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A channel dedicated to neutrality in international relations and analysis of world affairs. For more info, visit neutralitystudies.com
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The West is losing the Ukraine War big time. But that does not mean the NATO lunatics are willing to give up their plans for total global domination. On the contrary, some of them are only getting started.Professor Jeffrey Sachs joins Pascal Lottaz to argue that the Ukraine war is a long-running US proxy conflict with Russia. He discusses NATO expansion, post-Cold War policy, US power and elite interests, Europe’s economic costs, and the risks of escalation. Sachs also outlines what he sees as a path to peace: Ukrainian neutrality, no further NATO expansion, and ending US wars.Links:Jeffrey D. Sachs: https://www.jeffsachs.org Common Dreams: https://www.commondreams.org/author/j... Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Merch: https://neutralitystudies.com/shop Donation: https://neutralitystudies.com/donate Timestamps: 00:00:00 Jeffrey Sachs on the Ukraine proxy war 00:00:42 NATO expansion and US primacy 00:12:57 From Cold War peace to confrontation 00:20:43 The US strategy of global dominance 00:23:34 Can the US choose coexistence? 00:29:56 Can the wars be stopped? 00:35:35 Where to follow Jeffrey Sachs
What if the craziness in NATO's proxy wars has a hidden strategy? What if they just fool us to believe they are headless chicken but in fact things are based on hard calculated realities? Stas Krapivnik, a former US Army officer joins me to discuss the new US pressure on Iran, why sanctions fail, and China’s economic leverage. We also examine US political messaging, leadership and long-term planning, the Ukraine war, and fears of a wider conflict involving Iran.Links:Stanislav Krapivnik on YouTube: / @mrslavikman Stanislav Krapivnik on X: https://x.com/STANISKRAPIVNIK Stas Was There...In English on Telegram: https://t.me/staswasthereenglish2 Стас Туда и Обратно on Telegram: https://t.me/stastydaiobratno Rise of the Imperial Eagle on Substack: https://zmeigarinich.substack.com Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Merch: https://neutralitystudies.com/shop Donation: https://neutralitystudies.com/donate Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introduction and US sanctions on Iran 00:02:52 Can sanctions against Iran still work? 00:08:47 Russia, China, and support for Iran 00:18:52 US rhetoric and political messaging 00:27:03 Master plan or institutional failure? 00:33:19 Leadership, insecurity, and power 00:41:04 Ukraine, Iran, and nuclear risks 00:48:02 Closing remarks
The Yugoslavia Wars were not about humanitarian intervention. Here is the testimony of a man who was closely involved in the NATO operations and a historian who studied that era closely. Professor David Gibbs and Colonel Douglas Macgregor compare their views on the Yugoslav wars, NATO’s role in Bosnia and Kosovo, and the thinking behind the 1999 bombing campaign. Macgregor recalls his work in NATO command, while Gibbs connects the Balkan interventions to NATO expansion, Europe’s military dependence, Russia, and later conflicts.Links: Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Merch: https://neutralitystudies.com/shop Donation: https://neutralitystudies.com/donate Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introduction and Balkan war context 00:02:53 Russia’s role in Bosnia and Kosovo 00:08:02 Early warnings about Kosovo 00:15:09 Intervention goals and the KLA 00:22:28 Russia, NATO, and the air war 00:33:00 Rambouillet and the Kosovo settlement 00:42:53 Europe’s NATO dependence and war narrative 00:55:24 The Balkans as a Russia rehearsal 01:05:39 Intervention, neutrality, and closing thoughts
NATO is being demilitarized by its own Proxy-War. Historian and American University of Armenia lecturer Pietro Shakarian joins Pascal to discuss America’s “third Red Scare,” the Iran war and the Strait of Hormuz, the proposed Mecca Pact, Ukraine’s future, Caucasus transit plans, and why he sees Europe’s elites as tied to US power during a shift toward multipolarity.Links:Pietro Shakarian at The Nation: https://www.thenation.com/authors/pie... Anastas Mikoyan: An Armenian Reformer in Khrushchev’s Kremlin: https://iupress.org/9780253073556/ana... Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Merch: https://neutralitystudies.com/shop Donation: https://neutralitystudies.com/donate Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and America’s Third Red Scare 04:06 Trump, empire decline, and the Iran war 07:36 War of aggression and US public opinion 15:39 Reform, neoliberalism, and AI data centers 20:31 Iran’s strategy and the Mecca Pact 31:15 US overstretch and Caucasus corridors 39:03 Ukraine, Russia, and Europe’s war strategy 49:15 Why European elites follow US power 57:15 US limits and the shift to multipolarity
