Ukraine war: a question of territory

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says that Ukraine will not surrender one meter of land to Russia. It would seem that his demand makes any diplomatic solution to the war impossible. Russia, after all, has recognized Donetsk and Luhansk as independent and has annexed Crimea. So while Zelensky looks at his war aims one way, the […]Continue Reading

Three possible directions for the Ukraine war

The frontline may be frozen but the battle rages on in Ukraine. In Bakhmut, a town that Moscow views as key to gain control of the entire Eastern Donbas area, the past weeks have seen military stock shrink fast, and hundreds of troops killed and injured a day, according to US analysts. All, so far, […]Continue Reading

The Crimean folly

The Mongols. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Sweden. Crimean Tatars. The Ottoman Empire. Napoleon. Hitler.  And now, NATO?  This is at least how the regime of Vladimir Putin sees things. The Kremlin’s view: A conspiracy against Russia Since its inception, the Russian state has struggled against what it feared was a conspiracy of outsiders seeking to invade, […]Continue Reading

President Marcos says Philippines ‘will not lose an inch’ of territory

On Tuesday, Marcos summoned China’s envoy to express his “serious concern” over Beijing’s “increasing frequency and intensity of actions” against the Philippine Coast Guard and Filipino fishermen in the South China Sea. The Philippines’ foreign ministry on Tuesday also filed a diplomatic protest after Manila’s coastguard reported its Chinese counterpartContinue Reading

‘We are not in a comfortable place’: Singapore defence minister warns of ‘disastrous’ consequences of war in Asia

Singapore’s defence minister on Friday (Feb 17) warned that war in Asia would be devastating not just for the continent, but for the rest of the world. Speaking at the Maritime Security Roundtable at the 59th Munich Security Conference, Dr Ng highlighted that world powers have been increasing their military presence inContinue Reading