By Matthew Grace As President Elect Donald Trump assumes the presidency, his bold claims about ending the war in Ukraine “in a day” echoes a less than optimistic tune for Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine’s unaltered independence. This sentiment is also held by Ukrainian soldiers on the front like Sergent Dmytro, “Let the people in power... Continue Reading →
Oil and Drones in the Russian Ukraine War
By Matthew Grace Ukraine reported that a successful drone attack on January 24th, consisting of at least 121 drones, hit a Russian oil refinery and targeted Moscow, with Ukrainian claims to have damaged the Kremniy factory in Bryansk that produces missile components. The oil refinery station was in the Ryazan region, southeast of Moscow and... Continue Reading →
Hypersonic Ballistic Missile Escalates the Conflict in Ukraine
By Matthew Grace After U.S. approval for Ukraine to use large range weaponry to strike targets within Russia, Moscow struck back with a never before used in war ‘Oreshnik’ hypersonic ballistic missile on Thursday in Dnipro, a civilian target. Russia claimed the strike was in response to the approval and use of striking targets within... Continue Reading →
The Return of Trump Casts an Unknown Shadow on the Russia-Ukraine War.
By Matthew Grace With Donald Trump as US President-Elect, the future of the Russia-Ukraine war looks most uncertain, with hints of faltering Ukrainian support and appeals to Russia to come. Vladimir Putin congratulated Trump on his electoral victory and described him as a “courageous man” who was “hounded from all sides” during his first presidential... Continue Reading →
Aiming for the Center: An Emphasis on Central Asia’s Role
By John W. Parks Thinking of Central Asia as a roundabout, or a master key, or a distribution hub of global trade infrastructure, could not be any more correct. China, Iran, and the United States have recently ramped up their initiatives to include the Central Asian states in trade partnerships. Though the Great Powers have... Continue Reading →
Washington and Beijing Meet to Discuss the Influx of Fresh Troops in Ukraine
By Matthew Grace With the influx of 10,000 North Korean troops deployed to Russia of which 8,000 are amassing near the Kursk region, Washington and South Korea “have called on China to use its influence over Russia and North Korea to prevent further escalation.” This comes after the announcement of Ukraine’s intensions to draft another... Continue Reading →
Central Asia: Exploring Regional Dynamics in the ISCNE Simulation
By John W. Parks. Edited by Jose Miguel This year’s ISCNE Army War College wargaming scenario was held at the Patterson School October 4-5, 2024. The scenario was attended by students representing China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Issues regarding water resource and great power competition was at the heart of all negotiations.... Continue Reading →
Turkey Attempts to Join BRICS
By Julian Fischer-Lhamon A few days ago Turkey attended a BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia. The significance of this is underline by Turkey’s bid to join the group, which would make it the first NATO country to do so. This maneuver does not necessarily imply that Turkey is shifting away from the West, although relations... Continue Reading →
“Dirty Money’ Politics”Moldova’s Struggle Against Russian Election Meddling
By Matthew Grace Sniffer dogs in Chisinau Airport have been on high alert searching for money that might be linked to Russian interference in Moldovan politics. Customs officers began finding large amounts of money on passengers arriving from connecting flights from Moscow and discovered passengers who had never left Moldova before returning from Russia with... Continue Reading →
Zelensky’s ‘Victory Plan’: Ukraine’s Bold Vision for 2025
By Matthew Grace Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed his members of parliament with a “victory plan” to bolster Ukraine’s position to end the war with Russia in 2025. His address, also condemned China, Iran, and North Korea as a “coalition of criminals” for supporting the “gone mad” Vladimir Putin and his war mongering. His five... Continue Reading →
