On April 13, Russia’s Institute of Technological Development for the Fuel-Energy Complex organized a panel to discuss energy cooperation between Moscow and African countries. One of the experts, Gabriel Anicet Kotchofa, who served as Benin’s ambassador to Russia, explained that “in Africa, we are waiting for Russia—for what Russia can …
The Putin-Xi summit in Moscow ended without any grand pronouncements or overwhelming actions. Yet it produced a joint statement that deserves careful reflection. The statement makes sense only in the context of substantive Russian strategy in Ukraine: Russia is in this for the long haul, as is China. Major public …
Nine days before Russian President Vladimir Putin began his war of conquest in Ukraine, Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited Moscow. He summed up his meetings by repeating a phrase made famous by Egon Bahr, West Germany’s emissary to Moscow in the 1970s: “Without Russia, a peace order in Europe is not possible.” This line …
A Year after Germany’s “Sea Change,” Policy Change Remains Elusive Continue Reading >>
Rapprochement between Russia and China has dramatically accelerated since the former suspended its participation in the New START treaty. Chinese senior diplomat Wang Yi met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to affirm the flourishing relations between the two countries and their mutual desire to see a multipolar international order. The Communist Party …
As China and Russia Unite, Look to India Continue Reading >>
China’s so-called peace proposal in Ukraine demonstrates the degree to which Beijing and Moscow remain in full coordination. When combined with China’s possible arms transfers to Russia, and recent revelations of Chinese surveillance overflights within U.S. airspace, it becomes apparent that China believes the current war advances its interests — that is, that …
China’s ‘Peace Plan’ for Ukraine is a Trojan Horse for Beijing and Moscow Continue Reading >>
After Russia’s full-scale February 24th invasion of Ukraine, those sympathetic to the defenders began using Ukrainian names and pronunciations, ending the common Russian nomenclature. The long overdue shift is important because language is political. Commendable progress has been made, but as we approach the one-year mark of Russia’s intensified aggression, several other issues of …
Any peace in the Ukraine war that allows a future resumption of Russian aggression is worthless. Diplomacy, economics, and most important, military provisions should constrain Russia from embarking on another campaign of grinding brutality. We must think ahead. The potential transfer of 100 MQ-9 Reapers from American storage to Ukraine, …
All sides’ strategic incentives in the Ukraine War point toward continued conflict in 2023. The war’s settlement will emerge from the battlefield, not primarily from negotiations. Russia, meanwhile, is planning another offensive to solidify its territorial position and prepare for another year of war. Every weapon that the West refrains …
Ukraine War’s Outlook in 2023: Harder Fighting Against a Tougher Russian Army Continue Reading >>
With news that Iran will construct a drone factory in Tatarstan to supply Russia more effectively, it is abundantly clear that Tehran views itself as a Eurasian power. Meanwhile, China is hedging, engaging with the Gulf Arabs and publicly avoiding direct links with Iran. The U.S. should manipulate this situation to its benefit, while …
The United States faces the possibility of a global naval war around the Eurasian landmass. This is regardless of the Ukraine War’s outcome. Indeed, the perception of weakness and capacity limitations is a powerful incentive for hostile states to probe American capabilities and initiate a broader conflict. The current geopolitical …
