Jennifer Rubin

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Ukrainian flags are seen on statues in a square in Balakliya, Kharkiv region, on Sept. 10 amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Juan Barreto/AFP/Getty Images)

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Russian forces are on the run in Ukraine. It’s a disaster in the making for Russian President Vladimir Putin — and for all his right-wing apologists in the GOP.

The Post reports, “A Ukrainian counteroffensive that has sent Russian forces into a hasty retreat could mark a turning point in the war and raise pressure on Moscow to call up additional forces if it hopes to prevent further Ukrainian advances, U.S. and Western officials said Monday”. NATO, also derided by right-wing nationalist forces in the GOP, has expanded and lavished support on Ukraine, showing a sense of moral purpose and commitment not seen since World War II.…  Seguir leyendo »

EuropaUnión Europea,

As much as democracy defenders wish it were not so, the drift toward authoritarianism continues unabated.

The latest warning sign comes from France. While French President Emmanuel Macron came out ahead in the first round of voting on Sunday, gaining roughly 4 percentage points more than he received in the first round in 2017, right-wing firebrand Marine Le Pen also picked up a couple of points over her results in 2017. Le Pen’s showing, combined with the votes for far-right candidate Éric Zemmour (7 percent), indicates that more than 30 percent of French voters supported the far right in the first-round vote.…  Seguir leyendo »

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President Biden, in signing off on another $800 million in military aid for Ukraine on Wednesday, said the goal is to ensure that the war “will never be a victory for [Vladimir] Putin no matter what advances he makes on the battlefield”. Fortunately, the Russian president will never be able to subdue ordinary Ukrainians, who have taken up arms to defend their homes and families. In fact, it is increasingly possible that Putin may not even control major cities.

The extent of Putin’s failure is breathtaking. He was supposed to win this war in days; in three weeks, he still has not captured Kyiv or decapitated the Ukrainian government.…  Seguir leyendo »

Olga Smirnova performs in the Casse-Noisette et Compagnie in Monaco on Dec. 28, 2015. (VALERY HACHE/AFP/Getty Images)

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Decisions to bar Russian artists, athletes and other prominent figures from international appearances or competitions should not be confounding. After listening to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s pleas and viewing the horrifying videos of atrocities in his country, our obligations as moral beings should be crystal clear. The question before every person is simple: Do you stand with the butchers, or with their victims?

This is especially important in a country such as Russia, where sports stars, artists and other celebrities often boost Putin with glossy PR photos and the veneer of respectability. Putin’s association with admired Russians provides a counterweight to his reputation as a brutal dictator.…  Seguir leyendo »

Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Jan. 25. (AP)

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There may not be a foreign policy tool that is sufficient to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from further invading Ukraine. Not President Biden’s exhaustive diplomacy with European allies. Not the potential for additional NATO troops to be placed in Eastern Europe. Not the imposition of stiff financial penalties and barriers to U.S. technology. Not even the delinking of Europe from Russian energy sources.

Nevertheless, Putin will understand that taking this step would reenergize Western alliance and leave his country an economic basket case and an international pariah.

In a background call with reporters on Tuesday, senior White House officials vowed that, should Russia advance into Ukraine, “the gradualism of the past is out, and this time we’ll start at the top of the escalation ladder and stay there.”…  Seguir leyendo »

Spanish citizens residing in Afghanistan and Afghans board a military plane at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Aug. 18. (Ministry of Defense of Spain/Handout via Reuters) (SPAIN MINISTRY OF DEFENSE/via REUTERS)

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If the last 24 hours showed us anything about Afghanistan, it is that America’s departure is a work in progress. What looked like bedlam Sunday and Monday looked more like an orderly evacuation on Wednesday — albeit one interrupted by Taliban roadblocks where, according to news reports, the Taliban has violated whatever promises of “safe passage” it might have given.

In sorting this out, it’s helpful to know what the Biden administration has done, is doing and can do in the future to facilitate the evacuation of the greatest number of people.

The administration came into office in January to no plan whatsoever for anyone’s evacuation from Afghanistan.…  Seguir leyendo »

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President Biden addressed the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan during remarks on Aug. 16. Here’s his speech in less than 3 minutes. (Blair Guild/The Washington Post)

President Biden’s case for the fruitlessness of a continued military mission in Afghanistan got a boost as the Afghan army melted away, and its leaders fled practically overnight. During remarks from the White House on Monday, Biden made a strong point — one likely to find receptive ears among voters — that he refuses to maintain the lie to Americans that victory is around the corner.

"We gave [Afghans] every chance to determine their own future.…  Seguir leyendo »

Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a briefing at the State Department on Aug. 2. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)

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Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), among those who wrongly believed Afghan forces were moving toward self-sufficiency over the past 20 years, acknowledged on Sunday: “Look, I think absolutely President Biden bears responsibility for making this decision. But there is no question that President Trump, his administration, Secretary Pompeo, they also bear very significant responsibility for this,” she said on ABC News’s “This Week.” She added, “President Trump told us that the Taliban was going to fight terror. Secretary Pompeo told us that the Taliban was going to renounce al-Qaeda. None of that has happened.” If anything, such blather convinced the Taliban we were fools and that waiting us out while buying off Afghan forces was bound to pay off.…  Seguir leyendo »

The closed entrance gate of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul on Aug. 15, after U.S. personnel were evacuated. (Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images)

MundoAméricaMundoOriente Próximo,

As the Taliban cut through Afghan forces like butter, prompting the U.S. ambassador to decamp to the airport on Sunday, the overriding reaction among those on both sides of the debate about whether to evacuate all U.S. troops was disgust. That was the entirely reasonable reaction after 20 years of military leadership dissembling and overpromising.

“Early Sunday morning, the government-held city of Jalalabad surrendered to the militants without a shot fired, and security forces in the districts ringing Kabul simply melted away. Within hours, Taliban forces reached the Afghan capital’s four main entrances unopposed,” The Post reports. “The pace of the military collapse has stunned many American officials and other foreign observers, forcing the U.S.…  Seguir leyendo »

Palestinians ride bicycles past a destroyed building in Gaza City on Tuesday. (Mohammed Saber/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

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For about a week, President Biden publicly supported Israel’s right to defend itself, laying responsibility on Hamas for firing rockets at civilians and avoiding talk of a cease-fire. That changed Monday, when the White House reported that Biden, in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said he would “support” a cease-fire.

Reuters also reported Monday that Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi said a cease-fire “between Israel and Hamas might be within reach. ‘Egypt is going to great lengths to reach a ceasefire between the Israelis and Palestinians — and hope still exists that a collective action could end the conflict,’ he said in an interview to the Al Arabiya news outlet.”…  Seguir leyendo »

El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, y el candidato presidencial demócrata, Joe Biden, participan en su primer debate de la campaña presidencial de 2020. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)

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El exvicepresidente estadounidense Joe Biden ingresó al primer debate presidencial el martes por la noche con una sólida ventaja en las encuestas, tanto a nivel nacional como en los estados que están aún en disputa. Cada semana hay más estados comenzando con las votaciones tempranas y los votos en ausencia, por lo cual el presidente Donald Trump necesitaba sacudir la carrera de una manera dramática. Trump no lo hizo y dejó intacta la ventaja de Biden. Quizá, lo dejó con la mayor ventaja que ha tenido.

Cuando se enfrentó a preguntas sobre su gobierno y políticas actuales, Trump lanzó palabras al aire, cambió de tema, hizo acusaciones difamatorias y convenció a cualquier espectador racional de que en realidad está rebasado.…  Seguir leyendo »