Guy Taylor
Articles by Guy Taylor
Wagner insurrection creates opening for Ukrainian counteroffensive
Ukraine's highly touted counteroffensive to regain territory seized by Russian invaders had shown little progress in its initial days, but that was before the near-coup in Moscow and the possible removal from the battlefield of thousands of Wagner Group mercenaries, a key backbone of Russian ground operations over the past year. Published June 28, 2023
U.S. accused of ignoring crackdown on Iranian exiles to appease Tehran
The leading exiled Iranian dissident group says the Biden administration is downplaying attacks against its followers in Europe in a bid to placate Iran's hardline theocratic regime and draw it back to the negotiating table over its suspect nuclear programs. Published June 26, 2023
Putin image fades in face of rebellion
Blowback from a powerful Russian mercenary group's insurrection against the Kremlin swirled in Moscow on Sunday, laying bare the depths of an internal crisis facing Vladimir Putin and fueling speculation the war in Ukraine will eventually lead to his downfall. Published June 25, 2023
Blinken: Wagner rebellion ‘shows real cracks’ in Putin’s hold on power
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that the Russian mercenary army Wagner Group's brief insurrection "was a direct challenge to [President Vladimir] Putin's authority," asserting that the Russian leader now has "a lot" to answer for over his messy war in Ukraine. Published June 25, 2023
China muted in response to chaotic developments in Russia
China's reaction was muted through the weekend to the internal crisis facing Russian President Vladimir Putin, following a brief rebellion by Wagner Group mercenaries. Published June 25, 2023
India’s Modi praises U.S. democracy in address to Congress
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the foundations of American democracy in an address to a joint meeting of Congress on Thursday, emphasizing the importance of the partnership between the world's two biggest democracies on a day of summitry that mixed geopolitics and commercial opportunity. Published June 22, 2023
China TikTok figure fingered in ‘deepfake’ anti-U.S. Russian soldier videos
A "deepfake" video series purporting to track a Russian special operations soldier's adventures in Ukraine was actually created by a TikTok figure in China. The series was used to promote narratives of Russia-China friendship to hundreds of thousands of followers on the Chinese version of the social media site. Published June 21, 2023
China weighs putting military troops in Cuba, according to report
China and Cuba are in talks to establish a joint military training facility, which could lead to Chinese troops being stationed on the island, U.S. intelligence reports indicate. Published June 20, 2023
Countering China key focus as Biden hosts India’s PM Modi
The Biden administration will roll out the red carpet for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrives in Washington on Wednesday. The White House hopes the trip will strengthen U.S.-India ties in the face of China's rising aggression in the Indo-Pacific. Published June 19, 2023
Blinken’s China visit to carry burden of blame for tensions
Secretary of State Antony Blinken heads to China on Friday for a fence-mending visit amid historically high friction between Washington and Beijing over Taiwan, brazen international spying attempts, and security and economic clashes with the U.S. and its allies across Asia. Published June 14, 2023
‘Am I White?’: Hill hearing with State Department’s diversity chief turns testy
The Biden administration is pushing "woke" policies so hard on diplomats that the State Department's Office of Diversity and Inclusion is effectively "mandating division," a key House Republican told the office's outgoing chief at a hearing Tuesday. Published June 13, 2023
Ukraine and Russia trade blame for massive dam collapse
Russian and Ukrainian officials hurled blame at each other over the collapse Tuesday of a major dam in southern Ukraine -- an incident that quickly triggered floods, threatened drinking water and added a vexing dimension to the war. Published June 6, 2023
North Korea targets U.S. intel figures on a secret cyber hit list
Details of a secret North Korean cyber hit list are spreading in Washington, with a widening slate of high-level current and former U.S. intelligence officials, media executives and national security scholars finding themselves in the hackers' crosshairs. Published June 2, 2023
Iran skirting U.S. sanctions by using network of companies, dissidents say
Iran is financing its military and internal security forces by exporting billions of dollars worth of oil through a network of international companies that evade U.S. sanctions, confidential internal documents released by an exiled Iranian dissident group show. Published May 31, 2023
Putin seeks to foment second Balkan war to distract the West, Bosnian diplomat warns
Russian President Vladimir Putin is meddling in the Balkans to foment a second conflict in Eastern Europe to distract the West from his war in Ukraine -- and Washington should be paying closer attention. Published May 22, 2023
Distracted: Biden’s Quad summit no-show rattles U.S. allies in Pacific
President Biden's decision to shorten his upcoming Asia trip and skip a meeting of leaders of the strategic U.S.-India-Japan-Australia "Quad" group to deal with the national debt crisis marks a blow to the ongoing U.S. campaign to show itself as a reliable partner for countering China's increasingly aggressive rise in the region and on the world stage. Published May 17, 2023
Turkey’s President Erdogan projects confidence, despite failing to secure victory in first round
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan entered the next phase of the fiercest domestic political challenge of his two decades in power Monday, with Turkish election officials confirming that the country's presidential election is now headed for a two-candidate May 28 runoff vote. Published May 15, 2023
Zelenskyy: Ukrainian forces not planning attacks on Russian territory
The Ukrainian military is preparing to drive Russian forces out of occupied areas of Ukraine but is not planning attacks against territory inside Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says. Published May 14, 2023
Erdogan’s 20-year reign threatened as Turkey election looks headed for runoff
Turkey's presidential election appeared poised for a runoff early Monday, though President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he still thought a first-round victory was possible. Published May 14, 2023
Senators call for reform of classified information system
Senators from both parties are pushing a package of bills that could overhaul how the federal government manages classified information following the alleged leak of intelligence documents by a 21-year-old National Guard airman. Published May 11, 2023