I first spoke with Peter Charchalis shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 and found him knowledgeable of Ukraine’s history and its modern political and cultural life. Peter was born in Baltimore to parents who had fled Ukraine at the end of World War II, when it was part of the Soviet Union. He lived … Continue reading Looking to help Ukraine? Here’s what’s happening, groups you can support.
Make nice with a dictator, scold our allies: Trump-Vance betrayal prompts a letter to Europe
In his first term as president, Trump went to France and passed on a visit to the U.S. military cemetery because of rain. A delegation lead by Chief of Staff John Kelly, the retired general, went instead. It was later reported that Trump rejected the idea of a cemetery visit because he didn't want to … Continue reading Make nice with a dictator, scold our allies: Trump-Vance betrayal prompts a letter to Europe
A long Russian war on Ukraine will lead to more world hunger
This is an expanded version of my Baltimore Sun column of May 11, 2022. Russia’s unconscionable war on Ukraine could likely ignite a food catastrophe in parts of the world already dealing with shortages due to drought and the long-term effects of the pandemic. Staff from Baltimore-based Catholic Relief Services (CRS) are seeing first-hand the … Continue reading A long Russian war on Ukraine will lead to more world hunger
The banality of Putin’s evil
“It is difficult to say what forced him to change from the profession of rescuer to the profession of war criminal.” — Dmytro Repliaanchuk, Ukrainian journalist, on a Russian firefighter suspected of committing atrocities in Bucha Evil is hard to understand, and for most of us impossible to understand. The average man or woman lives … Continue reading The banality of Putin’s evil
Don’t like Putin? Don’t support Trump and Republicans.
In coming elections, Americans will have a choice, as always, when it comes to the kind of government we want: An open, liberal, representative democracy or some version of the old monarchy the Founders rejected, and that would be, in the modern world, an autocratic form of government, if not a dictatorship. It would be … Continue reading Don’t like Putin? Don’t support Trump and Republicans.
Dan Rodricks 