Russian President Vladimir Putin addressed a meeting of senior diplomats of the foreign ministry, Moscow, June 14, 2024 In regard of the war in Ukraine, Russia’s main challenge going forward is to find the equilibrium between strategic overestimation and underestimation. “We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate …
Death of petrodollar is a Biden legacy
US President Joe Biden fist bumps Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman upon arrival for a high-stakes visit, July 15, 2022 The Deep State should have been alert five years ago when Candidate Joe Biden announced that he, if elected as president, was determined to make the Saudi rulers “pay the price, and make them …
The G7 loses ground to BRICS
The family photo of G7 summit in Italy, June 13, 2024 One hidden transformation of the international system in the most recent years has been the hijacking of the G7 by Washington as its ‘kitchen cabinet’ in the transatlantic system. The G8’s ‘shrinkage’ to G7 in March 2014 following the coup in Ukraine was a …
China springs a BRI surprise on US
China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan signed an intergovernmental agreement to begin construction of a railway link connecting Xinjiang with Fergana Valley, Beijing, June 6, 2024 The report of the death of China’s Belt and Road Initiative [BRI] was an exaggeration, after all. Within days of the US President Joe Biden’s acerbic remark during an interview last …
US engages a chastened Modi in office
Prime Minister Narendra Modi displays a letter from President Draupadi Murmu inviting him to form the next government, June 7, 2024 The US president Joe Biden has deputed his trouble shooter National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to travel to New Delhi no sooner than Prime Minister Narendra Modi forms his new government. The White House …
South Africa tiptoes towards coalition politics
Voters waiting patiently in hours-long queues in South Africa’s parliamentary election, May 29, 2024 The results of the election to the South African parliament on Friday confirmed the widely-held belief that the ruling African National Congress (ANC) which spearheaded the country’s liberation from apartheid in 1993 and since dominated the political landscape like a banyan tree …
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Ukraine: Russia won’t escalate, US will
The aftermath of a Ukrainian attack on Belgorod, Russia, in May The United States’ proxy war with Russia is at another inflection point. The battleground is shifting dramatically to Russian territory — something without precedent even in the Cold War. How this pans out will be a momentous event in 21st century politics. …
The ‘inside track’ of Putin-Xi Jinping talks
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (C) addressing the Council for Foreign and Defence Policy, Moscow, May 18, 2024 In international diplomacy, summit meetings stand apart from regular high-level meetings when they are held at key moments or important junctures to reinforce partnerships and/or launch major initiatives. The summit meeting at Beijing last Thursday between Chinese President …
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Sino-Russian entente shifts the tectonic plates of world politics
The state visit by Russian President Vladimir Putin to China underscored that the two superpowers’ choice of entente-type alignment has gained traction. It falls short of explicit military obligations of support and yet will not entirely rule out military support either. By embracing a form of strategic ambiguity, it provides them the optimal means to …
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Putin resets compass for voyage ahead
Russian Foreign Ministry, Smolensky Square, Moscow For the historic occasion at the hallowed St Andrew’s Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow, as Russia is poised at a tumultuous juncture of sculpturing and moulding its tryst with destiny, President Vladimir Putin made a remarkably brief speech at the inaugural ceremony held on May 7. There was …