Tord Björk, co-founder of People and Peace, International Peace Bureau council member, and Helsinki Plus 50 coordinator, discusses the Helsinki Final Act, Finland’s move from neutrality to NATO, and the decline of peace movements. He argues that peace, climate, labor, rural, and human rights groups should work together through practical local action, shared research, and building friendships across borders.Read the Nordic Peace Alliance Manifesto here: https://pascallottaz.substack.com/p/a... Links:People and Peace YouTube: / @folkochfred Helsinki Plus 50: https://helsinkiplus.org International Peace Bureau: https://ipb.org Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Merch: https://neutralitystudies.com/shop Donation: https://neutralitystudies.com/donate Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:42 The Helsinki Final Act’s legacy 00:07:47 Finland, NATO, and erased peace history 00:16:31 Why peace movements declined 00:24:39 NATO, technology, and economic control 00:32:21 Rebuilding popular movements 00:38:34 Cooperation without more bureaucracy 00:45:03 Decentralized movements and local action 00:54:05 Where to follow Tord Björk
Steven Starr, former director of the University of Missouri’s Clinical Laboratory Science Program and senior scientist at Physicians for Social Responsibility, examines rising nuclear risks. He discusses tactical weapons, missile stockpiles, Israel and Iran, Europe’s confrontation with Russia, launch-on-warning dangers, and the human cost of a full nuclear war, including EMP effects, firestorms, nuclear winter, and famine.Links:Steven Starr — Nuclear Famine: https://nuclearfamine.org Steven Starr — An EMP Attack on the U.S. Power Grids and Critical National Infrastructure: https://www.unz.com/article/an-emp-at... Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Merch: https://neutralitystudies.com/shop Donation: https://neutralitystudies.com/donate Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction: Rising Nuclear Risks 01:59 Missile Shortages and Tactical Nukes 08:48 Tactical Weapons, Fallout and History 11:01 Israel, Iran and Europe’s Escalation 18:45 What Full-Scale Nuclear War Would Do 23:16 No-First-Use and Accidental Nuclear War 32:50 Cold War Lessons and the Nuclear Umbrella 38:33 Public Opinion, Propaganda and NATO 41:07 Escalation, Military Decline and Diplomacy
The people who lead Ukraine straight into the bayonets of Russia are working over-time to do the same to the rest of the European continent. Retired Royal Navy Commodore Steve Jermy joins me today to discuss what we need to work toward stopping this: A new “Spirit of Westphalia” for ending the NATO-Russia war. We examine the loss of cooperative security in Europe, weak air defenses, the energy costs of escalation, the human cost of a wider war, and possible paths toward diplomacy, neutrality, OSCE-led confidence-building measures, and Track II talks.Links:Steve Jermy’s Substack: https://stevejermy.substack.com Steve’s Article: https://stevejermy.substack.com/p/the... Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Merch: https://neutralitystudies.com/shop Donation: https://neutralitystudies.com/donate Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introduction and the Spirit of Westphalia 00:09:03 Support Neutrality Studies 00:09:20 Why Europe abandoned cooperative security 00:14:41 Air defense, drones, and missile warfare 00:18:14 Energy security and the need for diplomacy 00:22:37 How peace talks could begin 00:29:25 Neutrality, the OSCE, and ending sanctions 00:35:19 Who could launch a new peace process? 00:45:25 Where to follow Steve Jermy
It's the "last hurray of colonialism", as my guest today, Dr. Ooi Kee Beng, puts it. The wars inUkraine and Iran are left-overs of a time that has already passed and is currently being supplanted by the realities of the Multipolar Order.Dr. Ooi, executive director of Penang Institute, discusses why Southeast Asia feels more hopeful than Europe, how China’s rise shapes decolonization and multipolarity, and why Western thinking still treats the world as a contest. He examines colonial history, the Middle East, ASEAN neutrality, and keeping the Strait of Malacca open.The Penang Peace Dialogue SIGN UP: https://commonwealthofworldchinatowns... Links:Wikibeng: https://wikibeng.com Penang Institute: https://penanginstitute.org ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute: https://www.iseas.edu.sg Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Merch: https://neutralitystudies.com/shop Donation: https://neutralitystudies.com/donate Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:09 Europe and Southeast Asia’s outlook 00:06:13 China’s rise and regional history 00:11:44 Decolonization and a multipolar world 00:23:21 Bandung, Africa, and sovereignty 00:26:39 Orientalism and the colonial world order 00:39:28 Iran, the Middle East, and oil 00:42:56 ASEAN and the Strait of Malacca 00:49:03 Maritime Southeast Asia and globalization
