By Barbara Slavin As Russia continues to pound Syria’s largest city, Aleppo, sending thousands more desperate people surging toward the Turkish border, it is hard to deny that U.S. diplomatic strategy on Syria is in disarray. Secretary of State John Kerry, facing reporters Tuesday, conceded the obvious: “Russia’s activities in Aleppo and in the region […]
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Ukraine and the West Need Each Other
Posted February 10th, 2016 at 10:27 am (UTC-5)
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Helping Ukraine stand up to Moscow now is in the West’s best interest and would spare it the expense of confronting a bigger, more powerful Russia in the future….what we need most is for the West to follow through on what’s already been promised: an investment in the new Ukraine…
Oil Dictator Dominos
Posted February 8th, 2016 at 4:45 pm (UTC-5)
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Central Asia’s oil-producing dictatorships, including Azerbaijan, have been among the countries hardest hit by the drop in prices – especially because, as ex-Soviet states, they remain heavily dependent on trade with Russia, another oil producer.
A Whiff of Panic in the Kremlin as Russia’s Economy Sinks Further
Posted February 5th, 2016 at 2:52 pm (UTC-5)
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President Vladimir Putin has gone so far as to blame Soviet Union founder Vladimir Lenin for Russia’s current difficulties….Signs of panic and dysfunction are everywhere. Finance Minister Anton Siluanov has demanded yet another round of 10 percent budget cuts….The Russian government really has no good economic options other than hope.
The Pentagon’s Top Threat? Russia
Posted February 4th, 2016 at 10:18 am (UTC-5)
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…[T]his initiative seems like a reversion back to what the Pentagon has traditionally done — prepare to fight big wars with ever more costly weapons against adversaries like Russia. Threats from the Islamic State and other terrorist groups are messier and harder to predict. America must be able to confront both, but it is unclear […]
There Is No Plan B if the Syria Peace Talks Fail
Posted February 2nd, 2016 at 9:12 am (UTC-5)
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[T]he “Geneva process” is no more likely to succeed today than it was the last time it was tried, in 2014….those on the other side of the table — the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, Russia, and Iran — will not feel compelled to accept any offer to which Syria’s rebels or their backers in […]
Russia’s Ruling Regime Must Modernize or Face Collapse
Posted January 22nd, 2016 at 12:35 pm (UTC-5)
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In 2016 the Russian authorities will have to shift their focus away from shaping the world order and toward putting their own house in order. Otherwise, they will not survive.
Putin’s Reputation Turns Radioactive
Posted January 21st, 2016 at 3:32 pm (UTC-5)
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It isn’t often that a judge in one country accuses the president of another — a superpower, no less — of participating in murder. … although U.K. Home Secretary Theresa May told parliament on Thursday that Russia would face a tough response, it won’t.
America May be Doomed to Cooperate with Putin
Posted January 13th, 2016 at 8:27 am (UTC-5)
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For President Obama, the willingness to work with (Vladimir) Putin is an act of foreign policy realism or desperation, depending on your point of view. Some would argue that in Syria, the two converge.
2015 in Review
Posted December 30th, 2015 at 2:12 pm (UTC-5)
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As 2015’s final minutes tick away, it’s gives us a chance to look into the mirror to see what we are leaving behind. Many philosophers have noted that history tends to repeat itself. Terrorism. Gun violence. Racial tensions. Religious differences. Politics. The environment. So we reflect on the events and trends of 2015 in hopes of identifying patterns, learning from the mistakes of the past and building on its successes to take on many of the same challenges in 2016.
Putin and Trump: It’s a Match!
Posted December 18th, 2015 at 3:18 pm (UTC-5)
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“He is a bright and talented person without any doubt.” The words of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who lavishly praised Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump. Trump returned the favor the very next day when asked about Putin’s comments. “He’s running his country, and at least he’s a leader, unlike what we have in this country,” ignoring assertions from a TV host that Putin “kills journalists, political allies and invades countries.”
The love from Trump isn’t new. Previously, he said he thought he’d get along with Putin, who now has chilly relations with the United States after Russia’s annexation of Crimea and his highly suspect record on human rights. Diplomats were left gasping or opining righteously on cable news outlets that Trump’s comments prove what a danger a President Trump would be. Others found humor in the odd love affair. One blogger called it “Trumpevich.”
America’s Military is Getting Deadly Serious about China, Russia, and North Korea
The Third Offset Strategy is about retaining America’s lead in military power in the face of potential challenges by Russia, China, North Korea and others. The strategy takes aim at enemy vulnerabilities and weak spots with plans to exploit them in wartime.