A full diplomatic break? Decoding Thursday's Biden-Putin phone call. Russia apparently threatened to cut relations should the U.S. impose new sanctions over Ukraine.
Thursday, December 30, 2021
Wednesday, December 29, 2021
Russia as a great power, Hong Kong's latest victim
Why Russia is a great power even though its economy is limited. Vladimir Putin exerts coercive pressure and economic inducement in ways that make the world pay notice.
China's latest attack on Hong Kong free speech offers a window into Xi Jinping's insecurities. Beijing is determined to stamp out impure thinking in the former British colony.
Monday, December 27, 2021
Putin Nazis
Referencing Soviet no retreat order, Russia warns West to retreat or face Ukraine war. Sergey Lavrov and Vladimir Putin are painting the current crisis as an heir to the showdown with the Nazis.
Thursday, December 23, 2021
Intel Uyghurs
Intel takes a stand for genocide. The U.S. tech giant has made clear where its values lie. Atop China's mountain of genocide.
Tuesday, December 21, 2021
Casus belli, Xi Omicron
Vladimir Putin offers his casus belli for Ukraine attack. The Russian leader described an ardent American enemy putting hypersonic missiles in Ukraine, and ready to launch terrorist-chemical attacks.
Xi's 'destiny' leadership faces battle with Omicron. The Chinese president has ventured much on his ability to provide order and benefit to China. The Covid-19 variant may greatly undermine his strategy.
Monday, December 20, 2021
Lithuania and Poland
Signaling deep concern, Lithuania and Poland break with US on Ukraine. The two eastern facing allies recognize that Biden's appeasement is deeply dangerous.
Friday, December 17, 2021
European strategic autonomy?
European strategic autonomy? Try European strategic autocracy. France and Germany are putting themselves before the critical interests of smaller EU member states.
Thursday, December 16, 2021
Biden year 1 foreign policy
The White House's imaginary foreign policy successes. The Biden administration has a very rosy view of its first foreign policy year in office.
Wednesday, December 15, 2021
GOP action on Ukraine
Republicans boost lethal support for Ukraine. The new legislation from Senate Republicans would provide immediate supplies of arms to Ukraine, and Nord Stream 2 sanctions in response to any renewed Russian offensive.
Tuesday, December 14, 2021
KGB games, Putin's escalation, UAE China
How Vladimir Putin has seized the strategic initiative on Ukraine. Putin is playing KGB games while Biden vacillates between rhetoric and inaction.
Sensing the West's hesitation, Putin escalates in Europe. The Russian leader is taking inspiration from the utter failure of Western powers to identify the countermeasures any invasion of Ukraine will meet.
The UAE puts China first and gives Macron his AUKUS revenge. The U.S. cannot sell F-35s to the UAE if it insists on deferring to China.
Monday, December 13, 2021
Minsk II
Biden helps make Minsk II mincemeat out of Ukraine. The Russians have gambled that the president will blink. And he is blinking.
Thursday, December 9, 2021
Pakistan-China, EU boycott?, NS2 x2
Welcome to Pakistan, colony of the People's Republic of China. Imran Khan has embraced a poodle policy. He has earned his pats on the head.
Why the EU won't go for a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics. Put simply, the EU cares about car exports, not genocide.
From Wednesday...
Biden to "accommodate" Putin as Germany says Nord Stream 2 progressing on schedule. The White House isn't exactly broadcasting strength.
Why Nord Stream 2 is not "leverage" for the West. It's leverage for Russia. Plain and simple.
Tuesday, December 7, 2021
Bush Havana Syndrome? Nord Stream II
Was George W. Bush a 2007 victim of Russia-induced 'Havana Syndrome'? The similarity between symptoms experienced by members of the U.S. delegation to the 2007 G8 summit and more recent victims of Havana Syndrome are striking.
No, Jake Sullivan, Nord Stream II is not "leverage" for the West. It is, instead, clearly leverage for Russia.
