With the world's largest economy and dominant military sales in the Middle East, Washington will retain leverage over Egypt into the future.
Even those who admire Karzai's political skills say he isolated himself on the issue of American forces, rejecting the advice of a loya jirga — a grand council of elders that he selected — in an effort to retain leverage over the United States until his final days in office.
Meanwhile, Putin retains leverage over Erdogan, especially through his relationship with the Kurds.
Turkey, Syria's neighbor to the north, was an emerging ally before relations stumbled over Mr. Assad's crackdown, and its officials are still thought to retain leverage with Mr. Assad, who took power in 2000.
"China has unique economic leverage, while the U.S. retains leverage based on its ability to confer or withdraw legitimacy".
Despite appearances, Washington retains leverage: Israel needs America.
Mandelson is also concerned that if unions reduce the numbers individually affiliated to the party and so increase the money held back in union political funds, then union general secretaries can retain their leverage over party policy by saying it will only hand over additional cash from its now-enlarged political funds in return for policy concessions.
How can individuals retain influence over it?
However, he said, he would still retain "some leverage" over the process.
Government, moreover, will remain the biggest customer for most enterprises, weakening the potential role of wholesale markets and allowing the ministers in Moscow to retain substantial leverage over what is made and in what quantity.
In particular there is considerable variation in the contents of BITs and most continue to leave space for states to design economic development policies and retain some leverage over the uses of foreign investment.
