France burns

France burns as racial tensions boil over. The immediate cause of the rioting is the killing of a 17 year-old by police. The larger motivation is a sense of disenfranchisement from opportunity and national identity.

Putin tourism tour, US-Israel relations

What coup? Why Vladimir Putin is talking about tourism and taking selfies. The Russian leader evidently feels a need to show public normality. Which suggests all is not normal.

Neither the U.S. or Israel is served by Biden and Netanyahu being bad allies. The two leaders need to reconsider how they approach one another's concerns on Iran and China.

Kamala Harris, Biden's motorcade

Biden's Iraq comment underlines why foreign governments are paying increasing attention to Kamala Harris. They do not expect Biden to serve out a second term.

Why did Biden's motorcade shut down DC's arterial highway? The answer is likely to be found with the Virginia State Police.

New Zealand

New Zealand cozies up to China. The new prime minister has the same disinterest as his predecessor in the fundamental question of Wellington's U.S. alliance.

Putin and the Russian Rubicon, Prigozhin

Vladimir Putin is caught between Prigozhin and the Russian Rubicon. Putin cannot tolerate Prigozhin's revolt, but neither can he easily destroy him.

from Saturday...

Five things to consider regarding Yevgeny Prigozhin's Russian revolt. The Wagner Group leader has launched an unprecedented challenge to Putin's rule.

Obama-Ukraine

Always weak on Russia, Obama again misleads on his Ukraine record. The former president pretends he was tough on Vladimir Putin. The opposite is true.

China/Marines

The Marines remind us that China is coming. The Marine Corps is advancing its Force 2030 vision to fight the PLA in the South and East China Seas.

China and the meaning of words

Chinese state media inadvertently explains why a major U.S.-China detente is not going to happen. The Chinese do not construe from U.S. words the same thing that the U.S. means to say.

Europe/China, US-China agreements?, Cuba's China bullseye

With European friends like these... The U.S. military has currently deployed 100 aircraft to simulate a defense of Germany from external attack. France is deploying one aircraft. On the ground below, Germany is throwing out the red carpet for the Chinese premier.

We need to know if and what agreements the U.S. reached with China. Xi says Blinken reached "agreements" on "specific issues" during his recent visit to Beijing. Is he telling the truth?

Cuba paints a bullseye on itself with China military bases. If the U.S. goes to war with China over Taiwan, Cuba may well find its territory in the firing line.

Blinken-China, 'Working Groups', Navalny, Ukraine-NATO

How Blinken's visit to China risks fueling Xi's appetite for escalation. The Chinese leader appears to believe that the trip shows he can use military pressure to extract U.S. concessions.

Beware China bearing 'working groups.' Beijing adopts a transactional approach to cooperation.

The Kremlin reminds us it fears Alexei Navalny. The political opposition figure's latest trial is being held in secret. Putin doesn't want any attention towards Navalny's resolute courage.

Of course Ukraine won't be joining NATO in July. The suggestion that it's time for Ukraine to be provided a path for NATO membership is incompatible with the war in Ukraine.