Section: The American Interest (USA)
Renzi Holds EU Russia Sanctions Hostage
Italy is holding up the works on the EU renewal of Russian sanctions. Politico Europe reports: Sanctions were set to be extended on Wednesday, but that did not happen after the Italian government instructed its ambassador to raise objections during a closed-door meeting of EU countries’ delegates, which was supposed to approve the extension...
All Is Forgiven?
Besides Vladimir Putin, who has benefitted the most from the terrorist attacks in Paris and from the wave fear that has gripped Europe? Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary, as well as several other populist leaders from Central Europe, are determined not to let this crisis go to waste, using it to boost their approval ratings at home and...
Russia’s 19th-Century Approach in Syria
The Obama Administration has argued that Russian President Vladimir Putin is pursuing 19th-century policies in his foreign adventures, implying thereby that Putin is playing a losing hand. The Administration is right that Putin belongs to the 19th century, but that does not necessarily mean that he is bound to lose in the contest for more global...
DC Exports Corruption
Vice President Joseph Biden is in Ukraine this week, encouraging the government in Kyiv to reform and root out corruption. But there’s a complication, according to the New York Times: The credibility of the vice president’s anticorruption message may have been undermined by the association of his son, Hunter Biden, with one of...
NATO Moves Forward with Montenegro
NATO’s invitation to Montenegro to become its 29th member is an important step forward for the Alliance. The Brussels ministerial meeting on December 2 overcame any latent opposition to further NATO enlargement, demonstrated that the Alliance does not retreat in the face of Moscow’s threats, and indicated its commitment to bringing...
History Doesn’t Take Sides
As President Obama’s speech from the Oval Office after the San Bernardino terrorist massacre limped to its close, he attempted to reassure a shaken nation by declaring “I am confident we will succeed in this mission because we are on the right side of history.” This is one of the President’s favorite formulations, a rhetorical comfort...
Russia Prepares to Sue Ukraine
Russia says it is preparing to take Ukraine to court over an outstanding $3 billion loan Moscow issued to the government of former President Viktor Yanukovich in the weeks leading up to his abdication in the face of tenacious street protests in early 2014. Reuters: Russia has offered to restructure the debt in equal installments over the next...
A Nobel Laureate’s Sobering Message about Belarus
On Monday, the Nobel Committee will present its prize for literature to Svetlana Alexievich, a writer from Belarus, which is frequently called “Europe’s last dictatorship.” Unlike most authors who have received this prize, Alexievich doesn’t write fiction or poetry. Her books are based on interviews with ordinary people who speak for...
To See Syria’s Future, Look at Chechnya
Having established Russia’s ability to project its military might in the Middle East and created the illusion that his country is a global power, President Vladimir Putin is now pivoting toward diplomacy in Syria.It began with Bashar al-Assad’s surprise visit to Moscow in mid-October. Later the same month, Russia’s Foreign...
U.S. Policy to Ukraine in Need of Urgent Fix
U.S. policy toward Ukraine is in urgent need of an overhaul, and President Obama himself needs to lead the charge. The front-page story in Tuesday’s Washington Post that the non-lethal assistance the United States has been providing to Ukraine is outdated and falling apart underscored that there is no time to waste in fixing some serious...
