Russia

Image: Eternal Flame in Belgrade, memorial to the military and civilian victims of the NATO bombing. (Taken on 9 November 2015) CC BY 3.0

The Great Game in Ukraine is Spinning out of Control

Viewpoint by Jeffrey D. Sachs

This article was published in Other News and is being republished with the author's permission.

NEW YORK (IDN) — Former US National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski famously described Ukraine as a “geopolitical pivot” of Eurasia, central to both US and Russian power. Since Russia views its vital security interests to be at stake in the current conflict, the war in Ukraine is rapidly escalating to a nuclear showdown. It’s urgent for both the US and Russia to exercise restraint before disaster hits.

: Opinion Editor; OPINION; 29 September 2022

Photo: Biological weapons. Source: Australian Institute of International Affairs

US Warns Russia Against Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons in Ukraine

By Thalif Deen

UNITED NATIONS (IDN) — The retreat of Russian troops from occupied territory in Ukraine has led to widespread speculation that Moscow may use non-conventional weapons, primarily biological and chemical weapons, to beat back the Ukrainians.

In a prime-time interview on US television on September 19, US President Joe Biden said the US response to any use of “non-conventional weapons” by Russia “would be significant” but did not provide any details of possible retaliation.

: Thalif Deen; ARMAMENTS; Nuclear Weapons; 21 September 2022

Shanghai Organization Could Unite Region’s Big Powers to Drive the Global Economy

By Kalinga Seneviratne

NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan (IDN) — For the first time, the summit meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) attracted international and regional media attention because the Ukraine crisis has made the region’s powerhouses China, Russia and India major players in the global economy.

The 22nd Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO took place in the historical city of Samarkand, in Uzbekistan, on September 15 and 16.

: Kalinga Seneviratne; THE WORLD; Central Asia; 21 September 2022

Photo: IAEA chief Grossi and mission team members inspecting the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant on 1 September 2022. CC BY 2.0

Russia is Using a Nuclear Power Plant as a Weapon, Warns Ukrainian President

By Thalif Deen

UNITED NATIONS (IDN) — The seven-month-old war between Russia and Ukraine has notched up a rare first: a nuclear power plant in the middle of a devastating battlefield.

At a Security Council briefing on the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) on September 6, Ambassador Barbara Woodward of the UK said by choosing to invade a nuclear power plant, and putting ZNPP in the crossfire, Moscow is playing "Russian roulette" with nuclear safety.

: Thalif Deen; Nuclear Powers; 11 September 2022

Gorbachev Changed the World

Viewpoint by Ramesh Thakur

This article was issued by the Toda Peace Institute and is being republished with their permission.

CANBERRA, Australia (IDN) — Most people have modest aspirations of being able to feed, house, clothe and educate their families, assist their children to climb one rung higher on the social ladder and spend their autumn years in comfortable retirement. Some aim a little higher and strive to make a mark in a chosen field of human activity. There are very few of whom it can be said: they changed the world.

: Opinion Editor; OPINION; 07 September 2022

Photo: Mikhail Gorbachev arrives to participate in celebrations for the 40th anniversary of the GDR (East Germany) in (East) Berlin on 6 October 1989 Credit: Bundesarchiv.

Gorbachev Was Sad the World Did Not Develop as He Had Hoped

Viewpoint by Jonathan Power

LUND, Sweden (IDN) — Mikhail Gorbachev, the last head of the Soviet Union, the idealistic leader from within who accepted the end of communism, arrived in Berlin in November 1999 on a private visit to mark the fall and destruction of the Berlin Wall ten years before. The Cold War had ended a year later. In one speech, with a tone of great sadness in his voice, he said, "Now, ten years after, we see the world does not appear as we had hoped".

: Jonathan Power; OPINION; 06 September 2022

Photo: Peace talks in Turkey, March 2022. Credit: Murat Cetin Muhurdar / Turkish Presidential Press Service

Peace Talks Are the Way Out of the War in Ukraine

Viewpoint by Medea Benjamin and Nicolas J.S. Davies*

NEW YORK (IDN) — Six months ago, Russia invaded Ukraine. The United States, NATO and the European Union (EU) wrapped themselves in the Ukrainian flag, shelled out billions for arms shipments, and imposed draconian sanctions intended to severely punish Russia for its aggression.

: Opinion Editor; OPINION; 06 September 2022

UN’s Economic Ties to a Blacklisted Russia May Threaten Peacekeeping Missions

By Rodney Reynolds

UNITED NATIONS (IDN) — After the invasion of Ukraine last February, Russia has been widely described, particularly by the US and Western nations, as an "international pariah".

The United Nations has been equally critical of the invasion of a sovereign nation resulting in thousands of civilian killings and the destruction of entire cities in Ukraine.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has accused the Russians of a military invasion that was in clear "violation of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine—and inconsistent with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations".

: Rodney Reynolds; THE WORLD; Russia; 06 September 2022

Photo: Mali soldiers being trained by the Wagener Group. Source: Middle East Online.

Russian Mercenaries May Have Also Killed Hundreds of Africans

By Lisa Vives, Global Information Network

NEW YORK (IDN) — The Wagner Group, a Kremlin-affiliated private military contractor, is playing a central role in the rising levels of violence against civilians across Africa, especially in the Central African Republic and Mali, according to records newly seen by The New York Times.

The Wagner Group, which has been accused of committing human rights atrocities, is said to also have operations in Libya, Mozambique, Syria, Sudan and Venezuela, according to the Jerusalem Post.

: Global Information Network; THE WORLD; Africa; 05 September 2022

The War in Ukraine Continues to Be A Conflict Between The West And Russia

Viewpoint by John P. Ruehl

This article was produced by Globetrotter. John P. Ruehl is an Australian-American journalist living in Washington, D.C. He is a contributing editor to Strategic Policy and a contributor to several other foreign affairs publications. He is currently finishing a book on Russia to be published in 2022.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (IDN) — On August 24, Ukraine’s independence day, the U.S. provided a $3 billion military aid package to the country. The additional assistance adds to more than $80 billion worth of support that Kyiv has already received between January 24 and August 3, the majority of which was provided by the U.S., the UK, and the EU.