Analysis by Somar Wijayadasa* NEW YORK | 5 March 2024 (IDN) — Russia’s President Vladimir Putin delivered his 19th State of the Nation address, on February 29, to a large audience including members of both houses of parliament, state officials, military commanders and soldiers. This year’s speech holds special significance as the presidential election is […]
Peace Negotiations Alone Can Save Ukraine
By Michael von der Schulenburg* The Ukrainian war must not go into a third year. BERLIN | 28 February 2024 (IDN) — Recently, the majority of members of the German Bundestag (federal parliament) declared their unrestricted support to Ukraine’s war aims: “Regaining full territorial integrity within the borders recognized in 1991“. With it, the Bundestag […]
The EU Should Take Over Most of NATO’s Role
By Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden | 13 February 2024 (IDN) — So what does ex-President Donald Trump think about NATO? Twice during his previous presidential campaign, he rubbished it publicly, saying it was “obsolete”. Yet when a little later he met the UK’s prime minister, Therese May, it was all hunkydory. He told her he […]
Russia Refuses Talks Though New START Expires in Two Years
By Libby Flatoff and Shizuka Kuramitsu The writers are program and research assistants at the Arms Control Association (ACA). This article first appeared in ‘Arms Control Now’ of the ACA and is being reproduced with their permission. WASHIGNTON, D.C. | 7 February 2024 (IDN) — With less than two years to go before the expiration […]
Serbian Leader Speaks Loudly but Carries A Small Stick
By Dr. Alon Ben-Meir* NEW YORK | 23 January 2024 (IDN) — Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti, who needs to maintain public calm, should not casually talk about a potential war against Serbia. This only heightens internal tension in Kosovo when there is no reason to assume that war will break out A couple of […]
US Presidential Election Will Determine the Risk of a Nuclear War
By Daryl G. Kimball The writer is the Executive Director of the Arms Control Association (ACA). The following article appears as the Focus of the January/February 2024 issue of Arms Control Today. WASHINGTON, D.C. | 17 January 2024 (IDN) — As the new year begins, the existential risks posed by nuclear weapons continue to grow. […]
North Korea: Short on Food but Arms Aplenty
By Thalif Deen UNITED NATIONS | 14 January 2024 (IDN) — North Korea, which has long suffered a shortage of food and medicine, has made relatively fast progress in cranking out ballistic missiles and emerging as an arms supplier to one of the world’s major nuclear powers: Russia. A joint statement issued on January 10 by […]
How the US Has Darkened the Nuclear Cloud Over Humanity
By Norman Solomon* This article was originally published by The Nation. SAN FRANCISCO | 6 December 2023 (IDN) — Forty years ago, across a dozen pages of The Nation magazine, I was in a debate with the English historian E. P. Thompson about the US-Soviet nuclear arms race, the relative culpability of both governments and […]
Ukraine War: A Steppingstone to Something Worse and More All-embracing?
By Jonathan Power* LUND, Sweden | 29 November 2023 (IDN) — Trotsky, the one-time close comrade of Lenin, reportedly said, “You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you”. In a time when there is talk of using nuclear weapons, we should pause to think about this. This is how it […]
Russia, Not Just Putin, Is in A Very Assertive Mood
By Jonathan Power LUND, Sweden | 22 November 2023 (IDN) — President Vladimir Putin is often painted as an ogre in the world’s media. The seemingly eternal president of Russia has an iron grip on his nation and a foreign policy to match. Yet a large majority of Russians give him their support. Is it […]