Guy Taylor
Articles by Guy Taylor
As Russia-Ukraine fight escalates, some question the U.S. role
Why does the U.S. care about Ukraine and a fight over obscure Soviet-era borders? Why is President Biden willing to risk World War III to stop Russia from invading? Published January 25, 2022
Biden leaves key ambassador posts empty in Ukraine, Saudi Arabia, South Korea
President Biden has failed to nominate anyone for several strategic ambassadorships a full year into his term in office, with some glaring embassy vacancies leaving key U.S. allies without a strong American voice and increasingly vulnerable to Chinese and Russian influence. Published January 20, 2022
Biden administration scrambles as Kremlin escalates again on Ukraine
The Biden administration's scramble to prevent a Russian military invasion of Ukraine will shift into high gear Wednesday, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken visiting Kyiv to show support for the Ukrainian government before holding a high-stakes summit with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov later in the week. Published January 18, 2022
Blinken to hold high-stakes summit with Russia’s Lavrov as tensions mount
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is heading to Ukraine on Tuesday and Germany later this week as the Biden administration scrambles to try to prevent a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Published January 18, 2022
Putin, Xi to highlight Russia-China summit while U.S. and allies diplomatically boycott Olympics
The U.S. and key allies will diplomatically boycott next month's Winter Olympics in China, but Russian President Vladimir Putin is poised to seize on the Games to spotlight strategic ties between Moscow and Beijing. Published January 17, 2022
Republicans calling on Biden to toughen up against the Kremlin
Republican lawmakers are calling on President Biden to clamp down on Russia amid a series of high-stakes talks aimed at cooling tensions with the Kremlin. Published January 13, 2022
Fears of Ukraine invasion rise as Russia talks fail to reach breakthrough
Fears rose Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is intent on invading Ukraine, as talks between American, NATO and Russian officials failed to produce a commitment from Moscow to draw down its major troop buildup along the border with the developing, U.S.-aligned democracy. Published January 12, 2022
North Korea’s second missile launch of new year feeds hypersonic fears
North Korea conducted its second ballistic missile launch of the new year on Tuesday, testing a suspected "hypersonic" missile that sparked concerns in Washington that that regime in Pyongyang is increasing the pace of its provocations in hopes of pressuring the Biden administration into making concessions. Published January 11, 2022
Pence calls on Washington to confront Chinese aggression on world stage
Former Vice President Mike Pence says the U.S. and its allies must do more to confront Beijing's growing authoritarianism on the international stage, warning that "appeasement has never worked a single time in human history, and it will not work now." Published January 10, 2022
Blinken: Breakthrough with Putin unlikely as Ukraine tensions mount
Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Sunday downplayed prospects for a diplomatic breakthrough with Moscow ahead of high-stakes U.S.-Russia talks this week aimed at staving off a Russian invasion of Ukraine. Published January 9, 2022
More than 200 dead in clashes between armed gangs, farmers in Nigeria
A surge of violence over the past week in Nigeria has left more than 200 people dead in the oil-rich, conflict-prone nation that's home to Africa's biggest economy. Published January 9, 2022
Russian forces now effectively occupying Kazakhstan, opposition figure claims
A top Kazakh opposition figure claims Russian forces have effectively launched an "occupation" of Kazakhstan, with Russian President Vladimir Putin pushing toward the goal of enveloping the Central Asian nation into a Moscow-controlled order akin to the former Soviet Union. Published January 7, 2022
Unrest grips another former Soviet Republic while U.S.-Russia tensions continue to rise
A popular revolt exploded in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, with protesters storming and setting fire to the presidential residence in the often unnoticed but strategically vital Central Asian nation that shares lengthy borders with Russia and China and operates as a key hub for U.S. oil companies in the region. Published January 5, 2022
As Putin rages, some outsiders move closer to NATO
Russian President Vladimir Putin's tough talk and threatening military buildup on Ukraine's border could backfire and result in the one thing he says he doesn't want: an expansion of NATO to more countries on Russia's doorstep. Published January 3, 2022
Biden calls fight for democracy the world’s defining challenge
President Biden called upon more than 100 world leaders gathered for the opening of his "Summit for Democracy" on Thursday to stand together in battling what he described as a "backward slide of rights and democracy" in the face of rising authoritarianism around the world. Published December 9, 2021
America’s response to China crippled by paralysis in Washington, analyst warns
America may still be the world's lone superpower, but it has lost its capacity to manage the challenge of a rising China. Published December 8, 2021
Tensions soar as Putin, Biden hold high-stakes virtual summit
Ukraine's president said Monday that his country's military is ready to "derail" any invasion by Russian forces -- a stark warning ahead of President Biden's high-stakes virtual summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday morning amid soaring tensions and military buildups on both sides of the old Cold War divide in Europe. Published December 6, 2021
Host’s headache: Invite list for Biden’s democracy summit proves divisive
The goal behind President Biden's upcoming "Summit for Democracy" was to feature U.S. leadership and unify like-minded democracies around the world, including many the administration hopes will work together to counter communist China's rise as a rival, autocratic global power. Published December 2, 2021
Iranian demands raise fresh doubts as nuke talks resume
Iran refused to meet face-to-face with American diplomats as talks over the Islamic republic's suspect nuclear programs resumed Monday in Vienna following a five-month hiatus -- a period in which a hardline new government has come to power. Published November 29, 2021
U.S. envoy rips Russian disinformation for inflaming tensions as Belarus clash deepens
Friction between the European Union and Russia-backed Belarus escalated Monday, while a top U.S. diplomat in the region called on Moscow to exert its influence over Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko to stop inflaming regional tensions. Published November 22, 2021