Is the Collective West in disarray because of its absence of long term thinking? Or is it all a charade and the master minds are just really good at hiding what's actually going on? Well, we might be in for an even bumpier ride than we thought, not because the Western leadership is brilliant (they are mostly imbeciles), but the underlying sociological structure is not as short-sighted as one might assume.Nel Bonilla, author of Worldlines, explains her “bunker state” framework and why she sees NATO 3.0 as a shift toward deeper military integration. She and Pascal Lottaz discuss NATO’s evolution, Europe’s defense industry, proxy warfare, conscription, public spending, the “global West,” and ways peace, labor, and neutrality movements could resist this change.Nel's Article: https://worldlinesletter.substack.com... More Links:Worldlines – The threads connecting geopolitics: https://worldlinesletter.substack.com Nel Bonilla at NachDenkSeiten: https://www.nachdenkseiten.de/?gastau... Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Merch: https://neutralitystudies.com/shop Donation: https://neutralitystudies.com/donate Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and the bunker state 04:47 NATO 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 16:16 Is NATO a node or a driver? 18:28 Silent social transformation in Europe 32:28 The Ankara summit and arms production 44:10 War readiness and proxy warfare 50:34 The end goal: a “global West” 54:08 The bunker state and social contract 57:00 Peace movements and alternatives
Radhika Desai, University of Manitoba professor and host of Radhika Desai Geopolitical Economist, joins Pascal to examine Korean peace efforts, fading trust in US military protection, the dollar system’s debt trap, and China’s industrial rise. They also discuss neoliberal demand problems, Western double standards on overcapacity, and the growing split inside MAGA as Trump fails to deliver for US workers.Links:Radhika Desai: https://radhikadesai.com/ Radhika Desai Geopolitical Economist: / @raddesai Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Merch: https://neutralitystudies.com/shop Donation: https://neutralitystudies.com/donate Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:28 Korea peace and Trump’s troop policy 00:09:53 South Korea and the US military umbrella 00:20:24 Economic models and neoliberal demand crisis 00:28:19 Sri Lanka and the dollar debt trap 00:39:24 China’s rise and the overcapacity debate 00:52:08 MAGA’s split and Trump’s broken promises 01:00:04 Where to follow Radhika Desai
Stanislav Krapivnik returns to assess the reported Turkey-Pakistan-Saudi alliance, its ties to Iran, Yemen, Israel and the Black Sea. He and Pascal Lottaz discuss attacks on shipping and ports, Russia’s war strategy in Ukraine, Western political thinking, and how weather could affect the fighting in the months ahead.Links:Stanislav Krapivnik YouTube: / @mrslavikman Rise of the Imperial Eagle Substack: https://zmeigarinich.substack.com Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Merch: https://neutralitystudies.com/shop Donation: https://neutralitystudies.com/donate Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:20 Turkey, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia 00:11:47 Turkey, Russia and the Black Sea 00:17:48 Maritime escalation and Ukraine’s ports 00:29:14 Russia’s military options in Ukraine 00:35:14 Consumer systems and Western projection 00:43:01 Russia’s summer offensive outlook
While the US lives in fantasy world about the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran has been busy preparing for the next phase of the war, which doubtlessly the US will restart once more. Since there is no diplomatic solution, Tehran is coming around to the conclusion that with the next battle, a decisive military change in the region must occur—in the US satellites.Prof. Seyed Mohammad Marandi joins me to discuss daily life in Tehran, Iran’s trade routes under blockade, the risk of renewed US attacks, Saudi Arabia’s position, missile strategy, and relations with Gulf states. He argues that Iran seeks to remove regional threats rather than spread instability, and recommends books for understanding Iran.Links:Seyed Mohammad Marandi on X: https://x.com/s_m_marandi Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Merch: https://neutralitystudies.com/shop Donation: https://neutralitystudies.com/donate Timestamps: 00:00:00 Tehran after the bombing 00:04:18 Iran’s trade routes and the blockade 00:11:39 Risk of a renewed US war 00:20:28 Saudi-Pakistan-Türkiye agreement 00:24:03 Could Saudi Arabia become unstable? 00:28:18 Iran’s missile strategy and US bases 00:38:07 Iran’s security approach and Gulf states 00:47:20 Where to follow Marandi and read more
NATO's European Forever War is now turning decisively against the EU. The elites that have been cheering the carnage on for the longest time are starting to catch up with the actual battle field reality.Anatol Lieven, director of the Eurasia Program at the Quincy Institute, discusses why Ukraine’s NATO question and territorial deadlock make a lasting settlement hard. He examines US weapons limits, the Iran war, changes in US and Israeli politics, Morocco’s role in the Ceuta migration crisis, and why China is avoiding a move on Taiwan. He also argues that Western foreign-policy institutions repeatedly fail to learn from past wars.Links:Anatol Lieven at Responsible Statecraft: https://responsiblestatecraft.org/aut... Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Merch: https://neutralitystudies.com/shop Donation: https://neutralitystudies.com/donate Timestamps: 00:00 Ukraine, NATO, and peace talks 07:46 Can a Ukraine deal hold? 16:51 US weapons limits and Iran 21:15 Trump’s Iran strategy 25:13 Israel and US political shifts 28:31 Ceuta migration crisis 33:40 China, Taiwan, and Western failures
