By Graeme Dobell Australia is removing the qualifications from its quasi-alliance with Japan. The visit to Japan by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles is another step in the fading of the qualifiers: ‘quasi alliance’, ‘small “a” ally’ and ‘alliance lite’. The qualifiers apply because this is a pact without a treaty—no formal pledge…
By Paul Dibb Prime Minister Albanese is attending the NATO Summit in Madrid on 28 June, along with the leaders of Japan and South Korea and representatives from Sweden and Finland. President Zelensky has also invited him to visit Ukraine after the NATO leader’s summit. There will clearly be expectations…
By Kenneth Maxwell On 14 June 2022, the UK remembered the 40 year anniversary of the Falklands War. Looking back provides insights as well with regard to the state of "global" Britain. In the age of the Brexiters self-proclaimed “global Britain’ two very distinguished British historians, the late Michael Howard…
China has focused under the regime of President Xi on building out its global informal empire. By trade and investment, China has become a key player in Africa and Latin America. Its practices in doing so have a number of questionable dimensions, but instead of highlighting the reality of Chinese…
By Kenneth Maxwell This year marks 40 years since Spain joined NATO. Eastern and Central Europe in 1982 were firmly under the control of the Soviet Union. The Berlin Wall stood separating East and West. The Ukraine was an integral part of the Soviet Union. It is ironic that this…
By Michael W. Wright and David Jimenez If you could go back in time, would you have chosen fossil fuels as the energy source for the 20th century? Wouldn't you have liked to look at the actual lifetime costs to the planet and, by proxy, to the economy? In some…
According a recently posted video by The Wall Street Journal on May 16, 2022, the subject was addressed of how the two states joining NATO would impact the organization. We have focused for several years on how the Nordic defense dynamics are part of the reshaping od direct defense…
By LGen (ret) Michel Maisonneuve U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken visited Kyiv on April 24th to provide support and highlight the determination of the U.S. to stand with Ukraine as Russia’s invasion continues its attempt to conquer a free country. Austin stated “We want to see Russia weakened so that it…
