Putin, Erdogan Boost Russian-Turkish Trade Ties

The Turkish and Russian leaders strengthened their rapprochement on Monday by emphasizing new trade deals that boost their ailing economies while minimizing their deep tensions on security matters. On the sidelines of a global energy summit in Istanbul, Presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin signed a deal for the long-delayed TurkStream natural gas project that would allow Russia […]

Second debate turns ugly and policy made an appearance

The second debate is over, and it was like staring at the sun. That debate was ugly. There’s too much to say. I’m not sure where to begin. Overall, it was entertaining. The opening speeches were OK, not great, almost eerily tame. They both knew this was going to turn into a geriatric boxing match. […]

US blames Russia for hacking political sites

The U.S. on Friday blamed the Russian government for the hacking of political sites and accused Moscow of trying to interfere with the upcoming presidential election. Pressure has been mounting on the Obama administration to call out Russia for the hacking of U.S. political sites and email accounts. The hacking claim Friday was another setback […]

How long can Russia keep this up?

Russia is waging aggressive proxy wars in two theatres. It’s no doubt expensive, and they are the subject of ongoing sanctions. They’ve said “screw it” because they believe they’re facing a real threat. Russia feels as though the West is forcing their hand. They’re being pushed toward the brink of war and aren’t afraid to […]

Ukraine remains a de-facto no fly zone, why MANPADS matter

Diplomatic talks with Russia are shutting down. Words and conversations do not matter and action remains the final negotiation. The goal on the battlefield will be to remove the Russian air threat, which is both a threat to our proxy elements and behind a humanitarian crisis. It’s been over two years since the Russian surface-to-air […]

U.S. abandons efforts to work with Russia on Syria

U.S.-Russia relations fell to a new post-Cold War low Monday as the Obama administration abandoned efforts to cooperate with Russia on ending the Syrian civil war and forming a common front against terrorists there, and Moscow suspended a landmark nuclear agreement. The latter move, scuttling a deal the two countries signed in 2000 to dispose […]

Russia suspends weapons-grade plutonium deal with US

In a decree, President Vladimir Putin accused the US of creating “a threat to strategic stability, as a result of unfriendly actions” towards Russia. Moscow also set pre-conditions for the US for the deal to be resumed. Under the 2000 deal, each side is supposed to get rid of 34 tonnes of plutonium by burning it […]

Iran’s global force projection network

Iranian influence can be found around the world. It’s not ubiquitous as U.S. influence, but it is powerful. The Iranian global projection network has been in place and growing since before 9/11 and through recent tensions. The media has been focused on Sunni terrorist organizations such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda as of late. But, if […]

Petraeus: ‘It’s not too late’ for a no-fly zone in Syria

Former CIA Director David Petraeus on Wednesday said “it’s not too late” for a safe zone or no-fly zone to stop Russian and regime bombing in Syria. “People keep asking, ‘Is it too late?’ And the answer is no, it’s not too late,” he toldPBS host Charlie Rose. “It’s not too late to declare a safe […]

Russia warns against US attack on Syrian forces

Russia warned the United States Saturday against carrying out any attacks on Syrian government forces, saying it would have repercussions across the Middle East as government forces captured a hill on the edge of the northern city of Aleppo under the cover of airstrikes. Meanwhile, airstrikes on Aleppo struck a hospital in the eastern rebel-held […]

MANPADS headed to Syria

It’s been more than hinted that MANPADS could enter Syria in light of Russian air aggression and several cease-fires collapsing; they’ll move into rebel hands. Many are skeptical of the scenario, calling it a ‘nightmare‘. But they’ll be limited – it’s called geofencing. This means MANPADS will not function outside of certain GPS parameters. It won’t […]