CIA diplomacy fails to bridge the US-Russia divide

Subscribe now with a one-month trial for only $1, then enjoy the first year at an exclusive rate of just $99. Ratcliffe’s Moscow visit highlights strategic divisionsJames Davis reports that John Ratcliffe’s Moscow visit exposed the widening gap between Washington and Moscow over Ukraine, Iran and escalation risks. The CIA mission appears to have changed little, as Russia continues targeting Ukraine’s ports and industry while European leaders double down on support for Kyiv. South Korea follows China along the Northern Sea RouteScott Foster reports that South Korea is testing the Northern Sea Route as a faster, less Middle East-dependent trade link to Europe, following China’s lead. The move highlights Seoul’s strategic maritime ambitions while Japan remains constrained by its collapsed relations with Russia. Bessent’s bond gambit echoes Japan’s decades-long debt trapWilliam Pesek writes that Scott Bessent’s attempt to cap long-term US yields echoes Japan’s failed decades-long struggle to suppress bond-market pressure. With US debt above $40 trillion, Asian central banks and bond traders now hold growing leverage over Washington’s fiscal and currency stability.