Carol J Williams

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

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

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.

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

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.

A bloody invasion of Ukraine to expand Russia’s “sphere of influence?”

“For several weeks we have been faced with the prospect of a major military escalation in Eastern Europe.”

What Putin proposes to ease escalating tensions he instigated by massing Russian forces on Ukraine’s border is for the U.S. government to pledge that Ukraine will never be allowed to join the defense alliance.

The 30th anniversary of the Soviet demise on Saturday has, at least in part, inspired Putin’s provocative buildup of troops and tanks on Ukraine’s border as he threatens once again to retake parts of Russia’s lost empire by armed force.

It was a calm, slow-motion transition since Angela Merkel announced in 2018 that she would not seek a fifth term after 16 years as chancellor. She anointed her preferred candidate.