Ukraine escalation

Why Putin and Zelensky are escalating their conflict. Putin needs a Hail Mary and Zelensky is emboldened.

Lose or nuke, Nord Stream explosions

Why Putin will soon have to choose between losing in Ukraine and using nuclear weapons. The Russian means of waging conventional war on Ukraine are depleting rapidly. Putin has few options.

Who blew up the Nord Stream pipelines and how will we find out? Here's why the Russians are the most likely culprit and how evidence might be gathered.

EU Ukraine

Do European Union leaders want Trump re-elected? Their Ukraine freeloading certainly suggests so. The U.S. is bearing an unfair burden of sustaining Ukraine's democracy.

Russian military bullying, Academia/China espionage

Russian draft dodging is about endemic bullying, not just the war in Ukraine. Russians are aware of how military service involves extortion and physical abuse alongside normal military hardships.

Los Alamos spying shows why academia's complaints must be ignored. The U.S. has a responsible to protect cutting edge research from being used to build Chinese weapons and hegemony.

Chamber of Commerce in HK, Albania's narcostate

Corporate America holds fast to Communist China in Hong Kong. The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong dishonors American values by its supplication to Beijing.

Biden's strange tolerance for Albania's narcostate. The highest echelon of the Albanian government appears to be in bed with the Sinaloa cartel.

Yair Lapid UN

Meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah, Israel's Yair Lapid exemplifies good leadership. The Israeli Prime Minister offers a stark contrast with Benjamin Netanyahu.

Biden's Taiwan pledge

The two problems with Biden's Taiwan defense pledge. Put simply, Taiwan is not taking the necessary action to defend itself.

Queen's funeral security, Modi 4 Putin

How President Biden, King Charles III and other world leaders will be protected at Queen Elizabeth II's funeral. A massive security operation aims for a peaceful conclusion.

Sorry, Narendra Modi is still very much in Russia's corner. Modi's tentative condemnation of the war in Ukraine means nothing.

Xi-Putin

Why Xi Jinping squirmed in his Putin meeting. It's very clear that the Chinese president doesn't want to be associated with the war in Ukraine.

Orban's latest waltz with Putin

Betraying the U.S. and Europe, Viktor Orban again delivers for his Hungarian master. The fake friend of America is supporting Russian calls for an end to sanctions imposed over the war in Ukraine.

Putin's stability

Why Vladimir Putin's presidency remains stable in spite of everything. The Russian leader's power base and popularity remain secure.

Li Zhanshu

Li Zhanshu offers a bold endorsement of Russia's war on Ukraine. The powerful Chinese Communist official risks alienating increasingly skeptical EU partners.

QEII. King Charles III and politics

Queen Elizabeth II's life of duty, honor, country. The British monarch embodied sober patriotism of the highest order.

Will King Charles III do his duty and abandon politics? The new British monarch has a critical responsibility to lead in a manner that he has not previously shown capable of doing.

Liz Truss China

Prime Minister Liz Truss will move Britain closer to the U.S. when it comes to China policy. The former Foreign Secretary is more hawkish than her predecessor when it comes to both Beijing and Moscow.

Biden's undemocratic address

Biden attacks American democratic values in service of a naked partisanship. The president's address in front of Independence Hall was shameful.

Putin's energy war, China's UN report fury, Taiwan capabilities

Deprioritizing the Kherson battle, Vladimir Putin shifts his focus to Brussels and energy supplies. The Russian leader is banking on his ability to extort Europe into a concessionary stance on Ukraine.

Europe, ego, and the reasons for China's UN report fury. The Uyghurs' plight is alarming to Beijing only so much as it undermines Beijing's influence with the European Union.

From Wednesday...

Survivable ships and long range missiles, not B-2 bombers, will win a Taiwan war. The military continues to overemphasize prestige at the expense of expedient investments in necessary capabilities.