nikkei – Feb. 21 marks the 50th anniversary of U.S. President Richard Nixon’s trip to China, a turning point in international relations.

Washington and Beijing joined together to counter the Soviet Union, but China did not democratize as the U.S. hoped. It has now become an economic and military powerhouse under the one-party rule of the Communist Party. A half-century after the handshake that changed the world, cooperation has turned to confrontation. The U.S.-China relationship and global affairs have all undergone tumultuous change.

Continue reading A handshake that changed the world: 50 years after Nixon’s trip to China →

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By George M. Moore | March 6, 2022

 Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine. The two tall smokestacks are at a coal-fired generating station about 3km beyond the nuclear plant. Photo credit: Ralf1969 via Wikimedia Commons.

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine began to unfold, Russia’s swift occupation of the Chernobyl reactor complex and the surrounding exclusion zone sparked widespread speculation and concern.[1] The concern was not limited to whether the occupation would cause further radioactive release from Chernobyl;[2] it also included possible Russian military action against other Ukrainian nuclear facilities. These fears were further accelerated when Russian forces shelled and apparently occupied the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power complex near Enerhodar, Ukraine.[3] There have also been reports of attacks on a former Radon disposal site near Kyiv.[4]

Continue reading How international law applies to attacks on nuclear and associated facilities in Ukraine →

New Delhi has been silent on Russia’s actions in Ukraine so far.

thediplomat – By Sudha Ramachandran – February 25, 2022

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24 has put India in a particularly difficult spot. Since the conflict between Moscow and the U.S. over Ukraine began escalating late last year, India has avoided taking sides. But with Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, that cautious approach will become increasingly untenable for New Delhi. It could hurt India’s interests in the long-run.

Continue reading India’s ‘neutrality’ on the Ukraine conflict could hurt it in the long run →

usnews – By Reuters – March 6, 2022, at 7:29 a.m.

FILE PHOTO: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan leave after their joint news conference following the talks in Moscow, Russia March 5, 2020. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS

ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan urged his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Sunday to declare a ceasefire in Ukraine, open humanitarian corridors and sign a peace agreement, his office said.

NATO member Turkey shares a maritime border with Russia and Ukraine in the Black Sea and has good ties with both. Ankara has called Russia’s invasion unacceptable and offered to host talks, but has opposed sanctions on Moscow.

Continue reading Erdogan urges Putin to declare Ukraine ceasefire, make peace →

Recent public pushback shows that Vladimir Putin could be meeting his match – not just with Ukrainians, but also his own people who are tiring of constant wars.

usnews – By Elliott Davis Jr. – March 4, 2022, at 5:00 a.m.

Demonstrators shout slogans during a protest against Russia’s attack on Ukraine in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Feb. 27. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Russian President Vladimir Putin might not have predicted the resistance he has seen since he ordered an invasion of Ukraine.

But it’s not just the Ukrainian people who are putting up a surprising fight.

Continue reading Putin’s War at Home →