The European Parliament has today officially declared Russia to be a “state sponsor of terrorism” and a “state which uses means of terrorism”. This came after a parliamentary vote on a resolution in Strasbourg earlier today. The move has been widely welcomed by MEPs from across the political spectrum. “Now it’s up to the EU…
Defence
Did Putin Launch a Missile Attack on Poland To Pressurise the West to Negotiate?
Ukraine managed to liberate 60% of the territories captured since 24 February. The Russian army has actually been defeated. The Dnieper River as a natural barrier restrains the AFU from a counterattack, as a result of which Russian military units will be permanently defeated. In this situation, Putin has expressed his readiness to negotiate: after…
Was Putin’s Missile Attack on Poland Deliberate?
On 13 May 2022, the Russian State Duma proposed the “denazification of Poland”. On November 15, missile strikes in Poland killed two people, and Russian propaganda began to deny that the Kremlin was involved. Putin hates Poland and considers it an illegally seceded part of the Russian Empire, which must first be punished and then…
4 March: Snapshot of Day 9 of Russia’s War Against Ukraine
24 February 2022 was the first day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The morning that changed the life of every Ukrainian. For many years Russian propaganda tried to change the concept of “war” and its beginning, but the citizens of Ukraine and the world community have long known that a full-scale war was unleashed by…
US Security Focus on China
Despite the gravity of the war in Ukraine, the focus of the new US National Security Strategy is China. The document says plenty about the importance of technology, but ignores the relevance of trade to national security, writes Carl Bildt. The National Security Strategy (NSS) issued by each US administration is always a key document. It…
How to help Ukraine now?
In Ukraine, one in three power plants have been destroyed. There are constant interruptions in electricity and water supply. In many cities and towns electricity is cut off for several hours every day. Ukrainian authorities together with local communities are trying to counteract this: heating locations in cities are being installed, a large number of…
Russian Blackmail on Nuclear Dirty Bomb
Back in 1994, Ukraine voluntarily renounced the world’s third largest nuclear arsenal and it has never conducted its own nuclear programme since. The state is a committed party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons and actively cooperates with the IAEA. Whilst there are scientific organisations in Ukraine that are engaged in the…
The Iranian Axis of Evil
Should Iran’s alliance with Russia be a cause for concern? Relations between Iran and Russia began to improve rapidly after 24 February, and in late March Sergey Lavrov said that the government of the two countries would look for ways to circumvent Western sanctions. Iranian exports to Russia increased by 70% from March to October…
The Purpose of Russian Missile Attacks and How Russians Perceive them
On October 10-11, Russia fired more than 100 missiles into Ukrainian cities, striking critical infrastructure. The formal reason given was that this was an act of revenge for the explosion which damaged the bridge across the Kerch Strait leading to Crimea, an act for which Russia blamed Ukraine. Putin launched a bloody war to take…
Azerbaijan Embassy Car Fired at in Washington DC
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, a vehicle belonging to the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Washington, D.C. came under fire during the night of 10-11 October. The diplomatic mission immediately informed the relevant U.S. agencies about the incident. On 12 October the Ministry expressed serious concern and dissatisfaction with the case to…