Viewpoint by Jonathan Power MOSCOW (IDN) — Just before former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev made his stunning criticism of the West that, since the fall of the Berlin Wall, it had engaged in “triumphalism”, I was in Moscow. Everyone I talked to say the West had set out to humiliate Russia (not to help rebuild […]
Understanding Russia
Viewpoint by John Scales Avery* COPENHAGEN (IDN) — Both Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin and its Foreign Secretary, Sergey Laverov, have repeatedly stated that Russia does not intend to invade Ukraine. Logic also tells us that if they had wished to do so, they would have done it long ago. The threat of a Russian invasion […]
Diplomacy for Ukraine Is Spelled M-i-n-s-k
A Memo to Congress Viewpoint by Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J. S. Davies NEW YORK (IDN) — While the Biden administration is sending more troops and weapons to inflame the Ukraine conflict and Congress is pouring more fuel on the fire, the American people are on a totally different track. A December 2021 poll found […]
UN Sanctions “A Vital Tool” Available to the Security Council
By Rosemary A. DiCarlo Ms DiCarlo is the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs. NEW YORK (IDN) — United Nations Security Council sanctions are no longer the “blunt instrument” they once were, having transformed since the 1990s into “a vital tool” that minimizes negative consequences for civilians, and States that are not directly being […]
Are Democracies Slowly Dying in The Age of Authoritarianism and Populism?
Viewpoint by Jan Servaes * BRUSSELS (IDN) — Military coups d’état posed the greatest threat to democracies during the Cold War, until about 1990, and were responsible for nearly three out of every four democratic collapses. Democracies in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Thailand, Turkey and Uruguay all […]
As Threats of War Loom Over Ukraine, the Illegality of NATO Is Laid Bare
Viewpoint by John Scales Avery* COPENHAGEN (IDN) — Russia understandably fears the eastward expansion of NATO. Recently NATO countries, led by the United States, have supplied arms to Ukraine. There is a threat that the tensions building up in the region will lead to war. Such a development would be catastrophic for the entire world. […]
China’s Olympic Battle for Legitimacy: The Prehistory of Beijing 2022
Viewpoint by Charles Xu This article was first published on Qiao Collective and was adapted in partnership with Globetrotter. Charles Xu is a member of the Qiao Collective and of the No Cold War collective. Source: Globetrotter NEW YORK (IDN) — Much has been made of the “diplomatic boycott” by the United States and its […]
Is China Pursuing ‘Debt-Trap Diplomacy’ in Africa?
Viewpoint by Allison Lau and Lauren Gonitzke * This article was produced by Local Peace Economy, a project of the Independent Media Institute. NEW YORK (IDN) — In mid-December 2021, South African comedian Trevor Noah used “The Daily Show” to target China when he aired a segment titled “Why China Is in Africa”. While this […]
Pressing the Reset Button on the Africa-Europe Relationship
Viewpoint by Inge Kaul * This blog is part of a series by Center for Global Development (CGD) ahead of the EU-Africa Summit on February 17-18, 2022. This series presents proposals for priorities, and commentary on whether a meaningful reconstruction of the relationship between the two continents is likely. BERLIN (IDN) — When the European […]
America Is Reaping What It Sowed in Ukraine
Viewpoint by Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J. S. Davies * NEW YORK (IDN) — So what are Americans to believe about the rising tensions over Ukraine? The United States and Russia both claim their escalations are defensive, responding to threats and escalations by the other side, but the resulting spiral of escalation can only make […]