The ring exchange agreement—which was never binding between the two parties—failed to materialize after Germany stated that could not fulfill Morawiecki’s government’s demands for the latest version of the Leopard tank.
Robert Semonsen —
Russia
On Thursday, May 19th, the EU Commission decided to allow gas importers to open ruble accounts for gas payments to Gazprombank. For a long time, the EU Commission had rejected the Russian demand for payment in rubles, as it was considered to violate EU sanctions against Russia. The condition for this turnaround is that European […]
David Boos —
Moscow had promised to match expulsion measures; dozens of Western diplomats have already been expelled from Russia.
Hélène de Lauzun —
The discussion between Ursula von der Leyen and Viktor Orbán on May 9th lasted throughout the afternoon and continued into the evening.
Hélène de Lauzun —
Weak armies, illegal immigration, debt, energy dependence, and unbalanced trade are all undermining the European nation-state, argues Juan Ángel Soto Gómez.
Juan Ángel Soto Gómez —
After being pressured by the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture and receiving anonymous threats, Ukrainian conductor Oksana Lyniv had to cancel a performance of a work of Tchaikovsky in Germany.
David Boos —
China has refused to condemn the Russian war in Ukraine, but some Chinese tech companies have still opted to withdraw their products from the Russian market. The reason for these withdrawals could be pressure by U.S. suppliers.
David Boos —
Only now, as it becomes clear that Russia is not buckling under the previous sanctions, have countries begun to put the most serious sanctions on the table: those that touch on Russia’s energy empire.
Bridget Ryder —
In the end, Putin’s much anticipated speech was an 11-minute reiteration of the propaganda used to justify the war in Ukraine.
Bridget Ryder —
News of the Norwegian production increase is expected to cool off the price hike that followed proposals for new European sanctions against Russia.
Sven R. Larson —
Contrary to what many Western journalists and politicians persistently assume, there exists little continuity between Imperial Russia and the Soviet regime, just as there was no ideological or political identity between pre-war France and the Vichy regime.
Nikolai Tolstoy —
Experts warn that cutting off Russian oil imports will increase the price of gasoline for European consumers. They also caution that delayed onset of the sanctions will only give Russia time to sell its oil elsewhere before losing European business, weakening the effects of the sanctions.
Bridget Ryder —
Brisbane
by Eugene Vodolazkin; translated by Marian Schwartz
Walden, NY: Plough Publishing House, 2022
J.C. Scharl —
Eurasianism, with its glorification of the Mongol Golden Horde and eastward orientation, tends to divorce Russia from its European heritage, a divorce that is incompatible with any drawing closer to Ukraine. Geography and natural resources will motivate political conflict, but identity and national construction will determine what social cleavages can be exploited by local and foreign agents in that conflict.
Carlos Perona Calvete —
There are a few things that the West can do. One is to follow the Latin motto “Si vis pacem, para bellum,” or “If you want peace, prepare for war.” This certainly applies to the Benelux, Germany, and Sweden, whose armed forces have been severely weakened over the past three decades.
Pieter Cleppe —
The 200,000 subscriber drop is just the beginning according to the company, which expects to lose another 2 million subscribers in Q2.
Hélène de Lauzun —
In Western Europe, meanwhile, our globalized, post-national era of peace and prosperity has wrought decadence and complacency. It has erased from the national consciousness the blood and tears needed to get independence and to keep it.
Jorge González-Gallarza —
The development marks a new low in rapidly deteriorating relations between Russia and the collective West.
Robert Semonsen —
Organic association and the principle of subsidiarity are the rescue of nations. They allow for the political articulation of common roots without alienating local cultural differentiation. They also permit overarching identities to be honored along with overlapping ones. Keeping this principle in mind, we may trace the history of relations between Moscow and Kyiv with an eye to how it could have been, and may yet, be applied.
Carlos Perona Calvete —
If Ukraine has indeed put the Moskva—a 12,500-ton guided missile cruiser—out of commission, at least for now, the victory is not only substantial but also iconic.
Bridget Ryder —
“As an American citizen, I can’t wrap my mind around this, how people who share the same faith—because Russia is predominantly Orthodox, and Ukraine is predominantly Orthodox—could be so evil to each other. But then, we have to think about Cain and Abel, he killed his brother, so, nothing new under the sun, unfortunately,” Rev. Tomson said.
