Pulaski Commentaries

NATO's 75th birthday celebration unfolds against the grim backdrop of Ukraine's ongoing suffering due to Russian shelling, with Kyiv facing a dwindling supply of defence weapons. This situation has prompted President Zelenskyy to issue his most dire warning yet: his country "will lose the war" if the US aid package is not approved.

The existence of the US-Philippine alliance may be regarded as a hitherto effective deterrent against any Chinese attack with direct military force on the Philippines. However, further enhanced cooperation not only with the US but also with Japan is key to warding off Chinese coercion.

This third and final unsuccessful attempt to form Sofia’s government means Bulgarian citizens will head back to the polls for the sixth time in three years.

Orwell was, of course, commenting on the USSR’s growing dictatorship in the 1940s. Orwell's commentary on the USSR's dictatorship in the 1940s remains relevant today in Russia, where Putin has crafted a similar narrative, with Ukraine as his “Snowball” scapegoat.

It is also a message from the Polish government to the American lawmakers that on the matter of national security, there is no place for partisan interests, and different branches of state power should speak in unity despite their political differences.

Macron’s drive for more European resolve and his creation of ambiguity in Europe’s willingness to militarily respond to Russia’s aggression come at a critical moment in the war.

Although Russia’s leader was not present at the Visegrad Four talks, support for his agenda was voiced by two of the four leaders present.

Space treaties are the primary sources of international space law but they exhibit a clear gap in addressing the military activities states currently carry out in the space domain.

China-Hungary Pact Expands Beijing’s EU Security Access Last week, China offered its public security support to Hungary during a rare meeting between Public Security Minister Wang Xiaohong and Prime Minister

Although the fall of Avdiivka should not be perceived as a turning point in the war, the future looks grim for the Ukrainian Armed Forces if the West fails to deliver the aid it had pledged.

As January 2024 was full of pessimism, February started with a glimpse of hope on the EU front.

The governments of France, Germany and Poland should initiate and endow the International Weimar Fund, which would financially facilitate projects in trilateral and larger formats. It should foster a more common approach to the EU's major challenges.

Whatever the margin is, there is never enough time to be fully prepared for a nightmare scenario.

One has to admit that blackmailing is not a new phenomenon in the EU negotiations. However, now it happens over one of the most critical decisions the EU is making, and it takes place from a member who is a close friend of Putin’s Russia, a country hostile to the EU.

While further negotiation talks on the aid to Ukraine will be continued next year, with a number of politicians assuring that the aid will reach Ukraine, such delays might prove difficult for the war-torn country.

It is now evermore imperative that the West redouble its efforts to support Ukraine, as the Ukrainian victory could just prevent the dreaded confrontation between Russia and the West.

As the three leaders of the EU jet off to Beijing, more questions appear about the sense of the EU-China summit.

With the war in Ukraine once again turning into a contest of attrition, Russia possesses a significant advantage. It is at this time that Ukraine has to marshal and husband its resources and look to the West for support in the hopes of being able to match Russia’s seemingly inexhaustible military-industrial capacity.

Even if geopolitical tensions are making it harder to be united, accelerating global warming will require parties to continue regular meetings and at least have minimal consultancy on climate issues.

The onset of winter is beginning to strain both sides of the war in Ukraine, bringing to the battlefield not only the dangers of conventional arms but also those of sickness, supply shortages and the cold itself.

Bratislava will no longer be in vanguard of the Western support for Ukraine and will join Budapest in trying to leverage further support of the EU with peace talks.

Both tone and the content will change. Poland will play a constructive role in the EU, though it won’t be an easy partner.

The latest polls and reports suggest that the American public opinion becomes more sceptical to the idea of the aid increase for Ukraine

There is no alternative to admitting Ukraine if NATO’s goal is to ensure the security of the Euro-Atlantic community. Leaving Ukraine exposed will only lead to further instability and Russian aggression.

As the Ukrainian offensive in the direction of Tokmak stalls Ukrainian forces are exploring other avenues of approach.

While the Ukrainian offensive on the southern front continues the tempo of the Ukrainian advance has slowed down.

The Russian presence in Africa worries the West because Niger could become another ally of Russia in Sahel.

Ukrainian forces are continuing their major offensive operation along the southern frontline in the hopes of achieving a breakthrough.

The liberation of Robotyne and the major Ukrainian assault towards Tokmak may be the big make or break of the Ukrainian offensive.

For now the world can only watch as the Kremlin plays its hand.

Time seems to be slowly running out for the Ukrainian offensive and there is trouble brewing in the east.

The situation on the frontlines of Ukraine is developing both with noticeable successes for the Ukrainian forces, as well as mounting pressure from the Russian forces in the northern section of the eastern front.

 Moscow’s “war of choice” killed the Italo-Russian “romance” as the true colour of a disgruntled, terror state has tested the government and public. Still, local duginists are looking for a renewed occult influence to hijack the foreign policy and strategic security.       

Almost a year ago, U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan (Republic of China) triggered a strong reaction from the communist regime in Beijing. Since then, the geostrategic situation in the Taiwan Strait  has deteriorated, which is a result of increasingly hostile and provocative actions from the People's Republic of China

The situation is difficult, but Ukrainian forces are ready for a fight, defences have been prepared, and the Western allies are searching for a way out of the Russian ultimatum.

In recent years,  smartphone  and data security has become increasingly relevant as technological advancement enables unprecedented extent of surveillance. One example of such advancement is the Pegasus system, sophisticated spyware

The potential consequences of the Russian withdrawal from the Grain Deal are monumental, with many countries being affected by potential food shortages, rising food prices, and even famine.

As the war passes the 500 day mark Ukrainian armed forces are continuing their offensive in full swing.

A decision to transfer cluster munitions to Ukraine - banned by most states in the world (but not by the United States, Ukraine, and Russia) - is seen as a controversial move that highlights the problems of the Ukrainian army on the front line. However, this is not an unprecedented action, as claimed by some critics.

The June 24, 2023 coup by Y. Prigozhin and the march of the Wagner group to Moscow put into question the support for President Putin both in the army structures and among Russian citizens.

The Russian concentration of troops and counterattacks along the Lyman-Svatove-Kupyansk line are a worrying sign. Increased pressure from Russian forces along this sector might force Ukrainian forces to transfer additional resources and manpower, potentially at a cost to their own offensive efforts.

As Ukrainians hope to capitalise on the temporary chaos and unrest in Russia they are once again forced to contend with extensive Russian defences. Minefields are one of the primary challenges faced by advancing Ukrainian soldiers, and they require the right tools to forge a path through them.

Last weekend the Western infosphere was dominated by the news coming from Russia, where the head of Wagner group Yevgeny Prigozhin started a mutiny against the Russian army and moved towards Moscow. The putsch, which started on Friday evening finished after 24 hours with an agreement between Prigozhin and Russian authorities. Many questions arise with only a small number of answers about what really happened in Russia, but the putsch has already been a lesson on disinformation. The conclusions are quite pessimistic.

The situation in Russian is extraordinarily dynamic and chaotic. The reasons, objectives and even allegiances of involved actors are in majority unknown. Amidst the informational chaos only one thing can be certain – whatever happens the influence on the war in Ukraine and Russia as a nation will be unprecedented.

Thus, while the progress might be slow it does not mean that the offensive is failing - quite the opposite it is just beginning.