Observers who believe the best outcome in Ukraine is a ceasefire or peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine are forced to contemplate a bleak landscape. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has articulated his goals for the current war: … [Read more...] about Key Factors In the Ukraine-Russia war
NATO
To the Finland Station*
Left: The Finnish-Russian border. Photo credit: Wikipedia - While the U.S. debates whether it has “a Russian problem,” little Finland [6 million] is again fearful of wrestling with its old neighbor. There is a new wrinkle in the Russia-Finland … [Read more...] about To the Finland Station*
Europeans Risk Losing American Defence*
Left: Secretary of State Dean Acheson signs the Washington Treaty, April 4, 1949. President Harry Truman and Vice President Alben Barkley are standing next to him. Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer. Digital File Name: … [Read more...] about Europeans Risk Losing American Defence*
Nuclear Weapons in the Hands of the European Union?
The European Union does not have an army, navy or air force but it is now considering embarking on a joint European nuclear deterrent force. Why now and what for? Trying to understand this idea is not very easy. Its origin ostensibly is a lack of … [Read more...] about Nuclear Weapons in the Hands of the European Union?
Will NATO fight? And for What? (la NATO combatterà? E per cosa?)
The one thing I am convinced about is that the Russians can count. They know the size and capability of NATO-directed forces deployed in the Baltic States and Poland, and they know that NATO is, despite recent frenetic activity and the delivery of … [Read more...] about Will NATO fight? And for What? (la NATO combatterà? E per cosa?)
The Finns Choose*
Left: Finland shares a 1,340km (833-mile) border with Russia and has universal male conscription for all men above 18. Do the Finns know something we don’t? Reporting out of Helsinki – as deficient as ever with the mainstream media – says the Finns … [Read more...] about The Finns Choose*
Europe: How Many Minutes to Midnight?
https://www.investigativeproject.org/1100/hizb-ut-tahrir-shariah-takes-precedence-over-usLeft: ISIS supporters attack German police before Solingen Town Hall, May 1, 2012. Decades of European efforts to avoid stigmatizing Muslims and to allegedly … [Read more...] about Europe: How Many Minutes to Midnight?
The Middle East Poker*
Left:U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and foreign ministers from Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Europe in Vienna, November 14, 2015 in a bid to step up diplomatic efforts to end the four-year-old conflict … [Read more...] about The Middle East Poker*
The New Old Sick Man of Europe*
For a century European politics was dogged with “the sick man of Europe”: the collapsing Ottoman Empire and its implications for the major powers. That’s not the case now, of course. Multi-ethnic empires are a thing of the past, their death rattle … [Read more...] about The New Old Sick Man of Europe*
Turkey’s Story on Downing Russian Jet Doesn’t Add Up*
Left: Putin: Turkey's Downing Russian jet "is a stab in the back, carried out by the accomplices of terrorists." The Turkish story on the Russian jet shoot down does not hold up. In fact, the evidence points to a deliberate provocation by Turkey … [Read more...] about Turkey’s Story on Downing Russian Jet Doesn’t Add Up*