A former diplomat recently answered my question by suggesting that there is tight control on information getting out of Ukraine and solidarity in the mainstream media about how to report it. A journalist told me of his frustration that if you go to Ukraine, you won’t...
Did Europe Lie to Russia About Peace?
On New Year’s Eve, Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed the nation. "For years," he said, "Western elites hypocritically assured us of their peaceful intentions, including to help resolve the serious conflict in Donbass." He then went on to...
Why Russia Went to War in 2022
Why did Russia make the decision to go to war in Ukraine in 2022? It had been over two decades since the US and NATO broke their promise and marched nearly a thousand miles east toward Russia’s borders. It had been eight years since the US supported a coup in Ukraine...
Morocco and the 2022 Hypocrisy Award
Morocco has reportedly broken its neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine war by becoming the first African country to provide military assistance to Ukraine. Though Morocco has not officially confirmed the transaction, they have reportedly agreed to provide 90 T-72 tanks as...
Biden Says Iran Deal Is Dead and That He Won’t Say Iran Deal Is Dead
Sometimes the worst gaffes President Biden makes are not the ones in which he forgets the truth, but the ones in which he forgets not to tell the truth, or worse, when he forgets not to tell that he is not going to tell the truth. That’s what Biden did on November 4....
Zelensky Goes to Washington: Some Key Questions
On December 21, President Volodymyr Zelensky went to Washington to meet with President Biden and to address the Congress. The meeting comes at a time when pressure for negotiations and for a diplomatic settlement are intensifying. Both France and Germany have...
Five Statements That Could Change the War
Five statements made over a period of a few days by high level government officials received very little media attention. When combined, though, they produce a pattern that could make headlines. On December 1, French President Emmanuel Macron held talks with President...
The Troubled US-Saudi Relationship
As the relationship between the United States and Saudi Arabia continues to grow more strained, President Biden keeps arriving at Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s door with gifts to court the kingdom back. And the relationship continues to grow more strained. The...
What Does the US Say About Ukrainian Strikes in Russia?
Recent statements from Washington on Ukrainian strikes inside Russian territory have sometimes seemed confusing and sometimes seemed untrue. On December 5 and 6, Ukrainian missiles struck three Russian air force bases hundreds of kilometers inside Russian territory,...
Not Trusting Russia With a Ceasefire
In recent days, there has been a volley of statements that Ukraine and the West cannot trust that a ceasefire would not be deceptively agreed to by Russia only to use it to fortify itself before violating the ceasefire of convenience. Perhaps the warnings are a...