Robert Semonsen —
In order to cripple the Russian war machine, Austria has been in support of EU sanctions. Yet, these hurt Europe’s economy while significantly lowering living standards in the process. Now that their effectiveness is increasingly in doubt, Austria stands out among member states for pursuing a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine debacle.
Tristan Vanheuckelom —
The New York Times’ verification of the video’s authenticity comes amid recently surfaced video footage depicting the abuse of Russian POWs.
Robert Semonsen —
When Donald Trump was elected president in 2016, media was brimming with stories about how he had somehow colluded with Russia to gain some sort of unfair election advantage. Plenty of journalistic effort went toward confirming these allegations, and a so-called special counsel, Robert Mueller, spent almost two years investigating the matter. Mueller found no […]
Sven R. Larson —
Following a month-long occupation by Russian forces—and their subsequent withdrawal from the area—spiritual leaders at a seminary outside of Kyiv, have returned to discover that its statue of Our Lady of Fátima has been desecrated.
Robert Semonsen —
Moura and the surrounding area are semi-controlled by Islamist insurgents. They impose taxes and Sharia law, threaten those refusing to adhere to their strict behavioural code, and often attempt to recruit fighters from the Peuhl ethnic group in the region by exploiting their grievances against both the Malian government and other ethnic groups, according to Human Rights Watch.
Bridget Ryder —
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán—refusing to adopt policies that run counter to the interests of the Hungarian people—has agreed to pay Moscow in rubles for gas imports.
Robert Semonsen —
Leaders from opposition parties spanning the entirety of the Left-Right spectrum have condemned Asov’s presence in the Greek Parliament.
Robert Semonsen —
On April 7th, the EU Parliament voted to place an embargo on Russian oil, gas, and nuclear fuel, which was closely followed by a EU Commission ban on its coal exports. Meanwhile, the UN General Assembly suspended the country from its Human Rights Council.
Tristan Vanheuckelom —
Saad al-Kaabi, Qatar’s Minister of Energy, referred to hopes that Qatar could immediately replace Russian gas deliveries to Germany as “nonsense.”
David Boos —
Asian countries have long had a back-up system in place, independent of the dollar, for funding foreign trade. However, to date it has not been used for the financing of regular trade transactions.
Sven R. Larson —
Russia pointed to the neutrality status of Sweden and Austria as possible models for Ukraine. Kyiv, however, emphasised that “only Kyiv could design a system that would be acceptable to Ukrainians.
Sven R. Larson —
Price caps on electricity, which are meant to protect retail customers from soaring production costs, can cause supply shortages.
Sven R. Larson —
The Department of Foreign Affairs said in a press release that the expulsion was because the diplomats’ “activities have not been in accordance with international standards of diplomatic behaviour. This action is being taken under Article 9 of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.”
Bridget Ryder —
When grilled about the ‘regime change’ comment by reporters on Monday, Biden was not willing to “walk anything back.” He explained he said it out of “moral outrage,” and that it was a “personal feeling.”
Tristan Vanheuckelom —
We conservatives of different persuasions, from the West, the East, and Central Europe, have a common responsibility: to do our best to conserve our political culture, as polished by the ideas of conservatism.
Ferenc Hörcher —
A fiscal crisis would force U.S. Congress into unchartered territory. Never in modern history has this legislative body been forced to be austere with its resources. Tax cuts do not work anymore, and you cannot cut taxes when your creditors are running away from your debt. There are only two options: spending cuts, or tax hikes.
Sven R. Larson —
Moldova, Romania, and Hungary are welcoming Ukrainian refugees but, if the situation continues for long, tensions could come to the fore.
Francesco Giubilei, Daniele Dell'Orco —
Amidst exploding electricity bills and fears over shortages, the Belgian government’s 180 degree turn came not entirely unexpected.
Tristan Vanheuckelom —
The ages-old concept of the balance of power is supposedly understood by every international relations student. However, preoccupied with the ideas of globalism, American and European leaders often forget to take it into account when forming their policies.
