Author: M Barbu

Russia-Ukraine talks in Turkey yield respite but no ceasefire

Turkey played host for the second time as peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine resumed today.

Peace talks between Russia and Ukraine resumed in Istanbul after a two-week pause today. It’s the second time the sides have met in Turkey, which has sought to position itself as an honest broker in the conflict.

The round held at Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace “achieved more meaningful progress” than any of the talks held so far, asserted Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu after they ended. Russian negotiators called the talks “constructive.”

Make Peace, Not War, in Ukraine

Russia launched its massive invasion of Ukraine on February 24 flagrantly violating the most fundamental norm of international law—the prohibition of recourse to international force except in exercising the right of self-defense against a prior armed attack. Yes, there were a series of irresponsible provocations by NATO that aroused understandable security concerns in Moscow, including the relentless expansion of the Cold War NATO alliance after the Cold War was over, the threat from the Soviet Union had disappeared, and promises were made by Western leaders of no further NATO expansion. Such geopolitical behavior amounted to imprudent statecraft by the West, especially given the Russian anxiety about being surrounded by hostile forces. Such eminent figures as George Kennan, Jack Matlock (respected former U.S. ambassador to Russia), and Henry Kissinger issued warnings to this effect, but they went unheeded in Washington.

Russia war ends era of globalization that kept inflation low

For decades, the free flow of trade across much of the world allowed the richest nations to enjoy easy access to low-priced goods and supplies. It meant solid economies and stable markets.

And for households and businesses, especially in the United States and Europe, it meant an entire generation of ultra-low inflation.

El Shafee Elsheikh, ‘most brutal’ of the IS ‘Beatles’

Dubbed “Jihadi George,” El Shafee Elsheikh has been described by former hostages as the “most brutal” member of the notorious Islamic State kidnap-and-murder cell known as the “Beatles.”

“George was the most crazy one,” Spanish journalist Javier Espinosa said of his 33-year-old former IS captor.

Relief for Kyiv? Russia vows to scale back near the capital

Russia announced Tuesday it will significantly scale back military operations near Ukraine’s capital and a northern city, as the outlines of a possible deal to end the grinding war came into view at the latest round of talks.

Ukraine’s delegation at the conference, held in Istanbul, laid out a framework under which the country would declare itself neutral and its security would be guaranteed by an array of other nations.