As Ukraine is preparing for its 2023 Spring Offensive should the Western world already now form a policy for dealing with a defeated post-Putin Russia that has been kicked out of Ukraine. Yes, it appears that Vladimir Putin will not ever admit defeat and withdraw from occupied Ukraine but will fight till the last dropContinue reading “Post-Putin Russia Must be Enticed to Democratize and Liberalize”
Tag Archives: Vladimir Putin
What is President Biden Afraid Of?
Ukraine has been sufficiently armed to defend itself but not liberate its occupied territories. That’s the painful reality that Ukrainians are facing. Yet, President Biden and many of his European allies are still apparently entertaining some Russian propaganda delusions that sufficiently arming Ukraine would have ”dangerous consequences”. The question is who is deterring whom? CurrentlyContinue reading “What is President Biden Afraid Of?”
Will Putin be Unseated?
Many Western experts on Russia have suggested that President Putin will be unseated once Russia has lost the war in Ukraine. This is an interesting question because it is typically predicated on the false assumption that this is “Putin’s war” rather than “the GRU’s war”. Vladimir Putin is not a young man at age 70Continue reading “Will Putin be Unseated?”
Accelerate the Process of Liberation
One of the most common themes of Russian propaganda is fearmongering with regard to so-called “escalation” despite Moscow itself doing everything possible to escalate the conflict short of using weapons of mass destruction or attacking further nations. Russian propagandists typically claim that Western deliveries of weapons to Ukraine leads to “escalation” although it is unclearContinue reading “Accelerate the Process of Liberation”
Israel’s Ukrainian Conundrum
What are the reasons for Israel refraining from selling lethal weapons to Ukraine despite it clearly being in the interest of Israel that Russia is defeated and thus WWIII is avoided and China is contained? Because that much is at stake in the Ukraine war. In contrast to this fear-based policy in which Israeli weaponsContinue reading “Israel’s Ukrainian Conundrum”
The Battle Lines Have Been Drawn
It has become clear that behind the mutual arming between Iran and Russia is a new Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. Russia gets the entire Europe and Iran gets the entire Arab world, including Israel. Putin’s decision of course is not motivated by hostility against Israel, it is simply realpolitik. It makes sense to tie up American forcesContinue reading “The Battle Lines Have Been Drawn”
Putin Bluffs Badly
Russian President Vladimir Putin claims that he is not bluffing and that he is considering attacking NATO with nuclear weapons. Once more he is trying to use his former image in the West as an ostensible “madman”. What does he come out proving? Yes, he is desperate and he is running out of options andContinue reading “Putin Bluffs Badly”
The Success of Russian Psychological Warfare
Russia is currently suffering tactical military defeat on the battlefield in Ukraine and is exhausting its military assets. Yet the outcome is still a stalemate and a military deadlock on the battlefield. However, the Russians are prevailing on the strategic level because they are succeeding in their psychological warfare against NATO and the United States.Continue reading “The Success of Russian Psychological Warfare”
Israel has Leverage
Russia is now demanding the closure of the Jewish Agency in Russia, apparently as retaliation for Israel’s neutrality on the Ukraine conflict. However, there is something that Ukraine long has obviously been seeking help with from Israel and that is American Jewish organizations lobbying the US government on behalf of Kyiv. While there is noContinue reading “Israel has Leverage”
Putin Must be Humiliated to Change Course
There are voices coming out of Europe claiming that Russian president Vladimir Putin must be saved from “humiliation” in order to protect the potential for a negotiated solution. Nothing could be more wrong, in contrast what is required is a comprehensive military defeat for Moscow in Ukraine whereby the last Russian soldier is kicked outContinue reading “Putin Must be Humiliated to Change Course”
The West Should Deter Russia and Not Vice Versa
