A ban on Russian oil is growing. The U.S. has already already taken that step, and the Europeans are seriously discussing cutting off not just oil, but also the country’s natural gas and refined product exports. What in the world is it going to take to make that happen? And would China benefit? It requires…

Ukraine’s Defense Ministry announced Ukrainian troops have taken back control of Makariv, a suburb just northwest of Kyiv, from Russia’s control. Russia already has partial control of several other Kyiv suburbs, including Bucha, Hostomel and Irpin. However, regaining control of Makariv allowed Ukraine to regain control of a key highway, blocking Russian troops from surrounding Kyiv…

President Joe Biden has added a stop in Poland to his upcoming European trip. The White House announced Biden will meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda on Friday. The two are expected to discuss the humanitarian and human rights crisis caused by Russia’s war on Ukraine. Biden will leave Washington, D.C. for Europe on Wednesday.…

While much of the recent talk regarding rising oil prices around the world has centered on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Saudi Arabia has stepped into the conversation. The world’s largest oil exporter’s production efforts were impacted when Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels attacked a petroleum distribution center in Jeddah and disrupted production at a petrochemicals complex…

With military force not a feasible option, the United States is relying on sanctions to cripple Russia and avoid a world war. Russia is far from the only country facing America’s financial wrath through the use of sanctions. The U.S. Treasury Department has sanctions on more than two dozen entities at the moment. “When it comes…

Think the Europeans will need to get by without Russian crude? You are 100% correct. But you are not thinking anywhere near big enough. Most of Russia’s oil fields are both old and extraordinarily remote from Russia’s customers. Fields in the North Caucasus are either tapped out or were never refurbished in the aftermath of the…

If Russia’s military looks like the Keystone Cops in its invasion of Ukraine, why are Western nations working so hard to arm a nation under siege? Let me explain what in the world is going on here and why it’s all about keeping nuclear weapons out of the equation. Early in the conflict, Russian President…

Apologies to all for having not written much in the past three weeks. The Ukraine War has been unfolding with such unforgiving speed and complexity that I’ve just not had time. While the pace hasn’t exactly slowed, the conflict is settling into a couple readily identifiable patterns that enable me to peer forward a bit. First,…

President Biden has reportedly threatened Chinese President Xi Jinping, saying the United States would punish Chinese firms should China assist Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Biden and Xi spoke for almost two hours Friday morning after reports that Russia asked China for both military and economic assistance.  “It appears that China is moving in the opposite direction…

It is rather remarkable to see some republicans and their supporters become so blinded by their partisanship that they are now throwing their support behind Vladimir Putin and his indefensible invasion of Ukraine. That’s right: conservatives are so committed to opposing Democrats that they would rather praise the Russian leader who is being accused of…