Costa’s Putin move triggers doubts ― just as he most needs support

Why Wong-Putin meet doesn’t mean Singapore’s going soft on Russia

Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s trip to Russia as part of an Asean delegation to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin despite the city state’s ongoing sanctions against Moscow was a pragmatic move, analysts said. They pointed to considerations such as the island republic’s role as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations next year, on top of the region’s search for energy security. Wong met Putin in Kazan for the first time on the sidelines of the Asean-Russia Commemorative...

Sweden: Russian Threat Will Outlast Vladimir Putin

Thomas Nilsson, head of Sweden's Military Intelligence and Security Service (MUST) reported that Russia is likely to remain a security threat long after President Vladimir Putin (73) leaves office, describing Moscow's confrontation with the West as deep, structural, and enduring.

Putin Is Slipping Into Delusion

When things get dicey in Moscow, Vladimir Putin tends to drop out of sight for a while, retreating to one of his residences and canceling public events. Only his closest aides know how he spends his time during these absences, which can go on for days even in the middle of a national crisis. The Kremlin does its best to fill the vacant airtime on state TV with pretaped footage of the president, waiting for him to reemerge and declare that everything remains under his control.

Talking With Our Neighbours

While economic wellbeing and prosperity are matters of central importance to any state, it is security interests that constitute the first and foremost priority in foreign policy decisions. The post-Soviet space is a region critical to Russian security, and it is the part of the world that provides external powers with the most opportunities to threaten Russia proper. With stakes as high as they are, constructive and honest dialogue with Russia’s neighbours is something that should remain front and centre of Russian foreign policy, writes Timofei Bordachev, Programme Director of the Valdai Discussion Club.

State Department Asks World To Help Hunt Antifa. World: Why Are You Emailing Us?

Marco Rubio has apparently decided the biggest threat facing dozens of nations isn't nuclear proliferation or supply chains — it's Antifa. Per The Washington Post reporting, Rubio's State Department sent invitations to senior officials in more than 60 countries for a July 16 sit-down on the supposed global rise of far-left terrorism. The RSVP due date: this Friday. The notice period: short. The reaction from much of the invite list: bewilderment. Behind the scenes, counterterrorism czar Sebastian Gorka has reportedly been floating the idea of slapping a foreign-terrorist label on Antifa specifically because it would grant access to heavier-duty surveillance powers against Americans allegedly connected to the movement. One official even conceded, refreshingly on the record, that a chunk of the strategy is really about locking in these powers now — in case a future Gavin Newsom administration gets any ideas about turning them back around on conservatives someday. Nothing says confidence in your own political project like preemptively fearing your own weapon.read more