Many claim that Russia’s concern over NATO expansion is feigned and is an attempt to use it for another, usually a domestic purpose such as creating the sense of Russia as under siege – ‘the besieged fortress’ strategy – in order to justify his authoritarian rule.

Pictures show that all windows have been destroyed by a huge pressure wave. If there had been people in the building many would be dead and all would likely have cuts from glass and other debris flying around.

Interview with Andrew Nekrasov by Florian Rötzer, translated from German by John Helmer, Moscow

The Russian European dreamers have included Pushkin, Lenin, Gorbachev and, until relatively recently, President Vladimir Putin. They have all seen their country’s future as part of the “European house”. But history and events have not been kind to Russia. Napoleon’s invasion, revolution, two world wars including Hitler’s invasion, almost up to the gates of Moscow as was Napoleon’s, Stalin’s communism and, most recently, the expansion of Nato, have shattered the dream again and again.

Let us begin a conversation in response to what currently qualifies as the most profound question, the one that needs most urgently to be addressed if we are to have any chance of understanding what we conveniently refer to as the “Ukraine crisis.”

The main goal must be to facilitate peace in Ukraine with a view to maintaining shared security in wider Europe and beyond

As the Russian war in Ukraine enters its second week, it’s time to make Putin an offer to end the fighting. The United States and NATO have implicitly staked out a maximalist position: Putin retreats and the pre-war status quo is reestablished. That’s morally defensible but not going to happen without weeks of fighting.

The U.S. refused to reconsider Ukraine’s NATO status as Putin threatened war. Experts say that was a huge mistake.

It would not only split NATO, but could end up being one of the most disastrous foreign policy gambits ever taken by the US.

The United States needs to start thinking about solutions that will lessen the number of people killed. That’s different from devoting all our efforts to hurting the Russians.