But what happens when revolution is not an option and reality can’t be wished away?
The student radicals of Paris in 1968 used to chant:
“Be realistic – demand the impossible.”
It was a clever slogan for a moment of revolution. But what happens when revolution is not an option and reality can’t be wished away?
Wars end in many ways. Sometimes through the outright destruction of an opponent. Sometimes through negotiated exchanges of gains and losses. And sometimes they simply burn on until the...
..., the proxy war waged by the United States and its allies against Russia is not a “bug” but a “feature” of nuclear deterrence.
This paradox is confirmed not only in theory but also in historical practice. At a minimum, the Vietnam and Afghan conflicts of the bipolar era constituted proxy wars in which one nuclear superpower confronted the other indirectly; yet they were never interpreted as a failure of nuclear deterrence.
Consequently, nuclear weapons cannot be used to eliminate instability ...
The international community cannot simply allow events to unfold according to the “law of the jungle”
The world is entering a period marked by frequent wars and conflicts. Since the Napoleonic Wars, the international security domain system has undergone several transformations—from the Vienna System to the Versailles and Yalta Systems—each attempting, in its own way, to prevent the recurrence of war. From ...
The history of international politics is practically a continuous chain of violence between states. In reality, this violence does not often pursue the goal of complete destruction or subjugation of opponents
Israel is now more isolated than ever, and this is pushing the government of the Jewish state to take desperate measures to achieve relatively broad regional recognition. In such conditions, military action along virtually the entire perimeter of its external environment becomes the only solution...
No deal, but still a win: how both Russia and the US left Alaska stronger
The meeting between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump in Alaska may go down as one of Russia’s most significant diplomatic wins. It was secured through years of military sacrifice, political perseverance, and relentless effort. Yet it is also a transition – a step into a new stage of the struggle for sovereign states in a fractured world.
Breaking Washington’s old doctrine
The most consequential result of Anchorage was the...
... involvement in both cases. To Western planners, Russia, Iran, China and North Korea are part of a single axis. That belief shapes military planning.
Compromise is no longer part of the game. What we’re seeing are not temporary crises but rolling conflicts. Eastern Europe and the Middle East are the two current flashpoints. A third has long been identified: East Asia, particularly Taiwan. Russia is directly engaged in Ukraine, holds stakes in the Middle East, and may become involved in the Pacific....
For Moscow, the real war is global, and it’s just begun
The trademark style of the current US president, Donald Trump, is verbal spectacle. His statements – brash, contradictory, sometimes theatrical – should be monitored, but not overestimated. They are not inherently favorable or hostile to Russia. And we must remember: Trump is not the
‘king’
of America. The
‘Trump revolution’
that many anticipated at the beginning of the year appears to have given way to Trump’s own evolution – a drift...
Interview for the Iran Student Correspondents Association
Interview for the Iran Student Correspondents Association.
Israel’s history shows that it should not be trusted at all and that there is a possibility of a ceasefire violation by them. The experience of Lebanon and Gaza also shows the same. What is your opinion in this regard?
Some of the recent statements made by the Israeli leadership give reasons to believe that the ultimate goal of Israel is not limited to inflicting the maximum damage...
... step-by-step: first, halting specific hostile actions, then limited ceasefires, followed eventually by a broader ceasefire and ultimately peace. This incremental approach is logical since achieving a comprehensive settlement immediately rarely happens in conflicts like this.
However, there’s significant risk along the way – keeping the process intact will require immense political resolve. On the positive side, these negotiations are strictly bilateral, making them harder for third parties to sabotage,...
А meaningful step forward
As expected, the hype surrounding the Putin-Trump call proved exaggerated. Attempts to portray it as decisive and historic fell flat. Still, it remains a meaningful step forward, allowing several preliminary observations.
First, developments align closely with Russia’s preferred approach. Moscow resisted immediate ceasefire calls, emphasizing the necessity for carefully structured long-term agreements. This effectively deflected Washington’s urgency, especially after the...
