Ted Snider

In his annual message to the parliament of Ukraine at the end of 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine has changed the world by uniting the West and making non-alignment unpalatable. He said that Ukraine has "helped the West find itself again," that it has "united the European Union." He said that Ukraine … Continue reading “Fact Checking Zelensky on Non-Alignment”

On January 25, the US announced that it would send 31 M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. The M1 Abrams is the US’ primary battle tank and is among the most advanced and powerful tanks in the world. The Biden administration’s decision will be perceived as a serious escalation and as a commitment by the US … Continue reading “Has the War in Ukraine Reached Its Climax?”

The US announced on January 25 that it will send thirty-one M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. The tanks may take months or even years to arrive and may never see the battlefield. But that may never have been the intent. The M1 Abrams is the main battle tank of the US military and is one … Continue reading “US Is Sending Tanks to Ukraine. But Why?”

In a piece of bizarre political theater, the US now officially recognizes a government in Venezuela that does not exist. Despite the termination of the government recognized by the US, State Department spokesman Ned Price assured a press briefing that "our approach has not changed." The US still considers the elected President illegitimate – an … Continue reading “In Venezuela, the US Recognizes a Nonexistent Government”

The West seems set to flood Ukraine with heavier and more advanced weapons. And the past week, according to The New York Times, was the "pivotal week of diplomacy involving [Ukraine’s] American and European allies" that will decide it. On January 17, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly. … Continue reading “Did the West Miss Its Window?”

The war in Ukraine is a tangled mess of causes. As Nicolai Petro has argued, it is at once a conflict between Russia and the US, a conflict between Russia and Ukraine and a conflict within Ukraine. But at its core there are two conflicts: the conflict over whether NATO should have an open door … Continue reading “War in Ukraine: When International Laws Collide”

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 get access to the truth, and when you return … Continue reading “Escaping From the Dark: Why We Need Antiwar.com Now”

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 charge that "[t]he West lied to us about peace while preparing for aggression, and today, they no … Continue reading “Did Europe Lie to Russia About Peace?”

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 that removed a democratically … Continue reading “Why Russia Went to War in 2022”

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 well as spare parts to Ukraine in a $97 million dollar contract being paid for … Continue reading “Morocco and the 2022 Hypocrisy Award”