In 2016, the German foreign minister accused NATO of ‘saber-rattling’ and a top NATO general said Russia was no threat, words that take on new meaning today, wrote Joe Lauria.
The Washington Post blasted Vladimir Putin for shutting down the National Endowment for Democracy in Russia, but left out NED’s U.S. government funding, its quasi-C.I.A. role, and its regime change aim in Moscow, wrote Bob Parry on July 30, 2015.
There’s great temptation for Washington to get involved, says Anatol Lieven, whether it be driven by the pro-democracy industry or to cause trouble for Russia and China.
As in all systems without democratic accountability or effective legal impunity for the elite, frustration and resentment among the general population has built naturally.
Wendy Sherman thinks her aim in talks with Russian officials starting Monday is to lecture them on the cost of hubris. Instead she’s set to lead the U.S., NATO, and Europe down a path of ruin, warns Scott Ritter.
It’s crunch time in Russia-U.S. relations. High-level talks starting Monday will determine the shape of world security for decades to come, observes Tony Kevin.
As the Russian president’s year-end presser helped underscore, Europe will increasingly understand itself as the western end of Eurasia rather than the eastern shore of the Atlantic.