Saving Comrade Putin

Some in America might want to save Russia from itself, and rightly so. But the current deal only makes things worse. The US needs a clearer, more comprehensive plan to address the issue. There are few enough ways to state it: Russian President Vladimir Putin has not won on the battlefield. He has not conquered […]

Trump vs Moriarty Putin

Fissures and uncertainties with friends and allies, an ongoing degrading campaign against the US president, are undermining 80 years of American power. China is benefiting from it, but it should be prudent. India may become a significant and unexpected complication in US President Donald Trump’s efforts to secure a peace deal on Ukraine, with even […]

Is Putin a loser?

Some 140 million people in Russia need two things to “win” the war 1. support from their allies, and 2. the US stopping its backing of 30 million Ukrainians. It shows that Moscow is totally broke. Washington’s decision to halt some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine is causing concern among Kyiv and US allies […]

Sketches for a US-China Strategy

President Donald Trump promised to end wars, not start them. Yet, he has announced what could become one of the most disruptive trade wars in history, shaking the foundations of global commerce. He stated he would impose sweeping tariff hikes—up to 60%—against imports from China, the nation he views as a strategic adversary, and 10% […]

Putin’s firing of the Middle East

A year after the October 7 massacre, Israel is stronger than ever, and its enemies are weaker than ever. Yet, as the shadows of wars cloud half of the world, politics lags behind weapons—except for Putin. A year after the brutal October 7 pogrom, the political situation surrounding Israel, the victim of the attack, is […]

A Game of Reality, Shadows and Feelings: Xi and Putin in Beijing

A game of reality and shadows, both true and both tricks for the eye of the beholder, was playing out in Beijing as Chinese President Xi Jinping welcomed Vladimir Putin, his Russian counterpart. No pomp was spared. Putin walked along red carpets that stretched across many of the 80 acres of Tiananmen Square. The central […]