After the sinking of the Russian missile cruiser Moskva, I wrote that "signs from above" pointed to the inevitability of the defeat of the Russian army. Now these "signs" have taken on a quite practical, financial form.
Yesterday, NATO and a few invited defense ministers from other countries held a meeting on Ukrainian defense issues (arms supplies) at the US military base in Ramstein, Germany. On the eve of this meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov threatened World War III in a very peculiar environment (see picture).
The French presidential election ended with no surprises. The incumbent Emmanuel Macron (for the first time in 20 years, a French President was re-elected for a second term) convincingly defeated Marine Le Pen with 58.6% of the vote.
People only realize the significance of what is happening after the fact. This is the case both in everyday life and in big politics. At the moment, the significance of the war in Ukraine is poorly grasped by people outside the immediate war zone. This is also reflected in the main topics debated by the two candidates before the French presidential elections on Sunday.
Historians say that World War II was a continuation of World War I. The current Russia-Ukraine war is a kind of continuation of World War II. Why? Because the main propaganda narrative of the aggressor state is to fight the Nazis, who were never truly defeated.
In times of great turmoil, and war undoubtedly is, many events are given a magical, significant meaning by people. It is hard to think of a clearer sign from above than the sinking of the Black Sea Fleet's flagship, the cruiser Moskva.
The incumbent President Emmanuel Macron won the most votes in Sunday's French presidential election and will face second-placed National Rally candidate Marine Le Pen in the next round in two weeks' time.
Latvian Russian-speakers have published a letter/exhortation on the initiative of LTV journalist Olga Dragiļeva, condemning Russia's criminal war against Ukraine and asking not to celebrate May 9 this year.
As of today - April 1 - the era of Covid is almost officially over in Latvia. Almost, because some restrictions remain. Vaccination is still required for those working in medical institutions and prisons, as well as for teachers, until the end of this school year. Face masks remain compulsory in medical and social care institutions and in public transport.
How is Zelensky different from Macron/Scholz? The answer is simple - Zelensky is the politician of the future, while Macron/Scholz embody the politics of a bygone era.
Last weekend saw a series of summits. A G-7 leader meeting, a NATO summit, an EU Council (heads of state) meeting and a visit by US President Joe Biden to Poland.
At the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war, the National Electronic Mass Media Council (NEPLP) became active, first restricting the broadcasting of various Russian television channels in Latvia, and soon afterwards restricting access to internet resources.
The large-scale war between Russia and Ukraine is now in its fourth week, and it is obvious that whatever the outcome of the war, it will have a fundamental impact on the future world order.
A video has surfaced on the internet in which an employee of the Russian consulate in Liepāja threatens protesters against Russia's invasion of Ukraine in exactly the same words as Putin threatened Ukraine in his February 21 speech.
Andrejs Piontkovskis ir Hadsona institūta zinātniskais līdzstrādnieks, kurš dzīvo Vašingtonā. Viņš ir viens no nopietnākajiem un šobrīd pasaulē populārākajiem putinologiem, kura ekspertīzes ne vienmēr ir patīkamas, toties precīzas. Pašreizējo Krievijas attīstības trajektoriju Putina vadībā viņš prognozēja jau sen.
Earlier this week, a number of highly influential world politicians arrived in Riga. On Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, on Tuesday Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. They all met with the highest Latvian officials. What message did Levits, Kariņš, Rinkēvičs give them, and what message did they give us?
Andrei Piontkovsky is a visiting fellow at the Hudson Institute, living in Washington DC. He is one of the world's biggest and best-known putinologists, whose analyses are not always pleasant, but they are accurate. He predicted the current trajectory of Russia under Putin a long time ago.