Outside the Beltway

With the exception of Rand Paul, the foreign policy discussion at last night’s debate was about as bad as you’d expect.

In what seems to be a clear signal to Russia, the U.S. is considering pre-positioning military equipment in nation’s very close to Russian borders.

If a Russian solider dies, it’s now a secret thanks to a new decree signed by the Russian President.

Marco Rubio is often described as one of the GOP’s leaders on foreign policy, but a close look reveals a decided lack of substance.

A cease fire deal in Ukraine, but a long term settlement will require compromises from both Moscow and Kiev.

Talk about your second- and third-order effects.

Russia’s own government is projecting that its economy will slip into recession next year. How that will impact Putin’s current belligerence remains to be seen.

Vladimir Putin’s latest actions seems to have exhausted Germany’s patience.

Vladimir Putin’s reception at the G-20 Summit in Australia has been less than warm thanks to recent events in Ukraine.

The Ukraine crisis, which never really went away, is back,

Quietly, oil prices have been falling for months now. That’s potentially a very big deal.

One of these ballots is legit. The others, not so much.

Thoughts on the Scottish referendum (and on the issue of thresholds and decision-making).

The rebels in eastern Ukraine continue to suffer setbacks, and Russia is massing troops on the border again.

End game? Or the potential spark of a wider war?

The U.S. and Europe have announced a new round of sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis, but it’s not clear that the Russians will be motivated to change course.

What the West does in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine is largely up to Europe, not the United States.

Vladimir Putin has become immensely popular in Russia again, and its not hard to figure out why.

Yesterday’s events are likely to be a game changer, but how the game plays out depends largely on how Europe reacts.

Basically, the answer is that nobody really thought there was much of a risk that a plane could be shot down.

In the end, the separatists in eastern Ukraine have always been expendable as far as Vladimir Putin is concerned.

There’s a new round of allegations about American spying on Germany.

While the world watches Ukraine, Central Asia could also be an area where Russia may seek to expand its territory.

Once again, President Obama’s attempt to communicate a foreign policy vision falls short.

The Talk To Me Goose Edition OTB Caption Contest^TM is now over.

Today’s foreign-policy disputes rarely consider the way America’s response to one crisis might affect another.

The European far right has found a friend in an unlikely place.

Not surprisingly, Russia’s acquisition of Crimea comes with quite a potential bonanza in natural resources.

It appears what we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.

Provocative words from Vice-President Biden. But, are they realistic?

The Reviewing the Situation Edition OTB Caption Contest^TM is now over.

NATO seems intent on sending a signal to Vladmir Putin that there are limits to his patience.

NATO may be preparing to send Russia a message.

The future may hold a lot of vehement arguing over insignificant bits of territory.