Russia has finally launched its Donbas offensive with much of the Russian army in place in eastern Ukraine. The United States and its NATO allies have had ample time to fully arm Ukraine since the February 24 invasion but have not done even remotely enough for fear of angering Moscow. Russia has been quite successfulContinue reading “The West Should Deter Russia and Not Vice Versa”
Russia Will not Use WMD in Ukraine
There have been warnings that Russia could use weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine. However, a simple cost-benefit analysis reveals that Russia has nothing to gain from using WMD in Ukraine. There would be no “Japanese effect” as the Ukrainians would not capitulate, rather would this if anything have the opposite effect in further galvanizingContinue reading “Russia Will not Use WMD in Ukraine”
Why the Russians are Lying on Ukraine
Moscow is infamous for its worldwide disinformation campaigns. Not only was it Czarist Russian intelligence which devised the infamous forgery of “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion” and Soviet intelligence (or even Josef Stalin himself) which coined the neologism “dezinformatsiya”. The KGB through Operation SIG is also also the origin of most contemporary Anti-Semitism,Continue reading “Why the Russians are Lying on Ukraine”
Biden Should put his Money Where his Mouth Is
US president Joe Biden has accused Russia of committing genocide in Ukraine with the caveat that legal experts will have to ultimately determine whether the situation actually legally constitutes genocide. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed Biden’s statement but pointed out that Ukraine urgently needs delivery of heavy weapons. One may surely wonder why NATO nationsContinue reading “Biden Should put his Money Where his Mouth Is”
How the West Misunderstands Russia and Iran
Western specialists tend to underemphasize the importance of state ideology in the foreign policy of Iran. In contrast, Western specialists tend to overemphasize the importance of state ideology in the foreign policy of Russia. There is the tendency to label the Russian leadership as irrational and dangerous while the Iranian leadership is not similarly labeledContinue reading “How the West Misunderstands Russia and Iran”
Why Russia does not Want to Change Course
Two decades ago, Vladimir Putin asked the West to allow Russia to become a member of NATO. This informal request was promptly rebuffed. What view does Russia take of the option of a US-led Asian defense alliance encircling China? For Russia this is primarily a question of lack of trust or to put it differently,Continue reading “Why Russia does not Want to Change Course”
How Important is Russian Imperialism?
Russia remains stuck in the Ukrainian quagmire and now the Ukrainians are going on the offensive to retake Russian-occupied territories. Moscow however remains defiant in refusing to acknowledge defeat. It is abundantly clear that Russia’s astounding military failure is as much because of the incompetence, corruption and low morale of the Russian occupation forces asContinue reading “How Important is Russian Imperialism?”
The West Should Hasten Ukraine’s Victory
The ZSU (Armed Forces of Ukraine) have exposed the Russian military as incompetent, corrupt and unmotivated. It is important to further demoralize the Russian side by hastening its defeat in Ukraine. While it is true that Russia has incrementally made tactical territorial gains, primarily in southern Ukraine, the ZSU has been winning strategically all alongContinue reading “The West Should Hasten Ukraine’s Victory”
The Absence of US-Russian Diplomacy is Extremely Dangerous
The absence of diplomatic dialogue between the United States of America and the Russian Federation at a time when Europe is seriously threatened by WWIII and Russia plans to use tactical nuclear weapons to kick out the Americans from Europe in order to conquer Europe is profoundly dangerous. For President Biden to ratchet up theContinue reading “The Absence of US-Russian Diplomacy is Extremely Dangerous”
Is Russia Acting Rationally or Irrationally?
The prevailing consensus among Russia experts and apparently among scientists in the Western intelligence community is that President Vladimir Putin has become irrational. There are various explanations that are put forward such as autism, megalomania, personality disorders (psychopathy or narcissism), two years of Covid isolation and the alleged and/or actual influence of various historical andContinue reading “Is Russia Acting Rationally or Irrationally?”
