Month: April 2022

The Cold War Never Ended

Ukraine, the China Challenge, and the Revival of the West

Does anyone have a right to be surprised? A gangster regime in the Kremlin has declared that its security is threatened by a much smaller neighbor—which, the regime claims, is not a truly sovereign country but just a plaything of far more powerful Western states. To make itself more secure, the Kremlin insists, it needs to bite off some of its neighbor’s territory. Negotiations between the two sides break down; Moscow invades.

American Extremists in Search of ‘Combat Experience’ Head to Fight in Ukraine

Report identifies U.S.-based neo-Nazis, white supremacists fighting on both sides of Russia’s war in Ukraine

Neo-Nazis and white supremacists from the United States and Europe have traveled to Ukraine to fight on both sides of the war with Russia, providing these extremists with valuable battlefield experience as they seek to increase their violent operations domestically, according to a report from a watchdog group monitoring the situation.

The Great Russian Energy Scam

Russian ‘Dark Money’ Funding ‘Green’ Groups in West

“Germany and several other European countries have largely banned fracking. This has transformed European leaders into the equivalent of 16th-century naval explorers, praying for favorable winds and weather as energy prices rise and fall depending on cloud cover and wind conditions.” — Wall Street Journal editorial, October 20, 2021.

Russia’s failure to take down Kyiv was a defeat for the ages

Kyiv was a Russian defeat for the ages. The fight started poorly for the invaders and went downhill from there.

When President Vladimir Putin launched his war on Feb. 24 after months of buildup on Ukraine’s borders, he sent hundreds of helicopter-borne commandos — the best of the best of Russia’s “spetsnaz” special forces soldiers — to assault and seize a lightly defended airfield on Kyiv’s doorstep.

Africa: Could Russia’s War in Ukraine Derail Africa’s Global Partnerships?

The African Union will struggle to ensure partners stick to their promises in a tough new international environment.

A week before Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, Africa and Europe agreed on a ‘joint vision’ spanning economic growth, security and climate change. War in Ukraine may not directly influence continental relations but could damage bilateral ties. The agreements could also be affected by the global economic impact of the crisis.

Orban’s big win in Hungary bears lessons for Turkey’s staid opposition

What’s left of Turkey’s presidential system may be further eroded if Erdogan follows in Hungary’s “illiberal” footsteps.

Diplomacy has been termed “the art of deceit,” but few doubt that Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was anything but sincere when he phoned Hungary’s Viktor Orban today to congratulate him on his landslide victory in Sunday’s parliamentary elections.

The West must choose: Either arm Ukraine or enable Putin’s genocide

As Ukraine continues to liberate areas north of Kyiv, global audiences are being confronted by shocking photo and video evidence of crimes against humanity. Weeks spent under Russian occupation have transformed the once sleepy suburbs of the Ukrainian capital into a vast killing field. It is becoming increasingly apparent that Putin’s invasion force has committed war crimes that echo the worst excesses of the totalitarian twentieth century.

Biden’s budget proposal would slash military aid to Tunisia

Tunisia’s president further cemented his hold on power this week as US lawmakers urged the Biden administration to scrutinize its security aid to the country.

The Biden administration has proposed cutting US military aid to Tunisia by nearly half as the North African country’s leadership continues on the path toward authoritarianism.

EXPLAINER: Why is Europe balking at a ban on Russian energy?

Shocking pictures from the Ukrainian town of Bucha and accusations of Russian war crimes are building pressure for more sanctions against Moscow. A key potential target: Russian oil and natural gas, and the $850 million that European importers pay for those supplies every day.