Boris, Zelensky and Britain's new special relationship
Boris Johnson has been accused of shamelessly using the war in Ukraine for his own political ends. The timing of his…
What's behind Russia's new Z symbol?
National symbols are usually proudly emblazoned for all to see. That’s the point of them. One, though, seems rather to have…
How close is Russia to collapse?
Russia is now as closed off to the world as the Soviet Union was before Mikhail Gorbachev made his first tentative steps…
Are we cheering on Ukraine to destruction?
We’re just ten days into Russia’s assault on Ukraine and the western world has painted itself in Ukraine’s colours. Cities…
Are Russians turning against Putin?
One of the reasons why I judged — wrongly — that Vladimir Putin would not order an all-out invasion of…
The West is doing Putin's work for him
Ukraine, as is periodically observed, means borderland. Geography will forever influence its destiny as an independent state. With tensions between…
How the media helped drive the Ukraine crisis
Western warnings of an ‘imminent’ Russian invasion of Ukraine have grown more insistent in recent weeks with different voices, from…
5,000 helmets and Germany’s dark history in Ukraine
If anyone produces a ‘history in 100 objects’ for the first half of the 21st century, one of those objects…
Bloodshed in Kazakhstan could spell trouble for Putin
Russian troops have now arrived in Kazakhstan in a desperate bid to halt the tide of violence that has swept…
Why Britain should not extradite Julian Assange
Julian Assange is facing extradition after the high court ruled there is no legal impediment to him facing espionage charges in…
Feted abroad, dismissed at home: will Germans really miss Merkel?
As Angela Merkel finally steps down, the verdict on her leadership – at least from overseas – appears to be…
Why won't German politicians talk about migration?
For a country with a reputation for being staid and predictable, the election campaign that closes the Merkel era in…
Hurricane Ida exposes the dire state of American infrastructure
Watching coverage of Hurricane Ida on both sides of the Atlantic, it was hard to escape the impression that politicians…
The descent of Afghanistan
The bomb attacks at Kabul airport were what US and allied commanders overseeing the mass evacuation had most feared. In…
How did US intelligence get Afghanistan so wrong?
It may well go down as the understatement of the year. In a quite extraordinary address to the nation after…
The real reason Biden was prepared to let Kabul fall
The speed of the Taliban’s advance, culminating in Sunday’s capture of Kabul, has been widely put forward as proof that…
Should locals be allowed to work at British embassies?
It is just short of 30 years since the collapse of the Soviet Union and suddenly there comes a reminder…
Is London being ‘levelled down’ already?
In his ‘levelling up’ speech in Coventry this week, the Prime Minister insisted time and again that this was no…
Why voters should have to show photo ID
This week’s publication of the Elections Bill has given pressure groups and others a fresh opportunity to complain about what…
Biden and Putin have left Britain out in the cold
It would probably be wrong to say that Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin got on like a house on fire.…
Is it time to end the G7 spouse circus?
Turn on any television news broadcast and peruse any news stand on the eve of the G7 summit, and what…
Liz Cheney has lost her fight against Trump but might win the war
When Liz Cheney, the single US House Representative for the state of Wyoming, was sacked as chair of the Republican…
The UK’s very American political realignment
The speed and scale with which voters, mainly but not exclusively in the north of England, have switched their allegiance…
The rise of the female ambassador
It is, of course, an excellent thing and a mark of social progress when an institutional bastion falls to woman-power.…
George Floyd was a victim of American gun culture
The triple guilty verdict on Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd was greeted with general relief across the…
