Portside

Throughout history, "the most powerful, most heavily-armed countries, which had the best chances of emerging victorious in a military conflict, were usually the most eager for it."

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Short of the emergence of a progressive people’s movement in Ukraine, there may be little that can be done to stabilize the country and prevent bloodshed. What is needed is a strategy the Bolsheviks called “revolutionary defeatism.”

The escalation of the conflict in Ukraine between the United States and its allies, on the one hand, and the Russian Federation, on the other, must be stopped immediately. The consequences of a conflict in Ukraine would be disastrous.

What is the pretext that the US and NATO are looking for? Because it seems clear that the climate of uncertainty, in this dangerous moment, is rife for precisely such a pretextual scenario.

Underpinning Putin’s goal is Russia’s historical view of Ukraine as a part of its greater empire. Understanding this helps explain Putin’s actions, and how he leans into this to advance his agenda.

The American security establishment knew that the invasion had failed: the Taliban could not be subdued no matter how long they stayed. The fact is that over twenty years, the US has failed to build anything that might redeem its mission.

The wars behind the breakup of Ygoslavia left hundreds of thousands of victims. Tribunals have blamed only local criminals, but not international ones—as they probably never will. Because here too, the truth was the first victim of the internal war.

World military expenditure in 2020 is estimated to have been $1981 billion, the highest level since 1988 — and world military expenditure in 2020 was 2.6 per cent higher in real terms than in 2019 and 9.3 per cent higher than in 2011.

In his February 19 Munich Security Conference speech, President Joe Biden seemed to assume the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, whose tentacles extend far beyond the North Atlantic, was doing fine before Donald Trump. That was his first mistake.