Daria Fedotova —
Russia bears the full moral and economic burden for the war, but it is also clear that America’s neoconservative doctrine is one of the losers in that conflict. It is time for the foreign-policy elite in Washington to accept that neoconservatism served America well during the Cold War, but should now be gracefully retired.
Sven R. Larson —
Russia’s hypersonic Kinzhal missile has apparently destroyed an arms depot in western Ukraine—the use of hypersonic missiles and Russian missile advancement will likely shape the European rush to increase military budgets and purchase weaponry.
Carlos Perona Calvete —
Germany has started to beat the drums of war, fueled by a desire to redeem its ancestral sins, and embracing the Russian scapegoat as a distraction from its failed energy politics.
David Boos —
Russia eventually took the lead and effectively left the Council. In the statement announcing their decision, Russian authorities emphasised the forced nature of their departure.
Hélène de Lauzun —
The act of consecration will be pronounced on Annunciation Day, Friday, March 25th, during the celebration of Penance that Pope Francis will preside over at 5pm in St Peter’s Basilica.
Hélène de Lauzun —
Animated by faith and patriotism and buoyed by an unkillable sense of humor, Ukrainians are thus far shocking the world by their steadfastness in the face of Russian aggression.
Jonathon Van Maren —
As I am writing these words, I can hear a battle raging on the other side of the Kyiv Sea. The worst thing about living close to the front line is not knowing where the next missile will land, but we are determined to carry on with our lives for as long as possible.
Daria Fedotova —
Facebook gives itself the luxury of offering its “two minutes of hate” to its subscribers, telling them, in its great wisdom, which enemies are allowed.
Hélène de Lauzun —
The WHO said it had advised Ukraine to destroy high-threat pathogens housed in the country’s public health laboratories to prevent “any potential spills” and worried that continued fighting raised the risk of damage to those facilities. It would not say when it had made the recommendation, nor did it specify what kinds of pathogens or toxins were housed there.
Tristan Vanheuckelom —
The same experience with Soviet hegemony that has rendered Central European states immune, at some level, to the kind of decadence Western leadership favors, also led them to suspect Russia’s intentions.
Charles A. Coulombe —
Swedish MEP Charlie Weimers’ speech in the European Parliament on Putin and Ukraine: “Forcing millions to flee and tearing families apart is incompatible with ‘family values.'”
Charlie Weimers —
French President Emmanuel Macron was keen to display a smiling optimism by answering questions in English to international journalists in Versailles; a few minutes later, he was grave and serious in his address to French journalists, commenting in exactly the opposite terms.
Hélène de Lauzun —
In a recent interview Viktor Orbán urged European politicians to work towards peace in Ukraine by using “strategic calm: to speak sparingly, but then to speak precisely and responsibly.”
The outbreak of war in Ukraine has caused an identity crisis in Europe. Yesterday’s pacifism turned into today’s belligerence in a heartbeat, all the while avoiding the geopolitical elephant in the room in favor of moral indignation. This should be a wake-up call.
David Boos —
The Russian-Ukrainian conflict is resurrecting other clashes over territorial sovereignty elsewhere in the world. Japan is taking advantage of the Ukrainian opportunity to make its claim to the Kuril Islands archipelago heard again, which it has disputed with Russia for more than 70 years. The Kuril Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands located between […]
Hélène de Lauzun —
Proponents of unity based on imperial and religious ties must remind their opponents of the tremendous pluralism that existed within that imperial administration under which much of their continent was once united.
Carlos Perona Calvete —
“This tragedy has proven that Ukraine was right to fear what they foresaw as inevitable, sending the message to the world continuously since 2014: Russia will stop at nothing.”—Dr. Csilla Fedinec
Gergő Kovács —
There is not much good news in the unfolding tragedy that is Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but the resolve and the courage of the Ukrainian people is one example. We are also beginning to see cracks in the domestic support for Putin’s war in the form of anti-war protests. In addition, sensational reports allege that […]
Sven R. Larson —
OncoAlert, a global network of oncologists, has cancelled its participation in all collaborations and congresses in Russia, in response to the conflict in Ukraine.
Carlos Perona Calvete —
Those who said NATO, Biden, and Zelensky were, at least in part, responsible for the war stood at 68%, 62%, and 57%, respectively, contradicting the establishment press’s grossly reductive explanation of the conflict’s inception.
