could Loom Large in State Elections

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets Russian President Vladimir Putin before a meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Dec. 6, 2021.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets Russian President Vladimir Putin before a meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on Dec. 6, 2021.

Why India Is Silent on the Ukraine Crisis

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
Men ride motorcycles past electricity pylons in Vollur village, Karnataka, India, on Oct. 10, 2021.
Men ride motorcycles past electricity pylons in Vollur village, Karnataka, India, on Oct. 10, 2021.

South Asia Has a Connectivity Disconnect

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
Police vehicles sit outside of Congregation Beth Israel synagogue.
Police vehicles sit outside of Congregation Beth Israel synagogue.

How Aafia Siddiqui Became a Radical Cause Célèbre

Explainer
Michael Kugelman
Indian Army soldiers stand next to a gun positioned near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in India's Arunachal Pradesh state on Oct. 20, 2021.
Indian Army soldiers stand next to a gun positioned near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in India's Arunachal Pradesh state on Oct. 20, 2021.

India and China’s Border Conundrum

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
An Afghan boy walks by fences guarded by Pakistani paramilitary personnel.
An Afghan boy walks by fences guarded by Pakistani paramilitary personnel.

The Taliban Pick Fight Over Border With Pakistan

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
A Taliban fighter inspects the documents of people lining up to enter the passport office in Kabul on Dec. 18.
A Taliban fighter inspects the documents of people lining up to enter the passport office in Kabul on Dec. 18.

What to Watch in South Asia Next Year

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
Burning pyres in India
Burning pyres in India

How South Asia Shocked the World in 2021

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
People wave national flags as they gather for Victory Day, which marks the end of a bitter nine-month war of independence from Pakistan, in Savar, Bangladesh, on Dec. 16.
People wave national flags as they gather for Victory Day, which marks the end of a bitter nine-month war of independence from Pakistan, in Savar, Bangladesh, on Dec. 16.

Why Did the United States Just Sanction Bangladesh?

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House on Sept. 24.
U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House on Sept. 24.

What Is South Asia’s Role at Biden’s Democracy Summit?

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
A general view shows the Dhaka River Port on the banks of the Buriganga River in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on June 23, 2019.
A general view shows the Dhaka River Port on the banks of the Buriganga River in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on June 23, 2019.

America Should Bet on Bangladesh

Argument
Anu Anwar, Michael Kugelman
Afghan foreign students shout slogans.
Afghan foreign students shout slogans.

India Has Lost Its Leverage in Afghanistan

South Asia Brief
Michael Kugelman
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