Getting Ukraine’s History Right admin, March 6, 2024May 20, 2024 Getting Ukraine’s History Right Is Crucial for Anti-Imperialist Politics: Ten years after Ukraine’s Maidan Revolution, what should the left make of it? Truthout 02/28/2024 Continue Reading
Russian Aggression, US Hypocrisy & Is UAE a Safe Haven for Oligarchs? admin, March 8, 2022August 14, 2024 There’s No Justification for Russia’s Aggression, But U.S. Double Standards on Illegal War Are Hard to Stomach: Nothing can excuse Putin’s invasion, but the hypocrisy could hardly be more striking. The Progressive March 1, 2022 Al Jazeera quotes Zunes March 7, 14 and 29 *The limits of Iran’s influence on… Continue Reading
US Support for Invasions Should Disqualify It From Leading on Russia-Ukraine admin, January 26, 2022March 14, 2024 The United States and Russia are heading toward a dangerous showdown over Ukraine, as the U.S. has 8,500 troops on high alert, ready to deploy to Eastern Europe should Russia invade Ukraine, and a new round of arms shipments have begun arriving in Ukraine. Continue Reading
Resisting Stolen Elections: Lessons from the Philippines, Serbia, Ukraine, and Gambia admin, October 23, 2020August 14, 2024 Discussion has grown for months about how the upcoming U.S. election results could be contested and possibly subverted. No one knows for certain what will happen, but there are precedents we can learn from about how attempts to overturn election results have been stopped. Continue Reading
Putin’s U.S. Defenders admin, September 15, 2016July 7, 2024 The Progressive September 15, 2016 After experiencing decades of rightwing attacks for being “soft” on Moscow, progressives may be feeling a bit of whiplash as they witness prominent conservatives—with Donald Trump in the lead—heaping praise upon an autocratic Russian leader. Trump has praised President Vladimir Putin, a former KGB operative who… Continue Reading
The Good News and the Bad News About Turkey’s Attempted Coup admin, July 19, 2016June 11, 2024 The survival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling Justice and Welfare Party of an attempted coup last week is a mixed blessing. Continue Reading
Turkey’s Creeping Authoritarianism: Is the Resistance Enough? admin, May 13, 2016August 14, 2024 Turkey’s march towards authoritarianism took another dangerous turn this past week with the forced resignation of moderate Islamist Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, apparently at the insistence of President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an. Continue Reading
China Radio International – Minsk Peace Talks on Ukraine Crisis Concludes (Audio) admin, February 12, 2015June 20, 2024 A ten-minute interview on CRI about President Obama’s request for Congress for authorization of force against the so-called “Islamic State.” The segment with Professor Zunes begins at the 18:30 mark of the Global Talks section Continue Reading
U.S. Leadership Against Russia Crippled By Its Own Hypocrisy admin, September 15, 2014August 15, 2024 Foreign Policy In Focus September 15, 2014 [Republished by Common Dreams and Transnational.org] Continue Reading
Straight Talk on the U.S. and Ukraine admin, March 13, 2014June 20, 2024 Foreign Policy In Focus March 13, 2014 Given the limits of its power and its own compromised relationship with international law, the U.S. isn’t in a position to do much about Ukraine. Continue Reading
Lessons from the Velvet Revolution admin, November 9, 2009 The 20th anniversary of the 1989 Velvet Revolution that overthrew the Communist regime in Czechoslovakia was one of the most impressive civil insurrections in history. It was not the military might of NATO, but the power of nonviolent action by ordinary citizens which brought down the system. The popular uprising against the repressive system that had ruled their country for much of the previous four decades — along with comparable movements, which came to the fore that year in Poland, Hungary and East Germany — marks a great triumph of the human spirit…. Continue Reading
Serbia: 10 Years Later admin, June 17, 2009 Since the end of the U.S.-led war against Serbia, the country is slowly emerging from the wars of the 1990s. Despite lingering problems, Serbs appear to be more optimistic about their country’s future than they have for decades. The United States deserves little credit for the positive developments, however, and a fair amount of blame for the country’s remaining problems…. Continue Reading
The War on Yugoslavia, 10 Years Later admin, April 6, 2009 It has been 10 years since the U.S.-led war on Yugoslavia. For many leading Democrats, including some in top positions in the Obama administration, it was a “good” war, in contrast to the Bush administration’s “bad” war on Iraq. And though the suffering and instability unleashed by the 1999 NATO military campaign wasn’t as horrific as the U.S. invasion of Iraq four years later, the war was nevertheless unnecessary and illegal, and its political consequences are far from settled…. Continue Reading
Mauritania’s coup is a setback for democracy admin, October 3, 2008 The overthrow in August of what arguably constituted the most democratic government in the Arab world marks a serious setback in Africa as well as the Middle East. Continue Reading
Video interview: The Politics of the U.S. Recognition of Serbia admin, February 26, 2008 The Real News Stephen Zunes: Along with the right to self-determination comes the principle of territorial integrity. Continue Reading
Kosovo and the Politics of Recognition admin, February 20, 2008 Even among longstanding supporters of national self-determination for Kosovo, the eagerness with which the Bush administration extended diplomatic recognition immediately upon that country’s declaration of independence on February 17 has raised serious concerns. Indeed, it serves as a reminder of the series of U.S. policy blunders over the years that have compounded the Balkan tragedy…. Continue Reading
Strategic Dialogue: Kosovo admin, February 19, 2008 Was the United States too hasty in recognizing the new state of Kosovo? Ian Williams and Stephen Zunes have different takes in this strategic dialogue. To see the original essays, follow these links to Williams and Zunes. Continue Reading
Don’t Credit Reagan for Ending the Cold War admin, October 1, 2005 Perhaps the most dangerous myth regarding the legacy of the late President Ronald Reagan is that he was somehow responsible for the end of the Cold War. Continue Reading
Why Progressives Must Embrace the Ukrainian Pro-Democracy Movement admin, September 8, 2005 Some elements of the American left have committed a grievous error, both morally and strategically, in their failure to enthusiastically support the momentous pro-democracy movement in the Ukraine. After more than three centuries of subjugation under Russian rule?first under the czars and then under the communists?followed by a dozen years… Continue Reading
U.S., Greece, and Turkey admin, November 1, 1999July 16, 2024 President Bill Clinton’s visit to NATO allies Greece and Turkey is raising new questions about the ongoing strategic relationship the United States has with these two historic rivals, particularly in the light of the anti-American demonstrations which delayed and shortened the planned presidential visit. Continue Reading