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

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

A recent statement by French President Emmanuel Macron has led to questions on whether the ground is being prepared for a soft landing for the idea of western military deployment in Ukraine in some form

Two years into the war, Ukraine has suffered a significant setback with the fall of Avdiivka. However, neither this defeat nor the failure of its counter-offensive has led to calls for peace, either from its rulers or western allies

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

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

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

Suffice to say, no matter Ukraine’s defeat in the proxy war with Russia, Zelensky’s use for the US’ geo-strategy remains. The US is increasingly eyeing the Arctic lately as the new theater to entrap Russia in a quagmire

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

Zelensky’s political future will be crucially affected by the decision taken by the US senate apropos USD 60 billion in additional aid for Ukraine

Russia can carry on with the attritional war in Ukraine for years to come. Meanwhile, the cruel fate that awaits Ukraine may turn out to be far worse than what Iraq and Afghanistan experienced

Biden’s formal address to the nation from the Oval Office on Thursday can only be seen as the launch of a new phase of the Ukraine war. The main plot was that the hybrid war in Ukraine will continue so long as Biden remains in office in the White House