In 2024, the third year of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Vladimir Putin visited a record 11 countries. Foreign figures also came to him: UN Secretary-General António Guterres traveled to …
Opinion
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Opinion
Punishing Putin’s pocketbook: Stephanie Baker tells the inside story of the West’s quest to make Russia pay for its invasion of Ukraine
by Alex Johnsonby Alex JohnsonIn the months leading up to February 24, 2022, as Russian tanks and troops accumulated around the Ukrainian border, several European capitals remained skeptical that a full-scale war was likely. …
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Opinion
Your peace is my command. Why ending the war in Ukraine will be harder than Donald Trump says
by Alex Johnsonby Alex JohnsonOn Dec. 22, Donald Trump announced that Vladimir Putin wants to sit down with him to discuss an end to the war in Ukraine. However, as the transfer of power in …
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Opinion
Blessing the Death Penalty: Why Patriarch Kirill’s rhetoric increasingly diverges from Christian values
by Alex Johnsonby Alex JohnsonIn late November, Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia stirred up controversy by declaring that there is no need to dread nuclear war, as Christians are unafraid of the …
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Opinion
“Seoul Drift”: Political crisis in South Korea threatens renewed conflict with the North
by Alex Johnsonby Alex JohnsonSouth Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who recently declared martial law, has narrowly avoided impeachment. To remove him from office, the opposition needs the support of at least a few …
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Opinion
The role of personality in Syrian history: How al-Julani rose to power through ISIS and al-Qaeda to become a “Traitor to Jihad”
by Alex Johnsonby Alex JohnsonGerman Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has announced his country’s intention to initiate talks with the terrorist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which seized power in Syria earlier this month. According to …
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Opinion
The right way to go: Joe Biden can still help Ukraine in his final days as president
by Alex Johnsonby Alex JohnsonIn December, the Pentagon promised Kyiv a new military aid package worth $988 million. The funds will cover ammunition shipments, as well as equipment and vehicle maintenance and repairs. However, …
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Opinion
A nut to crack: Oreshnik won’t turn the tide in Ukraine, but it gives NATO a reason to rethink its missile defenses
by Alex Johnsonby Alex JohnsonVladimir Putin recently claimed that Russia’s introduction of the Oreshnik missile reduces the need for nuclear weapons. The “Oreshnik” is a newly developed Russian intermediate-range ballistic missile, first used on …
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Opinion
Damascus in three days: Assad’s fall cripples Russia’s influence in the Middle East and Africa
by Alex Johnsonby Alex JohnsonThe collapse of the Assad regime in Damascus represents a devastating blow for Iran, whose influence in the Middle East has nearly vanished. The process started with Israel’s campaign against …
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Opinion
Hostages of the state: Russia rehabilitates Stalin-era tactic of using dissidents’ family members as bargaining chips
by Alex Johnsonby Alex JohnsonOn the morning of Nov. 22, Russian law enforcement officers searched the home of environmental activist Evgenia Chirikova’s parents. Although officially listed as witnesses, they are linked to two criminal …