Russia
China, Russia, Iran naval drills challenge US domination of the seas

The naval exercise carried out by the three countries was noteworthy given the geostrategic importance of the Gulf of Oman and the increased cooperation between the countries at a time of growing threats from the United States

France all dressed up and nowhere to go

France is entrapped in the predicament of countries that get sandwiched between great powers. It is condemned to diplomacy that is constantly in a state of suspended animation interspersed with sudden bouts of activity

Putin’s nuclear warning is direct and explicit

The thrust of Putin’s state of the union address lies in his refusal to accept a fate for Russia in existential terms arranged by the West

Palestinian factions gather in Moscow to devise a united response to Israeli war

Israel and US have used the differences between Hamas and Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) as a pretext to postpone talks for the liberation of Palestine and prolonge the occupation

Russian foreign minister tours Latin America as leaders demand “profound reform” of global institutions

Sergei Lavrov visited Cuba, Venezuela, and Brazil during his week-long visit in the region where he met with authorities to discuss economic cooperation and strategies to overcome common challenges

Germany swims or sinks with NATO

The US is re-energizing its coalition with Germany and Poland for the next phase of the Ukraine war. But, the German public is conflicted over this war

Nuland leaves a sense of foreboding in Kiev

All indications are that the US strategy through this year is to ‘hold, build and strike’ at Russia. Meanwhile, Moscow’s best option would be to create a buffer that keeps Russian territories out of reach of game-changing western medium and long-range missiles

ICJ rejects Ukraine’s 2016 cases accusing Russia of terrorism

Ukraine had accused Russia of providing funding to the anti-Kyiv movement in Donbass region calling it “terrorism” and discriminating against Tatar and Ukrainian minorities in annexed Crimea

An anniversary the West would rather forget

The anniversary of an epochal event from the annals of modern history, the Siege of Leningrad, is coming up in another 10 days. While it remains a living memory for the Russian people, it is an occasion that the US and many of its European allies would rather not remember

Putin lifts the fog of war in Ukraine

Putin’s message is that any new Western narrative on the war is doomed to meet with the same fate as the previous one unless there is realism that Russia cannot be militarily defeated and its legitimate interests are recognized

Dedollarization: 95% of trade between China and Russia is no longer done in US currency

Russia and China exceeded their transaction target for trade of USD 200 billion before the end of the year

Russia readies for a brave new world

Ukraine will remain a priority issue for Russia and that is one main reason why the Russian elite and the nation at large want Putin to remain in power until 2030