This short introduction takes a comprehensive view of a variety of major issues that must be understood to understand modern international relations. In this book, Paul Wilkenson explores multiple topics that include foreign policy, arms and terrorism issues, environmental challenges and poverty in the world. It highlights the role of the great powers and the influence of major organizations such as the United Nations and the European Union, as well as the influence of ethnic and religious movements at the internal and international levels. The book aims to clarify how these factors constitute the interaction of states and governments, which makes it examples of readers who seek to understand the ongoing events in a world teeming with political challenges and turmoil. It is a book accompanying modern developments that provides the reader with a new and comprehensive understanding of international affairs.