Recent Publications

Historical analogies are never perfect fits: 2025 is not 1938. The later date marked an attempt to impose peace on the Russian-Ukrainian War while the earlier sought to prevent war between Germany and Europe’s democracies. Still, the press conference of February 29th 2025 held by American President Donald Trump, his Vice-President, JD Vance, and Ukrainian…

Trump will undoubtedly attempt to enhance his authoritarian aspirations by subordinating other branches of power to his will, inspire his base in civil society, and then, in turn, employ it to increase pressure on governmental institutions in his behalf.  And, so, it begins—again! Only this time, with new vigor, improved efficiency, and an all-encompassing agenda.…

How could it have come to this? Ex-President Donald Trump has now won the presidential election of 2024 against Vice-President Kamala Harris with 51% against 48% of the popular vote and 322 as against 223 votes in the Electoral College . His Republicans -and they are his – have also taken control the Senate 52…

Once there were a few voices in the wilderness but, now, 80 countries at a Swiss summit have called for negotiations to end the two-year war between Russia and Ukraine. With Russia not in attendance, their representatives to the conference insisted that any peace plan must rest on Ukraine’s “territorial integrity.” That demand is thoroughly…

O professor de Ciência Política da Universidade de Rutgers e codiretor do Conselho Internacional de Diplomacia e Diálogo esteve em Lisboa para os Mafra Dialogues. Ao DN falou de como a guerra na Ucrânia está a ser vista nos EUA, das comparações com o conflito entre Israel e o Hamas, e dos cenários das presidenciais…

As the third year of the Russo-Ukraine War continues, Ukraine is increasingly imperiled. Shoved off the front pages by the crises in the Middle East, there is mounting opposition in the United States to extending further aid. Its valiant resistance against a seemingly far more powerful fascist invader has been tainted by shake-ups in its…

Anti-Semitism has always had its ebbs and flows, But a bitter past teaches that it is always latent, and today it is resurgent. In the wake of October 7 2023 when Hamas and Islamic Jihad attacked Israel, butchering 1200 mostly young people, and taking more than 250 hostages. Israel responded by bombing Gaza into oblivion,…

Too many find themselves in a moral quandary while others are celebrating a supposed act of “resistance” against Israeli imperialism by Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, with the help of Iran. In fact, this pre-emptive strike was an act of war pure and simple, and if spectators can’t see the difference then they should buy new…

Greater cooperation between the superpowers could lead them to exercise equitable pressure on Ukraine and Russia to negotiate in earnest. Germany’s “Iron Chancellor” Otto von Bismarck coined the famous phrase that “politics is the art of the possible.” Political realism rests on that assumption. But the possible is not always self-evident. As with the Russo-Ukraine…

Germany’s “Iron Chancellor”, Otto von Bismarck, coined the famous phrase that “politics is the art of the possible”. Political realism rests on that assumption. But the possible is not always self-evident. As with the Russo-Ukraine War, clarifying it requires a bit of imagination. Ukraine’s long-awaited counter-offensive has produced only modest territorial gains at considerable expense.…