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...
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...
"’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...
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...
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 –...
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...
The eagerly awaited "written response" from the U.S. and NATO to Russia’s security proposals is now in the hands of President Vladimir Putin. And yet there is no sign the West caved in on Moscow’s insistence that NATO rescind its 14 year-old invitation to...
Was Monday’s hyperactivity mostly theater? The Pentagon raised the alert status of 8,500 troops reportedly to bolster NATO’s Quick Response Force, while emphasizing that no final decision had been made to deploy them. And NATO announced that some members were sending...
"Foiled again!" rose the cry Friday 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. Russia’s...
Whoa! Could this mean that reports of the death of U.S.-Russia security talks are greatly exaggerated? What about the impasse, the deadlock? Might it mean no Russian invasion of Ukraine – at least not yet? Actually, figuring out what the planned bilateral talks Friday...