First Things First
American diplomacy and American leadership is imperative in ending the war in Ukraine which undoubtedly is intended by Russia to constitute the very beginning of WWIII. Relations between Moscow and Washington are at their lowest point in decades but it is nevertheless essential for the United States to reach out diplomatically to the Russian Federation.Continue reading “First Things First”
A Unique Diplomatic Opportunity for Peace
Beijing’s nightmare is an Asian defense alliance encircling China from all directions and since China is surrounded by rivals, does Beijing make sure to keep close to Russia. Both Beijing and Moscow are keenly aware that a major confrontation between China and Russia over the ownership of Siberia looms on the horizon. Yet, both nationsContinue reading “A Unique Diplomatic Opportunity for Peace”
Sanctions Against Russia are Counterproductive
The recently imposed sanctions regime against Russia is much ill-advised since it stands no chance of influencing the course of war and will only much complicate diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict. Two decades ago, Vladimir Putin approached the West and asked for Russia to join NATO. This was rebuffed for obvious reasons since NATOContinue reading “Sanctions Against Russia are Counterproductive”
Open Letter to President Vladimir Putin
Dear President Putin, The military goals that you set out Mr. President, for your campaign, have not been met. The reality is that your forces have been defeated by the Ukrainians and the Russian military has suffered heavy losses. Russian conscripts lack motivation for this war and your military machine is ineffective. This is theContinue reading “Open Letter to President Vladimir Putin”
Inside the Mind of Vladimir Putin
There has been a wide range of attempts to pathologize Russian president Vladimir Putin to explain the Ukraine war. It is surprising that otherwise rational and highly educated observers assume that the Russian system suddenly operates without an elaborate strategy. Putin’s Russia has always been similar in its geostrategic behavior to the former Soviet Union,Continue reading “Inside the Mind of Vladimir Putin”
The Russian Military Incompetence
All militaries are incompetent to varying degrees due to regular militaries being huge apparatuses based on planned centralized command economy. This of course is breeding ground for incompetence and bureaucratic failure. Asymmetric warfare is precisely so effective because it is non-bureaucratic with a decentralized command structure. The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is unique in theContinue reading “The Russian Military Incompetence”
The World from the Perspective of Beijing
Beijing is in the phase of building itself up as a superpower economically, politically, militarily and technologically. How does Beijing relate to Washington? China is not really hostile towards America but is determined to overtake the United States as the only superpower. China has not yet reached the phase of territorial expansion and has noContinue reading “The World from the Perspective of Beijing”
Feeding the Russian Crocodile
There is a significant likelihood and risk indeed that not militarily defending democratic Ukraine will incentivize Putin’s Russia into military aggression against NATO nations. Admitting Ukraine into NATO would have averted the Russian invasion and now it is too late, a democracy of 41 million citizens is about to fall to imperialist aggression. Putin’s impressionContinue reading “Feeding the Russian Crocodile”
Biden Would Deploy US Troops to Ukraine if he Were a Wilsonian
The case of Ukraine is a test case for the dying liberal world order. If President Joe Biden were a Wilsonian as he purports to be then surely he would intervene militarily on the side of Ukraine, instead he openly admits that he won’t do so for fear of triggering World War III. Ukraine isContinue reading “Biden Would Deploy US Troops to Ukraine if he Were a Wilsonian”
The Death of the Liberal World Order
The US project of imposing a liberal world order has a long pedigree going back to US president Woodrow Wilson a century ago. The pro-democracy efforts by US President George W. Bush resulted in the Arab spring years later but failed to establish liberal democracy other than in Tunisia where it did not last. WithContinue reading “The Death of the Liberal World Order”
Biden’s Ukraine Policy Harms US Interests
Why is it that the US government has a Ukraine policy that it does not believe will be effective? On the one hand does the US threaten Russia with severe economic sanctions and on other hand does the US predict that there is a high likelihood of a Russian invasion of Ukraine. At the sameContinue reading “Biden’s Ukraine Policy Harms US Interests”
Russia Deters America in Ukraine
Why is America not admitting Ukraine to NATO and putting an end to the threat of a Russian invasion of Ukraine? The US should militarily deter Russia from invading Ukraine yet it is the US that has ended up deterred by Russia. The Biden administration wields the threat of economic sanctions against Russia despite PresidentContinue reading “Russia Deters America in Ukraine”
Aliyah Organization 