Free Republic

This is not my war,” stated President Donald Trump emphatically to a dubious—nay, hostile—White House Press Corps when asked about the potential outcome of negotiations with Russia over ending the Ukraine War. Whether those in the corporate press fully grasped what the 47th president was saying is another matter. Without stating it plainly, the president was essentially acknowledging that he had no real leverage over Russia to get them to end the war. So, rather than needlessly drag out this hopeless conflict (for the NATO side of the proxy war with Russia), where 5,000 young men die every week, Trump...

Su-35: Russia’s High-Tech Fighter Struggles in Ukraine Conflict The Su-35 “Flanker-E” was Russia’s attempt to keep pace with their American and Chinese great power rivals. On paper, it’s a powerhouse. In practice, the Su-35 has had a mixed record. This is not because the Russians are incapable of building competitive warplanes. They’ve got those. It is more likely because the Su-35 is a Russian warbird that incorporates many Western military components, making the production of these birds difficult as well as the fact the Russians have had to use the Su-35 in ways the plane was not designed to be...

That’s what great powers do, so get used to it ... Consider this: The Chinese military has operated such endoatmospheric satellites over the hotly contested South China Sea for years. These balloons are cheap but effective tools for surveillance– and targeting. They are used by China to track US Navy warships transiting the South China Sea. The surveillance equipment is provided by China’s major technology firm Huawei. To protect its own wounded political image at home, the Biden Administration has since released information that China launched three similar balloons into the United States during the Trump administration and the forty-fifth...