The Trenchant Observer

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authoritarian regimes, coronavirus, coverage of foreign events, Crimea, Dictatorship, Dimming Vision of World Affairs, Donald Trump, elections, Fascism, History, Impeachment, International Law, International Trade, Nazism, Neo-Nazis, propaganda, Rule of Law, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, U.S. Congress, U.S. news coverage, Ukraine, United Nations, use of force, Vladimir Putin September 8, 2020

What do Trump and the election have to do with international law, politics, and security?

You cannot make plans for additions to your house while there is a bulldozer outside, with its engines revving, actively engaged in tearing down your…

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coverage of foreign events, Crimea, Dictatorship, Dimming Vision of World Affairs, electronic curtain, foreign correspondents, foreign news coverage, freedom of speech, Google, Google filtering, Google indexing, human rights, internal supporters of human rights, Russia, U.S. news coverage, Ukraine, Vladimir Putin, war crimes March 18, 2015

Not indexed by Google Update: Putin and Nemtsov

The ability of Google and other search engines to index a blog article or web page gives them powers equivalent to those of a totalitarian…

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, elections, European Union, Germany, History, human rights, International Law, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department Legal Adviser, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, United States, use of force, Vladimir Putin, war crimes October 20, 2014

REPRISE II: Dare anyone say it? “We applaud the courage of the Ukrainian government and people in defending public order and the sovereignty and territorial independence of the Ukraine.”

October 20, 2014 Since the article below was written, Russia continued its invasion of the eastern Ukraine sending in Russian troops, tanks, artillery and other…

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, European Union, Germany, History, International Law, NATO, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, State Department, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, use of force July 6, 2014

REPRISE: Dare anyone say it? “We applaud the courage of the Ukrainian government and people in defending public order and the sovereignty and territorial independence of the Ukraine” — with latest news updates

In what may be a turning point in efforts to defend the country’s territorial integrity and repel Russia’s aggression and military intervention in the eastern…

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Czechoslovakia, Deutschland, France, Germany, History, International Law, Justice Department, NATO, Russia, U.N. Charter, U.S. Congress, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United States, use of force July 3, 2014

Russian invasion of eastern Ukraine continues; Europe refuses serious sanctions; Only serious sanctions can stop Russia

Developing For background, see The Trenchant Observer, “The virus of nationalism and military aggression: Adolf Hitler in Vienna, March, 1938; Vladimir Putin in Sevastopol, May…

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Barack Obama, Crimea, Deutschland, Dictatorship, Germany, human rights, International Law, Iran, Justice Department, NATO, Nuclear Proliferation, Russia, sanctions, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, use of force June 26, 2014

The West, Russia and the Ukraine: Threats, facts on the ground, and sectorial sanctions

The EU and the U.S. are on the verge of deciding, once again, whether they will actually carry out their last round of threats. They…

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Barack Obama, China, Crimea, Deutschland, Dimming Vision of World Affairs, France, freedom of speech, Germany, History, human rights, International Law, Russia, sanctions, syria, U.N. Charter, Ukraine, United States, use of force June 26, 2014

REPRISE: Responding to military seizure and annexation of the Crimea: Stronger PERMANENT SANCTIONS against Russia urgently needed

The question of the hour: Should a little Russian aggression and annexation of the Crimea keep the West from getting back to “business as usual”…

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Barack Obama, Chemical weapons, Deutschland, Germany, International Law, Russia, Saudi Arabia, self-defense, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United States, use of force, war crimes March 30, 2014

America’s shame: By-passing Europe to meet with Lavrov before NATO foreign ministers meeting aimed at stiffening response to Russian aggression in Ukraine

It has taken a day of reflection to fully grasp America’s perfidious betrayal of Europe in hastily agreeing to bilateral talks on Sunday with Russia,…

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Barack Obama, Deutschland, France, Germany, Intelligence, International Law, Justice Department, NATO, Nuclear Proliferation, Russia, sanctions, self-defense, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.S. Congress, U.S. Intervention, U.S. Military, Ukraine, United States, use of force March 14, 2014

To influence Putin: Strong action by the West is required—Analysis and further commentary on the Ukraine

The Crimea is going ahead with its referendum, on Sunday, on whether it wants to be annexed by Russia. The Russian parliament or Duma is…

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Barack Obama, CIA, Deutschland, France, Germany, International Law, Justice Department, NATO, NSA, Russia, sanctions, State Department, State Department Legal Adviser, syria, U.N. Charter, U.N. Security Council, U.N. Torture Convention, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, use of force March 7, 2014

Western diplomats stumble in the Ukraine—-Stop telephone diplomacy, let Germany lead, and publish serious international law memoranda

Updated March 7, 2014 Western leaders have made three major blunders since the Russian military takeover of the Crimea first began on or around February…