Ray McGovern

The sooner the geniuses of the Washington Swamp get it through their ivy-mantled brains that driving a wedge between Russia and China is not going to happen, the better the chances the world can survive the fallout (figurative and literal) from the war in Ukraine. Today’s Swamp geniuses read their textbooks about how Richard Nixon … Continue reading “The Late-Deceased Paradigm on Russia/China”

U.S. pundits and strategic experts seem blissfully unaware of how close we all are to being fried in a nuclear strike by Russia. (Fair Labeling: if you are simply looking for yet another reason to demonize Putin, rather than to understand where he is coming from, save time and read no further.) Here’s the thing: … Continue reading “Will Humans Be the Next ‘Freedom Fries’?”

Although he had stiff competition Sunday, NBC’s Chuck Todd won this week’s Oscar for supporting functionary of the the Military-Industrial-Congressional-Intelligence-MEDIA-Academia-Think-Tank complex (MICIMATT). It is a "complex" with a complex bereft of soul or compassion in its overweening lust to profiteer on tension and war. In the case of Ukraine, U.S. and NATO profiteers are willing … Continue reading “Is Chuck Todd a Chemical Agent?”

If the White House actually thought it could publicly shame China into condemning Russia for invading Ukraine, perhaps this shows it is incapable of understanding the serious challenge it now faces from a Russia-China entente. Two and a half months ago Moscow and Beijing described their strategic relationship as being so close that it "even … Continue reading “Putin No ‘Pariah’ in Beijing”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is a liminal moment in post WWII history – and a coda for an overreaching West that failed to read the signs of the times. Russia and China have concluded that their combined strength can protect and promote their individual and mutual interests "from sea to shining sea" – Atlantic and … Continue reading “Biden: NO COMMENT re China on Ukraine”

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s well choreographed decision yesterday to recognize the independence of the pro-Russian Ukrainian provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk points to two key realities: (1) Putin despairs of persuading U.S. allies, Germany and France, to press Ukraine to honor its commitments under the Minsk accords that provide for regional autonomy as well as … Continue reading “What Accounts for Putin’s Assertiveness on Ukraine?”

"’Foiled again!’ rose the cry from those expecting Russian President Vladimir Putin to step out of character and risk war, just as he finally succeeds in getting the U.S. to take Russia’s security concerns seriously – and even address them." Today we can simply recycle the above lede sentence from our article four weeks ago: … Continue reading “Ukraine Invasion Scheduled for Wednesday Canceled”

How to account for the thinking of U.S. official and media hawks who apparently believe Russian President Vladimir Putin can be mousetrapped, or shamed, into invading Ukraine? Part of it seems to be mirror imaging. The so-called "Blob" that runs US foreign policy recalls George W. Bush and Barack Obama sending tens of thousands of … Continue reading “Putin Is Not Stupid and That’s Good”

The leaked text (to Spain’s El Pais) of Washington’s response to Russia’s December security proposals augurs well for an eventual peaceful denouement on Ukraine. The U.S. response may still seem to be only half a loaf, but includes an appetizing sweetener – verification. Washington’s "non-paper" response directly addresses Putin’s chief concern. (Spoiler for any new … Continue reading “US Makes Putin Offer He Can Hardly Refuse”

Fourteen years ago today, when then-ambassador to Russia William Burns, in an IMMEDIATE cable titled "Nyet Means Nyet: Russia’s NATO Enlargement Redlines," reported Moscow’s warning that NATO membership for Ukraine would cross a red line, the Russians could do little more than grouse. Enter from left stage Chinese President Xi Jinping last year with the … Continue reading “China Gives Oomph to Russia’s ‘Nyet’ on NATO”