In the decades since Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan began working together to end the Cold War, much has changed. Science and technology have reshaped global communication, finance, and culture. Terrorism and violent extremism threaten global stability, while climate change threatens the planet itself. But one grim element of the old order war remains a constant: Mankind still possesses the knowledge and means to destroy itself with nuclear weapons…
Putin is part of a continuum that stretches back to the tsars (Geoffrey Hosking)
In aggressively asserting his country’s strength, Putin wants Russia to regain its status among the great nations contesting power and wealth with one another.
NATO Ups the Ante In the Ukraine Crisis
The events of this week have extinguished any glimmer of hope that may have been sparked by John Kerry’s diplomatic parley with the Russians in Sochi this past May. All the while, the administration, aided and abetted by a compliant Congress and a complacent media, stands idly by as the war parties on both sides of the Atlantic march on, unencumbered and virtually unopposed.
Trump’s Syria misadventure: If this all goes wrong, media must shoulder the blame (Danielle Ryan)
On MSNBC, Brian Williams was almost teary-eyed, waxing lyrical about the beauty of it all. On CNN, Fareed Zakaria hailed Trump’s moral awakening, arguing: “I think Donald Trump became the president of the United States” that night.
BREAKING: Putin Calls Obama to Talk ISIS, Iran and Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin called President Barack Obama and discussed continued tensions in eastern Ukraine and the fight against ISIS in the Middle East.
In a statement, the White House said the two leaders addressed continued bloodshed in Syria and agreed on the importance of unity among the six world powers that are negotiating to restrict Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Syria and the Call of the Quagmire (Paul Pillar)
Throughout the Cold War, the superpowers were careful to avoid any such direct engagement with each other, however much they sponsored and equipped armed proxies. That was part of why Carter did not get into a direct military fight in Afghanistan. It would be most unwise to throw away such caution where the Russians are involved today.
Cold War Resurgent: US Nukes Could Soon Return to Europe
It’s been more than three decades since the vast peace protests took over Bonn’s Hofgarten meadow in the early 1980s. Back then, about half a million protesters pushed their way into the city center, a kilometer-long mass of people moving through the streets. It was the biggest rally in the history of the German Federal Republic.
Wilkerson: Trump Attack on Syria Driven by Domestic Politics (Real News)
Lawrence Wilkerson, a retired United States Army soldier and former chief of staff to United States Secretary of State Colin Powell, tells Paul Jay that the Syrian Government may not be responsible for the chemical attack and that Trump’s response was a violation of international law
Russia’s Lethal Nuclear Arsenal Gets an Upgrade: Should NATO Worry?
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave brief remarks at the opening ceremony of ARMY-2015, an exposition where Russia’s defense contractors demonstrated new military technology for foreign weapons buyers…Highlighting several pieces of Russia’s plan to modernize its military, Putin mentioned that, “This year we will supply more than forty new intercontinental ballistic missiles [ICBMs] to our nuclear force.”
This simple statement ignited a minor fervor in NATO countries.
Trump’s Bombing of Syria Spells the Premature End of Détente (James Carden)
President Trump’s decision to launch an air strike on the Al Shayrat airfield in Syria confirms what had been only too obvious in recent weeks, that Trump, far from representing a clean break with the regnant foreign policy orthodoxy of endless military intervention in the Greater Middle East, has instead become captive to it.
NATO: Risk of return to heavy fighting in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin isn’t done using his military in eastern Ukraine, the top U.S. military commander for NATO said Thursday as the U.S. and its allies outlined additional support for Kiev, including aid in defusing roadside bomb
Where Was CIA’s Pompeo on Syria? (Robert Parry)
As President Trump was launching his missile strike against Syria, CIA Director Pompeo and other intelligence officials weren’t at the table, suggesting their doubts about Bashar al-Assad’s guilt, reports Robert Parry.
NATO to triple size of reaction force
NATO announced late Wednesday it will triple the capacity of its Response Force to 40,000 troops…In light of Russia’s involvement in eastern Ukraine and Moscow’s recent decision to upgrade its military, including its nuclear arsenal, NATO is “carefully assessing the implications of what Russia is doing, including its nuclear activities…”
The Pentagon has developed plans for “Saturation Strike” Against Syria (The Intercept)
According to both U.S. military officials, the current proposal would likely result in Russian military deaths and mark a drastic escalation of U.S. force in Syria. One U.S. military official said the decision to allow the strikes, which would kill Russians, signals a significant change in policy by the Trump administration.
Nato to review nuclear weapon policy as attitude to Russia hardens
Nato, in an echo of the cold war, is preparing to re-evaluate its nuclear weapons strategy in response to growing tension with Russia over Ukraine, sources at the organisation have said.
Updating Nato’s nuclear policy would amount to an escalation in tit-for-tat exchanges with Russia since the Ukraine crisis erupted last year.
Obsession With the Russia Connection Is a High-Risk Anti-Trump Strategy (Greg Grandin)
It lets Democrats off the hook for their own failures—and betting the resistance on finding a smoking gun is a fool’s game.
FLASHBACK: 1997. Open Letter to President Clinton on NATO expansion
NATO Defense Ministers begin their 2 day meeting in Brussels today, Wednesday, June 24. To mark the occasion we are publishing the following open letter, sent to President Bill Clinton in 1997, that warned against the policy of NATO expansion. The signatories informed the President that they “believe that the current U.S.-led effort to expand NATO…is a policy error of historic proportions.” The letter was signed by, among others, ACEWA Founding Board Members Sen. Bill Bradley and Amb. Jack Matlock.
Merkel, Trump talk over concerns over Afghanistan, Ukraine (ABC News)
Angela Merkel’s spokesman says the German chancellor has talked with U.S. President Donald Trump, exchanging thoughts on the current situation in Afghanistan and in eastern Ukraine.
FLASHBACK: 1998. George F. Kennan’s warning on NATO expansion
NATO Defense Ministers are meeting in Brussels on June 24-25. To mark the occasion we are publishing George F. Kennan’s May 1998 interview with New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman. In it, Kennan foresaw the perils of NATO expansion, telling Friedman “I think it is the beginning of a new cold war…I think it is a tragic mistake.”
US Troops Deployed To Ukraine, Without Debate (Stars and Stripes)
For three years, U.S. Army Europe has been leading an effort to bolster the capability of Ukraine’s armed forces. The effort, initially focused on developing the country’s national guard, has been expanded to include the training of regular active-duty forces.