Monday, December 6, 2021
Russia-Ukraine, Biden Olympics
Why Russia may attack Ukraine before Christmas. There are political and specific military rationales that might lead Putin to prefer an earlier offensive.
Biden takes necessary moral action over Olympics. The Chinese Communist Party requires challenge for its genocidal excesses.
Friday, December 3, 2021
Iran negotiations
Britain and France must give Iran a deadline. The Islamic Republic is playing for time in the nuclear negotiations.
Thursday, December 2, 2021
Putin goes for NATO jugular, Biden damages transatlantic security
On NATO expansion, Putin goes for the jugular. Russia is demanding that the U.S. sign up to a legally binding commitment not to expand NATO. Oh, and not to respond to Russia's INF treaty breach.
Biden damages transatlantic security, showing subservience to Germany. Why on Earth is Biden putting a poor ally before the interests of valuable - and under threat - allies.
Wednesday, December 1, 2021
FONOPs and wolf warriors, NS2 sanctions package, WTA
UK Foreign Affairs Chairman: China's wolf warrior diplomacy is its own worst enemy. Tom Tugendhat believes that a 12-mile transit of Chinese artificial islands is becoming more likely.
Senators should support James Risch's Nord Stream II sanctions. The alternate sanctions package offered by Bob Menendez would not sufficiently deter Russia.
WTA refuses to dance to IOC waltz. Tennis association is suspending China tournaments.
Tuesday, November 30, 2021
Lithuania, MI6 China
Biden should extend a state visit invitation to Lithuania. The NATO ally is under increasing pressure from both Russia and China.
Britain's MI6 Chief shifts focus to China. Richard Moore outlined how his service intends to grapple with the rising superpower.
Monday, November 29, 2021
Iran weapons grade? Germany versus the Senate, Hamas and LHezbollah
What happens if Iran goes to weapons grade enrichment? The stakes become a lot more serious very quickly. Israel and the U.S. will face a choice.
Germany embraces 'Team America' school of spineless diplomacy. Berlin's effort to lobby the Senate is truly ludicrous.
From Friday
Hamas and the Lebanese Hezbollah suffer a bad week in the West. Various governments have introduced new sanctions against the group.
Wednesday, November 24, 2021
Roman Abramovich, Pentagon UFO office, Putin intimidates Biden
Come to America to write about Roman Abramovich. The English legal system is an indirect ally of Vladimir Putin's regime.
Pentagon launches preemptive strike on Senate UFO legislation. This is a calculating effort to undermine greater government seriousness in confronting the issue.
From Tuesday
Putin barks, Biden blinks. The Russians are manipulating the Biden administration into adopting a more concessionary military strategy vis-a-vis NATO air and naval patrols.
Friday, November 19, 2021
Putin inflation?
Will inflation drive Vladimir Putin's escalation in Ukraine? The data and the deployments suggest it is a distinct possibility.
Thursday, November 18, 2021
US forces-Germany, Duterte and China, Georgian hunger strikes, new Russian airborne unit in Crimea
Pull U.S. forces from Germany if Germany pulls support for NATO nuclear deterrence. Berlin cannot continue to treat the alliance like the ultimate defense freebie.
Rodrigo Duterte only has himself to blame for China's maritime escalation. The Philippines is suffering because Beijing believes Duterte is in its pocket.
Georgian hunger strike deserves Biden administration attention. The former president is protesting his nation's descent into Russian-style cronyism.
from Wednesday
Russia will establish new airborne regiment in Crimea by early December. The Russian military is bolstering its combined arms presence on the southern flank of the Ukrainian mainland.
Tuesday, November 16, 2021
Biden-Xi
Decoding the Biden-Xi summit. Dialogue is valuable, but China continues to view diplomacy and compromise through a one way prism.
Monday, November 15, 2021
Orbital Russia, Ukraine alone
Why Russia just created an orbital debris field. This new test of an anti-satellite weapon has numerous audiences and intents.
