The situation between Russia and Ukraine is “highly volatile”, and it is necessary to avoid “the self-fulfilling character” of the crisis, the Elysée Palace said on Monday. More specifically, the reasons for this “volatility” are linked to the “Russian military presence on the other side of the Ukrainian border”, as …
Read More »How to Retreat From Ukraine
One of the hardest challenges in geopolitics is figuring out how to conduct a successful retreat. We witnessed that reality last summer in Afghanistan, when the Biden administration made the correct strategic choice — cutting our losses instead of escalating to preserve a morally bankrupt status quo — but then …
Read More »Spotlight Ukraine: Latest Blinken-Lavrov Aftermath
From a distance, one gets the impression that this past Friday’s face to face meeting between US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, could’ve been done over the phone. Both sides reiterated their differences and announced another meeting, with the Biden administration saying that it’ll …
Read More »Biden’s Ukrainian Albatross
Then-Secretary of State Colin Powell is given credit for popularizing the “Pottery Barn” rule of foreign policy. Though he denies using that exact phrase, in arguing against what became the disastrous 2003 US attack on Iraq Powell made the point that, as in Pottery Barn, “if you break it, you …
Read More »NATO Bears Some Responsibility For The Ukraine Crisis
With the Russians massing 100,000 troops near Ukraine, and Western media continue to vilify Russian strongman Vladimir Putin, the blame for the current crisis in Eastern Europe is being laid solely at the feet of Russia. A Russian invasion of all or part of Ukraine would be horrible and unneeded …
Read More »Blinken Authorizes Baltic Countries to Send US Weapons to Ukraine
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Saturday he authorized the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to send U.S.-made anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine, a move that comes amid Ukraine’s rising tensions with neighboring Russia. “I expedited and authorized, and we fully endorse transfers of defensive equipment …
Read More »The Ukraine Riddle & the War of Words
Today being a Sunday, I happened to hit upon 2 gloom stories [https://www.pressenza.com/2022/01/ukraine-loitering-at-the-brink-of-doom] [https://davidswanson.org/munich-is-not-in-ukraine-appeasement-begins-at-home/] on a world crisis smothering at the Ukrainian front, a situation that has the potential to blow out into human extinction. It seems, American politicians simply cannot understand this world anymore and their power-media brainwashing with …
Read More »Is Turkey isolating Azaz from rest of Syrian territory?
The Turkish-backed Free Syria Army in the northern countryside of Aleppo denies building a wall to isolate Azaz and claims that the wall is aimed at protecting the road between Azaz and Afrin from attacks by Kurdish forces and Syrian regime forces. Media outlets close to the Syrian government have …
Read More »US could send Europe-based reinforcements to allies near Russia amid invasion fears in Ukraine
Up to 5,000 U.S. troops along with aircraft and warships could be deployed to central and Eastern Europe in anticipation of a new Russian invasion of Ukraine, according to a news report. President Joe Biden could decide on the plan as early as this week, with the potential to increase …
Read More »Pentagon readies 8,500 US-based troops for possible Eastern Europe deployment as tensions with Russia simmer
The Pentagon on Monday began placing 8,500 troops on heightened alert for possible deployment to Eastern Europe should NATO request help deterring Russia from invading Ukraine. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the affected units, which primarily include ground forces, to be ready to deploy within five days should the alliance …
Read More »