Jonathan Power

Even today, in many different ways, the US and Russia remain close. There is cooperation in space, not least the International Space Station. The US regularly hires Russian rockets to launch its crews to the station and to launch satellites. Russia sells advanced rocket engines to the US. Russia allows war material en route to […]

Why do major powers arise? At a time when we talk about the rise of China and India, the said weakening of the US and the European Union (EU), and the thwarted ambitions of Russia, it is a good time to ponder this question. Between 1492 and 1914 the Europeans conquered 84 percent of the […]

A big sigh of relief. The UN Security Council (UNSC) has approved the deal on Iran’s nuclear endeavours that commits Iran not to pursue nuclear weapons capability. It also approved the lifting of sanctions on Iran. The Republicans in the US Congress are the one remaining bastion against the ratification of this deal, but facing […]

“The Ukrainian armed forces logbook recorded 77 violations on July 9, while the Russian federation armed forces logbook recorded 115. Both sides attributed a smaller proportion of ceasefire violations to the Ukrainian armed forces,” reports the Organisation For Security And Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which has been charged with monitoring the ceasefire, and includes Russia […]

The US has a “culture of ignorance”. Around half of all US citizens appear to feel no shame about that being so. In the south the total probably goes up to around 65 percent whereas in the north, including California, it goes down to 35 percent. It is a rough and ready way of putting […]

According to The New York Times, “Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has the final word on all public matters in Iran, last week demanded that most sanctions be lifted before Tehran has dismantled part of its nuclear infrastructure and before international inspectors verify that the country is beginning to meet its commitments.”“US Secretary of State John […]

Were the killings in the church in Charleston terrorism, meant to intimidate the black population of America? Of course they were. Moreover, they were a reflection of the still widespread hatred amongst white people for America’s first black president, Barack Obama. Indeed, as The New York Times published week, “The main terrorist threat in the […]

The world over, most public opinion is ignorant of just how much violence has declined over the last 3,000 years. Judging by the historical record, the 21st century is, thus far, the least violent and safest century of all. Despite Islamic State, Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan, Yemen etc, less people are being killed at war […]

The Greek clash with the EU continues. Jean-Claude Junker, the EU Commission’s president, has publically taken umbrage at the Greek prime minister’s attack against him. In parliament at the end of last week Alexis Tsipras said Junker’s latest proposals were “absurd” and “irrational, blackmailing demands”. Junker likes to think that he is a moderating voice […]

The US has done a daring and — some would say — dangerous thing. Towards the end of last month it sent a destroyer to sail within 12 nautical miles of two man-made islands claimed by China in the South China Sea. China was outraged. The blogosphere went wild with nationalist denunciations of the US’ […]