Let's cut the spin: Ukraine is alone against Russia. The West has ceded the strategic initiative to Vladimir Putin.
Sunday, November 14, 2021
British military-Ukraine, China "phase down" COP26, Liverpool explosion
The British military is not preparing to fight Russia in Ukraine. Pointing out that units on standing high alert are on high alert does not mean that said units are going to Ukraine.
Decoding China's "phase down" COP26 declaration demand. Put simply, Xi Jinping fears his own people and upsetting the EU over the longer term.
Terrorism fears following Liverpool explosion. Counter-terrorism police have taken the lead following a vehicle explosion outside of a British hospital.
Thursday, November 11, 2021
Putin's KGB latest game, US-China climate deal
Putin runs rings around the West at Poland-Belarus border. In a pitch perfect KGB style operation, Putin is disrupting the credibility of the EU and NATO, and fraying the Polish border.
The U.S. pays China for an unenforceable climate deal. John Kerry has scored yet another laurel for his not-so-good-negotiator crown.
Wednesday, November 10, 2021
Taiwan, Rittenhouse
Now is the time to press China on Taiwan. The next two years will pose significant political obstacles to China launching an invasion.
Does silence mean you're guilty? A uniquely American feature of Kyle Rittenhouse's trial. It stands in distinction to the UK.
Monday, November 8, 2021
Nine Eyes? Poland vs. EU
Saturday, November 6, 2021
Kirsten Gillibrand UFOs
Kirsten Gillibrand's UFO amendment deserves bipartisan support. The Democratic Senator finally pushes the nuclear issue to the forefront of government action.
Thursday, November 4, 2021
Afghan commandos
Why won't Biden save the Afghan commandos? The best allies of America in Afghanistan have largely been abandoned. A team of Americans is pushing the Biden administration and Congress to do more.
Wednesday, November 3, 2021
China vs. Fish, Taliban vs. ISIS
New Galapagos protections are welcome, but China's fishing hordes still pose an urgent concern. Action is needed if we are to save the world's oceanic wildlife.
The U.S. should trade with the Taliban in return for counter-terrorism support. The Taliban need U.S. assistance against ISIS. In return, they should reciprocate for U.S. needs.
Tuesday, November 2, 2021
Biden on Russia, UK vs. Erdogan's silly security requests
The folly of Biden's verbose Russia strategy. He's asking the Russians to do things, rather than imposing costs in the absence of doing their doing these things.
Why the UK was right to reject Erdogan's absurd COP26 security requests. The Turkish president wants to be treated like an Ottoman sultan. Except that he's not one.
Monday, November 1, 2021
COP26, Taiwan, Germany vs. NATO, Russia vs. Ukraine, Sino-Russian flotilla
BBC chooses advocacy over reporting at COP26. The public broadcaster has a duty to do better.
Xi demands U.S. money and delivers a dud letter to COP26. The Chinese leader risks alienating his European partners.
from last week...
Taiwan needs to get serious about defending itself. The island democracy cannot just expect a blank check from the U.S. Washington should give Taipei a timeline to start taking its security seriously.
Is Germany allied to NATO or Russia? Berlin's behavior means it's a legitimate question.
Provoking energy crisis and playing Biden, Russia cuts thermal coal supplies to Ukraine. Putin is upping the ante. He seems to sense that Biden is hesitant.
Decoding a Sino-Russian naval flotilla in the Western Pacific. The transit is a message to the U.S., one which serves Putin's economic interests and Xi's domestic prestige.
Monday, October 25, 2021
Xi Covid
Xi takes on new risks with Covid-19 strategy. Rolling lockdowns trap the country and its citizens, while undermining economic growth targets and Xi's credibility as a leader.
Saturday, October 23, 2021
Turkish ambassador
U.S. must declare Turkey's ambassador persona non grata. The Biden administration should not tolerate Erdogan's expulsion of the U.S. Ambassador.
Friday, October 22, 2021
Taiwan iceberg
For Biden and Xi, Taiwan is the ultimate strategic iceberg. Both leaders face immense risks and opportunities in terms of their respective Taiwan policy choices.
