Minerals deal resets geopolitics of Ukraine

Ukraine’s mineral resources, December 10, 2024 [SOURCE: NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence] Moscow and Kiev have been vying with each other to curry favour with the new US administration. Just as Russian diplomacy appeared to be outstripping Kiev, things changed dramatically on April 30 with the signing of the so-called minerals deal between the …

Atlanticists mobilise to salvage NATO as Russia toughens its stance

Parts of the ballistic missile named Oreshnik (hazelnut) that Russia used in a strike on Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, November 22, 2024 The American film maker and philanthropist who created the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises, George Lucas, once said, “Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, …

A defining moment in the Ukraine war

Russian President Vladimir Putin took a meeting of the Defence Ministry leadership, representatives of military-industrial complex and missile system developers, Kremlin, Moscow, Nov. 21, 2024 The Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a statement on Thursday regarding the two attacks by Western long-range weapons on Russian territory on  November 19 and 21 and Moscow’s reactive strike on a facility within Ukraine’s …

Zelensky’s Victory Plan is his survival kit

President Volodymyr Zelensky presents (L) Hero of Ukraine award to military intelligence chief Kirill Budanov, Kiev, FEB. 9, 2024 Strana, one of the top online newspapers in Ukraine, which is banned in Russia since 2022, reported on Friday that Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky is planning to dismiss Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and the powerful military …

France all dressed up and nowhere to go

French President Emmanuel Macron at a conference (file photo) Ever since its ignominious defeat in the Napoleonic wars, France is entrapped in the predicament of countries that get sandwiched between great powers. Following World War II, France addressed this predicament by forging an axis with Germany in Europe.  Caught up in a similar predicament, Britain …