Nation Contributing Editor Stephen F. Cohen and John Batchelor continue their weekly discussions—after a two-week “sabbatical”—about the new US–Russian Cold War. (Previous installments are at TheNation.com.) Cohen laments that during the past two weeks the Obama administration appears to have been undermining cooperation with Moscow on three Cold War fronts. [Read more…] about PODCAST: Is War With Russia Possible? (Stephen F. Cohen)
Mary Dejevsky: Unanswered Questions Linger Over Salisbury Poisoning
Now it does not take much imagination to see a Russian hand behind what would appear to have been a botched attempt to kill 66-year-old Sergei Skripal and perhaps his 33-year-old daughter, Yulia, too. Even if you accept that, however, the question is whose Russian hand, and why?
Who Started the Second Cold War? (Patrick Buchanan)
Deputy Secretary of Defense Robert Work announced that 4,000 NATO troops, including two U.S. battalions, will be moved into Poland and the Baltic States, right on Russia’s border. “The Russians have been doing a lot of snap exercises right up against the border with a lot of troops,” says Work, who calls this “extraordinarily provocative behavior.”But how are Russian troops deploying inside Russia “provocative,” while U.S. troops on Russia’s front porch are not?
Amb. Tony Brenton: Despite the Salisbury attack, Britain can’t cut off all links with Russia
The safety of the people is the highest law, said Cicero. He was right. And it is a core duty of the British government to deal effectively with a nerve gas attack on our streets, which has seriously incapacitated three people and endangered many more.
Defining a New Security Architecture for Europe (John J. Mearsheimer)
John Mearsheimer discusses what he considers to be the failings of US-NATO policy since the end of the Cold War. Note to readers: The piece begins on page 27 in the PDF which the link will bring you to.
Daniel McLaughlin: ‘Ukraine’s Joan of Arc’ accused of plotting parliament massacre
While calling the allegations against her politically motivated, she also urged Ukrainians to “overthrow the criminal authorities of Poroshenko”. “Now there are many servicemen who hear me, who agree that a military coup in Ukraine is a quite expected and probably quite correct event,” she said
Syria conflict: Russia hopes to extend truce to Aleppo (BBC)
Russia’s foreign minister says a unilateral truce declared by the Syrian military could be extended to the city of Aleppo “in the next few hours”.
Paul Robinson: How Not to Write History
Timothy Snyder is at it again.
NATO weighs four battalions in Eastern states to deter Russia: U.S. (Reuters)
The NATO alliance is weighing rotating four battalions of troops through Eastern member states, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Monday, in the latest proposal by allies to guard against aggressive behavior by Russia.
CNBC: Trump congratulates Putin on election win, says ‘we will probably get together’ soon
President Donald Trump spoke to Vladimir Putin over the phone Tuesday morning, after the Russian leader’s overwhelming re-election victory.
Tensions run high in Odessa on anniversary of deadly clashes (The Guardian)
A huge police and security operation has been launched to keep the calm in Odessa on Monday, the second anniversary of one of the bloodiest days in Ukraine’s recent history.
Mary Dejevsky: The British Government’s response to Sergei Skripal proves we’ve learnt nothing from the Iraq War
As leader of HM Opposition, and with the Iraq WMD experience behind him, Corbyn is entirely justified in not taking Government assurances on trust. Indeed, is this not what an opposition is for?
Aleppo onslaught: Russia ‘working’ on extending truce (Al Jazeera)
Russia has said it is working towards halting fighting in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo, which has been under heavy government bombardment for more than a week.
Josh Cohen: Commentary: Ukraine’s neo-Nazi problem
As Ukraine’s struggle against Russia and its proxies continues, Kiev must also contend with a growing problem behind the front lines: far-right vigilantes who are willing to use intimidation and even violence to advance their agendas, and who often do so with the tacit approval of law enforcement agencies.
US ONCE AGAIN FORCED TO TURN TO RUSSIA FOR HELP ON SYRIA (AP)
Scrambling to resuscitate a nearly dead truce in Syria, the Obama administration has again been forced to turn to Russia for help, with little hope for the desired U.S. outcome.
Patrick Lawrence: Behind this week’s Russia headlines
By the end of the week I thought of those early-1950s horror movies, wherein the cameras linger on mobs of innocent citizens as they hold their hands up and their faces dissolve into a combination of fear and revulsion. That is what we are supposed to feel, do and look like, it seems. The Russians!
Germany ‘to host fresh Ukraine talks’ (AFP)
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier Saturday said he had invited his Russian, Ukrainian and French counterparts to talks in Berlin on May 11 intended to smooth differences between Moscow and Kiev.
Gordon Hahn: Chasing Putin: Russia’s Pro-Democracy Parties and the Presidential Election
Long-standing Russian President Vladimir Putin will win Russia’s presidential election by a landslide, garnering some 70 percent of the vote.
Russia says talks to extend Syrian lull in fighting to Aleppo (Reuters)
Russia said on Sunday talks were taking place to include Aleppo in a temporary lull in fighting declared by the Syrian army in some western parts of the country, a sign of intensified efforts to halt a surge of violence in its former commercial capital.
Paul Robinson: Three Doses of Drivel
Stalin oversaw the Great Terror in which some 700,000 people were executed. And somehow Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is the same.