Russian invasion of Ukraine
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 Feb 2022 was the result of folly by the political leaders involved. President Putin’s stated reason for it (which does not justify his actions) […]
» Read moreTag: Russia
Symbolic air-strike in Syria
Donald Trump has acted swiftly in response to Assad’s recent use of chemical weapons in Syria, by bombing the airfield from which the attacks had been launched. A failure to […]
» Read moreTime for realism in Syria
William Hague’s thoughtful article in Tuesday’s Telegraph (13 Oct 2015) is based on the mistaken assumption that a Western military intervention in Syria could be helpful. When you have a […]
» Read moreUkrainian Narratives
The recent talks in Minsk were reported in the West in terms of a conflict with Russia – as in this week’s Economist leading article, entitled “Putin’s war on the […]
» Read moreUkraine after Crimean Separation
The West has mishandled its relationships with Ukraine and with Russia. President Putin’s annexation of Crimea now looks irreversible – despite the West’s protests. The West appears impotent, whilst President […]
» Read moreThe Future of Ukraine
Introduction It isn’t easy to see how Ukraine’s future can now be determined by its people. By rejecting a negotiated peace-plan, the protesters in Maidan Square have inadvertently (but predictably) […]
» Read moreAmerican moral authority
The Economist asserted that “Meeting Mr Assad’s atrocities with appropriate force will help to rebuild American moral authority in the world” (Leading Article, 7 Sept: Fight this war, not the […]
» Read morePeace and Strength
We have been reminded that Ronald Reagan advocated “peace through strength”, which included the twin policies of deterrence and the Strategic Defense Initiative. Deterrence relied on ‘mutually-assured destruction’: it sent the […]
» Read more