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Russia

Missile Brinkmanship

The escalation in the Ukraine conflict, marked by Russia’s unveiling of a new intermediate-range ballistic missile, represents a significant shift in the dynamics of global warfare.

Mutiny exposes Russia’s structural flaws

Less than 24 hours after the mutiny began, it was over. As the rebelling Wagner column bore down on Moscow, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko brokered a deal under which Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to drop criminal charges against the mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and allow him to seek asylum in Belarus.

A cornered Putin

While the West sees, in the now-ended attempt by a mercenary group to seize power in Russia, signs of the weakening power of President Vladimir Putin, commentators must also reflect on the speed at which the mutiny was put down, apparently with little conceded and sanctuary having been found for the leader of the Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, in friendly Belarus.

Show of force

It is surprising that China, which had displayed considerable alacrity in attempting to play down the threat of a nuclear war initiated by Russia in Ukraine, sees nothing wrong in the language deployed by Pyongyang and indeed even exhibits subtle signs of endorsing it.