Lies, Democracy, Foreign Policy, and the Search for Peace

When Fox News commentator, former Democratic Member of Congress, and presidential contender Tulsi Gabbard confronted New York Republican Congressman-Elect George Santos about the long list of lies he used during the recent election campaign, the best defense he could come up with was that Democrats do the same. In this rare case, Santos was telling … Continue reading “Lies, Democracy, Foreign Policy, and the Search for Peace”

How To Turn a Friend Into an Enemy: A Brief History of US-Russia Relations

During the American Civil War Russian Tsar Alexander II helped save the Union by sending two naval squadrons to New York and San Francisco and placing them at the service of President Lincoln. A symbolic statue of these events is located in downtown Moscow, showing the two men shaking hands. In 1918 America also sent … Continue reading “How To Turn a Friend Into an Enemy: A Brief History of US-Russia Relations”

Remembering Gorbachev

The roots of the current Ukrainian crisis, one that has a good chance to spill over its borders into the rest of Europe and even to the US, can be traced to the late 1980s. That’s when Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, who recently passed away, extended his hand to America offering everlasting peace and friendship … Continue reading “Remembering Gorbachev”

Nuclear Catastrophe Is Gaining Momentum in Ukraine

It is beginning to appear that beyond the increasingly likely exchange of nuclear weapons strikes between the US and Russia there is yet another scenario for a nuclear catastrophe that in recent days has presented itself in Ukraine. According to the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, “the shelling … Continue reading “Nuclear Catastrophe Is Gaining Momentum in Ukraine”

On the Edge of the Abyss

Former Sen. Sam Nunn coined the phrase “sleepwalking into nuclear catastrophe” long before the current crisis. Many other prominent American foreign policy experts agreed and presented ideas on how to avoid the looming disaster. The most important of them was the acceptance of the reality that the short era of unipolar world under U.S. leadership … Continue reading “On the Edge of the Abyss”

The Day of Reckoning Postponed – for Now

As recently as last week, all red flag indicators were pointing to Armageddon. The threat of an imminent Russian invasion of Ukraine and plans for forceful western retaliation were bandied about by the U.S. and NATO officials and the media. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was screaming for help and announced an imminent coup to overthrow … Continue reading “The Day of Reckoning Postponed – for Now”

Biden’ Democracy Summit – Dividing Instead of Uniting the World

Whether or not President Biden has any understanding that today’s geopolitical landscape is very different from the one which he experienced as the “end of history” was being celebrated in 1991, is an open question. The upcoming global Democracy Summit was driven by the belief that America is still the only global power capable of … Continue reading “Biden’ Democracy Summit – Dividing Instead of Uniting the World”

Afghanistan Is a Debacle – But You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet

If one scans this week’s headlines they are all gloom and doom, running from despair and humiliation to disaster and debacle. But rarely do you see calls for a fundamental reset of the failed U.S. foreign policy of perpetual wars and a rethink the global leadership paradigm. This is not surprising, since the mainstream media … Continue reading “Afghanistan Is a Debacle – But You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet”

After the Afghanistan Debacle, What’s Next?

As expected, the blame game on who lost Afghanistan is now in full swing. I think the best answer was given by P. Michael McKinley, former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, when he stated in Foreign Affairs magazine that it “is the result of two decades of miscalculations and failed policies pursued by three prior US … Continue reading “After the Afghanistan Debacle, What’s Next?”

Fallout From the Biden-Merkel Deal on Nord Stream 2

Back in 1989, a large group of Americans, composed mostly of Republican conservatives, went to Moscow to help Russians understand the “values of Western civilization.” The delegation included Sens. Phil Gramm of Texas and Bob Kasten of Wisconsin, Ambassadors Faith Whittlesey and Frank Shakespeare, journalists and even some exiled Soviet dissidents. At that time, America … Continue reading “Fallout From the Biden-Merkel Deal on Nord Stream 2”