Robert Semonsen —
Today in France, taking a sovereignist line is unfortunately understood as Putinolatry, and it is extremely difficult to hear a balanced point of view on what the positioning of a strong France in the international game should be.
Hélène de Lauzun —
As of 3:00 pm on Saturday, Russia had failed to observe one of the two agreed-upon ceasefires, according to local authorities.
Carlos Perona Calvete —
The European wave of sanctions has reached the arts sector. Prominent Russian artists, such as Valery Gergiev and Anna Netrebko, are having their contracts terminated for “insufficient distancing” from Kremlin politics.
David Boos —
“I would like to remember the words of Pius XII, a few days before the outbreak of the Second World War: ‘People should come back to their senses,’” Cardinal Parolin said.
Robert Semonsen —
Just last week Switzerland insisted on its role as a neutral country regarding sanctions against Russia. But following international and national pressure, the government stepped in line with the EU on Monday.
David Boos —
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is expected to make the situation of European farmers worse, as both Ukraine and Russia are major suppliers of farming basics, such as fertilisers, which are integral to conventional agricultural commodities.
Bridget Ryder —
Exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya took to Twitter upon hearing the outcome. She called it a “shame” and a “sham,” adding that “there can’t be any recognition of the ‘referendum’ and its outcomes.”
Tristan Vanheuckelom —
Contemplative religious communities around the world have promised their spiritual solidarity with the war-torn Ukraine.
Bridget Ryder —
“This is the time to be united. This is a war … Russia is condemned by all European leaders, among them Hungary, of course,” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.
Carlos Perona Calvete —
Banning Russia from SWIFT may be one of the quickest ways to cripple Russia financially, but some European countries hesitated to enact such a sanction because it makes commerce with the country nearly impossible.
Bridget Ryder —
Since the beginning of the conflict, the treatment of news on Russia Today television network has differed significantly from other media. Several European countries have already taken measures against the channel.
Hélène de Lauzun —
Given the strategic dimension of the companies concerned, some former European leaders believe that remaining on their governing bodies indirectly supports Putin’s policies. Others are still working for Russian firms.
Hélène de Lauzun —
Even before the military attack materialised on the ground, the Russian offensive against its Ukrainian neighbour was observed in computer attacks against the country’s information system.
Hélène de Lauzun —
Some 12,000 ‘local volunteers’ gathered in Grozny, the Chechen capital, responded to Ramzan Kadyrov’s fiery speech with the infamous Islamic battle cry “Allahu Akbar!”
Robert Semonsen —
Russia has sensed opportunity, and will not let go easily now. The noose it has placed on Ukraine’s neck, which has been tightened as a result of Western actions, has now made it very difficult for that country to free itself.
Krzysztof Mularczyk —
While political figures, journalists, television pundits continue to provide Ukrainians with a never-ending supply of lip service—ACN International has taken substantive action, granting an emergency aid package of 1 million euros to help support the work of the Church in Ukraine.
Robert Semonsen —
As the Russia-NATO standoff preoccupied Western leaders in late 2021, the worrying development did not receive the care it merited. At a meeting of EU foreign ministers last Monday, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell at last presented their response.
Tristan Vanheuckelom —
The sound of explosions initially sent shock waves through the capital. As the orange glow on the horizon from the first bombardment faded away, Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenski put the country under martial law and told citizens to stay home, but also encouraged them to remain calm and have confidence in a Ukrainian victory.
Bridget Ryder —
Hours after recognizing Donetsk and Luhansk as independent, Putin sent so-called peacekeeping troops to the territories.
David Boos —
Interested readers should know that, in what is billed as “the return of one of the greatest pianists of our time” spanning from Beethoven’s “Appassionata” and Chopin’s “Third Sonata,” Yefim Bronfman will perform a piano recital at the Teatro Auditorium Manzoni in Bologna on February 28, 2022.
Paul du Quenoy —
The meeting between Olaf Scholz and Vladimir Putin made it clear that the West is no longer in the position to make demands to other world powers. The time has come to look inwards and protect our own values, rather than try to export them.
