Carol J Williams

Carol J. Williams is a retired foreign correspondent with 30 years' reporting abroad for the Los Angeles Times and Associated Press. She has reported from more than 80 countries, with a focus on USSR/Russia and Eastern Europe.

Exit Stage West: A Ukrainian Soprano’s Escape

“My situation is not tragic. I don’t consider myself a refugee,” Anna Bondarenko told me over dinner in a cozy bistro in central Vienna.

Macron’s Re-Election Makes Him Europe’s New De Facto Leader

Mr. Macron won, yes. But France is still in trouble. However his is the last best hope for a unified European voice and strategy for halting Putin’s upending of the world order.

Alas, Little Chance of Canceling Putin (For Now)

The stark reality of Russian domestic support in the face of unspeakable brutality and tens of thousands killed on both sides begs the question of what it will take to turn Russians against the war and its Kremlin instigator. 

The Ambassador Recalled: Marie Yovanovitch’s Warnings on Ukraine

The United States lost an honest and dedicated representative of our democracy when Trump deposed her for standing up for what is right.

Longtime Putin Watcher: This will only End Badly

He’s neither insane nor suicidal, just determined to go down in history as the leader who restored Russia’s imperial glory, whatever the cost to his own country. I hope I’m wrong about this.

Putin’s Blueprint to Autocracy (And a Warning to America)

Putin has unchecked power after 22 years in the Kremlin during which he systematically dismantled institutions essential to freedom from tyranny.

Zelensky v. Putin: A Stark Contrast

“The contrast between how Putin and Zelensky are presenting themselves in this war is striking and symbolic of what is happening on the ground.”

Putin’s Invasion Targets Civilians and Intensifies Assault

U.S. Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, warns that Putin is likely to escalate hostilities with “indiscriminate bombing” of the type that Russia used to destroy regime opponents and infrastructure in Chechnya and Syria.

Ukraine: Putin’s Invasion by any other Name

Putin’s tactics are so audacious and defiant of international law as to be disbelieved until their objective is a fait accompli.

While the World’s Attention is Drawn to Ukraine, North Korea Steps Up Again

Eleven missile test-firings in January, the greatest barrage yet in North Korean strategic weapons development, succeeded in drawing international attention to Kim’s rogue government.

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