Section: The American Interest (USA)
A Critical Moment in the Syria Crisis
The Syrian conflict has put increasing pressure on U.S. partners in Syria’s immediate neighborhood, and has with the migrant crisis begun to affect Europe in earnest as well. Washington’s strategy has so far been one of restraint. Russia and Iran, on the other hand, are investing significant political capital and resources to support...
The Next Stage
The hallmark of identity wars, both religious and ethnic—as the fighting bogs down and passions are more bitter, communities start purging minorities—has arrived in Syria. The New York Times: In one of the most ambitious deals yet struck between combatants in the multisided war in Syria, supporters and opponents of President Bashar al-Assad will...
Reversing Course with Putin
On Thursday, the White House announced that President Obama would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. For the past year, President Obama shunned the Russian strongman in an attempt to isolate him over the Russian occupation of Ukraine. What caused the president to reverse course and agree...
Russia Building Another Base Near Ukrainian Border
In Kiev on Monday, Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary-general, declared, “NATO can rely on Ukraine, and Ukraine can rely on NATO.” Apparently, however, the Kremlin is undeterred, for even though the ceasefire still holds, Russia is building a second base along the border. Reuters reports: The new base will house 5,000 soldiers and heavy...
Ukraine’s Security Challenges and the Crisis of Global Order
The war in Ukraine is entering a new stage. Although the shelling has stopped as of earlier this month, Russian troops in our country are attempting to implement Vladimir Putin’s strategy of undermining Ukraine’s independence and freedom. In response to this aggression, Ukraine mobilized its people, built up its military and is now...
Russia to Build Belarusian Base
Russia has announced it will build an air base in Belarus, the first to be placed in the country since the Soviet Union fell. The statement comes after a Friday meeting between Vladamir Putin and the Belarusian president Alexander Lukashenko, who previously had been reluctant to agree to the base. Belarus borders two of the three Baltic NATO...
Is Putin Winning or Losing?
Pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine don’t think they’re getting enough support from the Kremlin, and are openly wondering if Putin still wants to help them win. Bloomberg has more: Ukrainian separatist leaders say their hopes of full integration with Russia or greater independence are fading as the Kremlin tightens the reins on their...
Japan’s Remilitarization is Official
The Japanese Parliament voted in favor of a historic measure to reauthorize overseas military activity today. Passing the legislation was a priority for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and his push has led to significant backlash. Indeed, demonstrators rallied outside the parliament building after the law passed, the latest in a series of large...
Russia’s Third Circles
As TAI already noted this morning, General Lloyd J. Austin III, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday, indicated that the Pentagon was still completely flummoxed as to what Russia’s broader objectives were in sending arms and troops to Syria. That’s troubling but not...
Putin’s Strong Move in Syria
When Russian President Vladimir Putin admitted that he was moving military assets to Syria last week, it appears that the Obama Administration was caught completely flat-footed.Secretary of State John Kerry spoke on the phone with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov twice in four days this week to express his concerns, but Lavrov apparently...