David Boos —
After Trump took office as president, the alleged server infiltration by Clinton’s lawyers targeted the White House. The purpose, according to Special Counsel Durham, was to build a false narrative accusing Trump of collaborating with the Russian government in order to win the 2016 election.
Sven R. Larson —
In a meeting between Chancellor Scholz and President Putin, both sides affirmed their willingness to find diplomatic solutions for the Ukraine conflict. While Scholz raised concerns over civil liberties in Russia, Putin emphasized the attractiveness of Russian gas for Germany.
David Boos —
Today’s Russia is not yesterday’s Soviet Union. What Putin does to his country is unacceptable, but unlike the leaders of the communist state of the last century, he does not have an ideology that compels him to eliminate the economic and political system of the West.
Sven R. Larson —
When pressed by reporters, Scholz avoided making a clear pronouncement on the future of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline through which Russia would export its gas to Germany.
Tristan Vanheuckelom —
Russia has requested the closure of the local office of the German international radio and television station Deutsche Welle. This is the first time that a Western media has been banned in Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union.
Hélène de Lauzun —
For the first time in two years, the presidents of China and Russia met in person and used the occasion to reaffirm their shared vision of the future in a joint statement covering multilateralism, restriction of NATO expansion, and moving away from the U.S. dollar.
David Boos —
According to Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks those countries further to the west have the luxury of focusing on “gas, exports, and cooperation” with Russia, but for Latvia and other countries of eastern Europe, relations with Russia are “existential.”
Bridget Ryder —
Nobody knows the war hawks in Moscow better than the Ukrainians, living as they do in the ominous shadows of Putin’s birds of prey. But the Russians are not the only ones throwing war-stirring rhetoric around.
Sven R. Larson —
The meeting on February 1st between President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Moscow drew criticism beforehand from Orbán’s political opposition.
Sven R. Larson —
“This is as clear and consequential a threat to peace and security as anyone can imagine,” U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said. She added that “Russia’s aggression today not only threatens Ukraine. It also threatens Europe. It threatens the international order.”
Tristan Vanheuckelom —
“We have made it clear that new military action against Ukraine will have massive consequences for Russia. On this basis, we are developing a strong sanctions package… including Nord Stream 2,” Annalena Baerbock said.
Bridget Ryder —
Over the past couple of days, a deluge of events, press releases, and commentary touching on the Russia-NATO issue has buried news desks. It proved, however, highly revealing of the alliance’s internal cracks.
Tristan Vanheuckelom —
Referring to Germany’s refusal to let British aircraft fly military supplies through German air space, Senator Sasse suggested that the German government had returned to a pre-NATO situation.
Sven R. Larson —
In his statements, which came on Sunday during an interview on France 5’s “C Dans L’air,” Zemmour not only called on the Élysée to seek out friendly relations with Moscow but also urged it to stop acting as a “tool of the United States,” which he insisted is trying to pit European nations against one another for its own foreign policy establishment’s benefit.
Robert Semonsen —
While Finland has already declared that it is not pursuing a NATO membership, Sweden still remains open to the idea. So long as the possibility remains open in the current international political climate, it undeservedly transplants the Ukrainian struggle for independence onto the Nordic scene.
Sven R. Larson —
Emmanuel Macron displayed his ambition to promote European civilization and its culture, through a “common project respectful of the singularities and identities of each [nation].” In the exchange with French deputies, he recalled that he has never been opposed to promoting the Christian roots of Europe. The deputy from Rassemblement National attacked him: “Your Europe is 60 years old, ours is 3,000! You have made Europe the backyard of Washington, the prey of Beijing, the doormat of Erdogan, and the hotel of Africa.”
Hélène de Lauzun —
On account of the Ukrainian crisis, Macron attempts to strengthen solidarity among NATO member countries in the face of Moscow.
Hélène de Lauzun —
The Malian government has brought in the Russian mercenaries to help fight the ongoing incursion of jihadist insurgents. Aid to the Church in Need reported in December that attacks on civilians by Islamic militants have increased, particularly targeting Christians and others who oppose them.
Bridget Ryder —
“I want to make it clear: Bulgaria is a sovereign state and we have long since made our choice by becoming a member of NATO,” Bulgarian Prime Minister Petkov said in a special statement during a parliamentary session.
Bridget Ryder —