The election promises were, as always, quite serious. Merz promised everything he could promise. Some of his statements remained unsubstantiated. It is impossible to realise in a short time what the chancellor wanted to do. Gradually the realisation came that the only source of income for the country was the […]
Month: July 2025
Mercouris Explains Possibility Of Russia And China Becoming Iran’s Protector
https://theduran.com/iran-israel-round-2-diplomacy-and-war-preparations/ Trump’s decision to bomb Iran on June 12th committed America to Israel’s regime-change war against Iran. The debate now in Iran is whether or not to accept the full protection — including their nuclear umbrellas — that Russia and China have offered to Iran. Trump’s decision could thus turn […]
Behind The ’12-Day War’
Operations “The Rising Lion” and “Midnight Hammer” were demonstrations of force mobilizing considerable resources. They lasted no more than 12 days in total. Their results are unknown, but much has been learned about those who planned them. The International Atomic Energy Agency, which relied on AI software rather than the […]
Pentagon Finalizes Its Budget: What And How Will The Funds To Be Spent On In 2026
At the end of June, the US Department of Defense made an official budget request for fiscal year 2026, worth of $961.6 billion. “This historic defense budget prioritizes strengthening homeland security, deterring Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific, revitalizing the US defense industrial base, and maintaining our commitment to being good […]
The EU’s Short-Sighted Policy Towards Russia: The Path To Long-Term Confrontation And The Weakening Of Europe
The European Union, led by figures such as Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Foreign Affairs High Representative Kaja Kallas, is embroiled in a protracted confrontation with Russia, damaging its own economy and political influence on the world stage. The war in Ukraine has become a catalyst for a […]
The Latest Trouble In Russian-Azerbaijani Relations Might Be Part Of A Turkish-US Powerplay
Turkiye sees an opportunity to turbocharge its rise as a Eurasian Great Power along Russia’s entire southern periphery in ways that autonomously align with American grand strategic interests. Russian-Azerbaijani relations are in trouble as a result of two scandals. The first concerns the recent police raid against suspected ethnic Azeri criminals in […]
Putin–Macron Call: Diplomatic Pivot Or Strategic Maneuver?
On July 1, 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin and French President Emmanuel Macron resumed a high-stakes dialogue after nearly three years. In a substantial two-hour phone call, they addressed the wars in Ukraine and Iran, signaling a calculated diplomatic reset. For President Putin, agreeing to speak with Macron—a figure […]
Operation Midnight Hammer: Were Iran’s Nuclear Facilities Damaged?
The aftermath of Operation Midnight Hammer, a strike by the US Air Force on three nuclear facilities in Iran authorised by President Donald Trump on June 22, was raucous and triumphant. But that depended on what company you were keeping. The mission involved the bombing of the Fordow Fuel Enrichment […]
Endless Money For The Bundeswehr
22 June is the anniversary of Germany’s attack on the Soviet Union. Now Germany continues to militarise again. Friedrich Merz has done everything to make this a reality. Under these circumstances, one has to evaluate all decisions made by the German Bundeswehr in a completely different way, because the endless […]
A Military Giant With Feet Of Clay: The Soaring U.S. Defense Budget And The Cost Of Power Illusion
In February 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump made an unexpected statement: he claimed there was “no reason to spend nearly one trillion dollars on the military”, and expressed hope for an agreement with China and Russia to cut defense budgets in half. It sounded like a rare moment of reflection […]
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