Thursday, October 21, 2021
NATO
NATO puts clothes, not meat, on its strategic bones. The alliance continues to face a gap between member responsibility and ambition.
Wednesday, October 20, 2021
Biden's ransomware, Mars in a black hole, 5 looming flashpoints
Russia deconstructs Biden's ransomware deception. The ransomware attack on Sinclair broadcasting evinces the Kremlin's authority over damaging cyber attacks on U.S. soil.
Mars is caught in a genocide black hole. The confectionary conglomerate talks a big game on climate change, not so much on China's human rights abuses.
from Tuesday...
5 looming global flashpoints. You might be unaware of places where conflict is lurking.
Monday, October 18, 2021
China hypersonic, Hungary election
What does China's hypersonic vehicle test mean for the U.S.? The technology is a work in progress, as is its combat utility.
Pro-American leader seeks to unseat Hungary's Viktor Orban. The incumbent is a partner to China and Russia, not the U.S.
Friday, October 15, 2021
Hezbollah, Germany NATO, Xi's democracy, China's chancellor, Biden Iran
Hezbollah faces its Lebanon reckoning. The group is under fire, figuratively and literally. Here's why.
Germany's likely new government abandons NATO's 2% of GDP target. It's a sign of Germany's disregard for its allies.
from Wednesday, Thursday
Xi Jinping's mirage democracy. Judged by the basic tenets of a democracy, China is clearly not a democracy.
China salutes the steel chancellor. Angela Merkel deserves all Beijing's praise. She's earned it.
How long will Biden tolerate Iran's nuclear games? Tehran is biding its time, rejecting negotiation requests in order to bolster its ballistic missile program.
Wednesday, October 13, 2021
Havana syndrome
Why some U.S. officials see new indications of Russian responsibility for Havana syndrome. Three factors play into their beliefs.
Tuesday, October 12, 2021
Biden-Xi
From last Thursday...
Four benefits of a Biden-Xi summit. The two leaders need to establish a protocol for effective dialogue and deconfliction.
Wednesday, October 6, 2021
Putin's winter, Viktor Orban
Putin's winter is coming for Biden and Europe. The Russian leader is escalating a multi-front energy shortage showdown. If only we'd seen this coming...
Viktor Orban is a friend of China and Russia, not America. Whatever some conservatives might think, the Hungarian leader's record is quite clear.
Monday, October 4, 2021
Taiwan
The two motives behind China's air incursions against Taiwan. Xi is sending a message at home and abroad, and China wants to throw Taipei off balance.
Friday, October 1, 2021
Xi's wind, Russia Afghanistan, Turkey F-35
Xi Jinping reaps a cold wind. The Chinese leader is caught between energy shortages, trade wars, and climate change commitments.
Russia rewards Biden's appeasement with Afghanistan base insult. Moscow doesn't have much appreciation for appeasement.
Turkey bows to Russia and demands American billions. Erdogan is upset over the F-35 and being silly, again.
Wednesday, September 29, 2021
Russian IT executive charged with treason
Russia proves Biden's cyber-dialogue folly with treason charges against top IT executive. The Kremlin has again proved it has no regard for those who attempt to challenge cyber-criminality.
Tuesday, September 28, 2021
Over horizon
Top generals underline the folly of Biden's "over the horizon" counter-terrorism strategy. The president is not being straight with the people.
Monday, September 27, 2021
German election
What does German election mean for the U.S.? Here's why a CDU-Green-FDP coalition arrangement would be best.
Friday, September 24, 2021
Biden-Xi, Space Force
From Biden to Xi with no reciprocity. Why has the president given China a free pass on Meng and Huawei?
Don't slay the Space Force. It has a proper role to play in national defense.
Tuesday, September 21, 2021
Biden UN
Biden's UN speech forgets Biden's human rights policy. On China, Russia, and Afghanistan, the president did not match his rhetoric to policy reality.