Russia’s invasion of Ukraine deals another blow to the rules-based order

Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, and China’s growing menace to Taiwan and the South China Sea, pose a threat to the democratic world order which the USA, Europe and their allies appear both powerless and unwilling to confront.

Putin rolls the dice for war

Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons after it won its freedom from the Soviet Union in return for Russia respecting its independence – an agreement Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is now flagrantly disregarding as he inches ever closer to plunging the world into war in an effort to shore up his authoritarian regime.

The final countdown

The US election next week carries something of the whiff of a Las Vegas casino – bluff, bluster, and braggadocio. The stakes for the nation are perhaps higher than they’ve ever been and the entire electoral table is in play.

The changing of the guard

The institutional foundations put in place after World War Two are being choked and eroded by great power rivalries, leaving the world a more fractious and dangerous place.

Pandemics and power politics

Coronavirus will have political ramifications we cannot yet see or imagine. Let us hope that this horrific pandemic brings out the best in the international community, rather than the very worst.

The circus moves on

The impeachment trial of President Trump has ended with his exoneration. Without question the process has damaged the American political system. It won’t break it, but it will test it.