Scenario Forecasting: What Could a Russian Intervention in Nagorno-Karabakh Look Like?

Scenario Forecasting: What Could a Russian Intervention in Nagorno-Karabakh Look Like?

Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov’s suggestion to deploy Russian peacekeepers and military observers into the universally recognized Azerbaijani territory of Nagorno-Karabakh and its seven surrounding districts under Armenian occupation pending both sides’ agreement raises the prospect of Moscow’s military intervention in this conflict, which is worthwhile examining since this scenario isn’t as far-fetched as some might…

Provocation on the High Seas: U.S. Naval Adventures Near the Shores of Russia, China and Iran

Provocation on the High Seas: U.S. Naval Adventures Near the Shores of Russia, China and Iran

The war on terror is slowly ending. The U.S. military will try to keep bases in Iraq and Afghanistan, but with most troops gone in the next few years, the lives of the few who remain will be at constant risk. Pressure will mount to get those soldiers out. But Pentagon bureaucrats and brass are…

Zircon, Russia’s Newest Hypersonic Anti-Ship Missile, Will Radically Shift the Balance of Power on the High Seas

Zircon, Russia’s Newest Hypersonic Anti-Ship Missile, Will Radically Shift the Balance of Power on the High Seas

The Zircon hypersonic missile will reportedly be tested three more times by the end of the year. Fired from the Russian Navy frigate Admiral Gorshkov, it will be expected to strike an ‘aircraft carrier’ type of naval target. The first of the three planned tests is expected to take place in late October or early…

Putin’s Got His Problems, Too

Putin’s Got His Problems, Too

Before the first Trump-Biden debate, moderator Chris Wallace listed the six subjects that would be covered: The Trump and Biden records, the Supreme Court, COVID-19, the economy, race and violence in our cities, and the integrity of the election. According to a recent Gallup survey, Wallace’s topics tracked the public’s concerns — the top seven…

A New Wall for a New Cold War?

A New Wall for a New Cold War?

The head of the prestigious Munich Security Conference warned late last month against efforts to “build a new ‘wall’ between Russia and the West” in light of the Navalny incident and the many other disagreements between both sides, and while it’s unrealistic to expect another Berlin Wall-like physical division of Europe, there’s no denying that…

Can and Should Russia Stop the War in the Caucasus?

Can and Should Russia Stop the War in the Caucasus?

This war is officially a war between Azerbaijan and the (unrecognized) Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (RNK) aka “Republic of Artsakh” (ROA) which I shall refer to simply as Nagorno Karabakh or “NK”. As is often the case, the reality is much more complicated. For one thing, Erdogan’s Turkey has been deeply involved since Day 1…