While the US is in high panic about "the rise of China" and its failing warmongering in the word, Beijing is at its most relaxed yet. Turns out, China is confident that it won the race roughly 10 years ago and is now only working on expanding its lead. Professor Wang Wen, Dean of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, discusses how Chinese scholars view Trump’s second administration, trade pressure, China’s domestic development, and US-China competition. He shares his views on Iran, Taiwan risks, BRICS, the Belt and Road Initiative, global governance, green energy, AI, and why he believes cooperation can replace conflict.Links:Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China: https://rdcy.ruc.edu.cn Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Merch: https://neutralitystudies.com/shop Donation: https://neutralitystudies.com/donate Timestamps: 00:00:00 Trump and China’s Response 00:12:14 China’s Long-Term Development Model 00:18:39 US-China Conflict Risks 00:23:17 China’s Future Advantages 00:30:32 Iran War and US Power 00:36:39 BRICS and Chinese Foreign Policy 00:44:57 China, Realism and Peaceful Coexistence
The war in Ukraine is not about Ukraine. It's about meaning. Yes, it's a proxy war, and yes, power is at the core of the military confrontation. Even thinking of it as a war of civilizations is not wrong, but it misses what the civilizations actually disagree on. Only the symbolic foundations of the war reveal what Moscow on the one hand and the Globalists on the other are actually fighting about.Russian political philosopher and Orthodox thinker Pavel Shchelin joins Pascal to discuss how worldviews, symbols, and desires shape political decisions. They examine sanctions, competing ideas of peace and security, Russia-West relations, NATO, and why shared political language can hide deep disagreement over Ukraine.Links:Pavel Shchelin YouTube:English Channel: / @namingtheselfevident Personal Channel: / @pavelshchelin Interview Channel: / @schelin_official Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Merch: https://neutralitystudies.com/shop Donation: https://neutralitystudies.com/donate Timestamps: 00:00:00 Pavel Shchelin on political theology 00:04:26 Worldviews, rationality, and reality 00:12:00 Sanctions and symbolic politics 00:23:00 Russia-West stories and political language 00:34:28 Peace proposals and ending wars 00:52:39 Enlightenment, globalism, and empire 00:57:36 Russia's security goals and Ukraine
Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia announced the formation of a new alliance which will treat an attack against one as an attack against all. Well, that's lovely, but can we please see the actual treaty? No. We can't? Oh, that's funny, why would you keep that secret? Well.... my friends, what we are seeing here is a prime example of "Alliance Theater", where three actors — on behalf of the US overlord — are trying to posture in front of cameras while neither the military backbone nor the political resolve is ready for action. And that's not even a new thing. Let me walk you through the recent history of alliance theater and how this reveals more about the Multipolar World than about the military strength of any of the actors involved.
After 4.5 years of Proxy-War something is breaking: When the cracks in the pro-war narrative get so large that even Neocons have to admit the empire is running out of munition, an inflection point has been reached. And we have seen this before. What David Gibbs calls the "Vietnam Moment" is not far away anymore.In this talk, professor David Gibbs of the University of Arizona discusses his trip to the Baltics, arguing that anti-Russian feeling is widespread and that Russian-speaking minorities face exclusion. He and Pascal Lottaz compare Western messaging on Ukraine with Vietnam, debate the political costs of a setback, and discuss how culture-war language can be used to support military intervention.Links:David N. Gibbs: https://dgibbs.arizona.edu/ Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Merch: https://neutralitystudies.com/shop Donation: https://neutralitystudies.com/donate Timestamps: 00:00:00 Baltic Russophobia and Russian minorities 00:08:45 Russophobia, stereotypes and racism 00:14:15 Ukraine and a second Vietnam moment 00:26:28 EU elites, war narratives and crisis 00:32:03 Can a new anti-war coalition emerge? 00:42:51 What if Russia does not break? 00:49:00 Accountability, defeat and escalation 00:59:41 Where to find David Gibbs
The elites that brought to you a war Russia and a Genozide in West Asia are working on their next project: the break up of Europe. And they are beginning with an indirect attack on another maritime live-line, the Straight of Gibraltar.Fethi of Jazair Hope joins me to examine the Ceuta migrant crisis, arguing that Morocco’s role should be seen through Spain’s tensions with Israel, the US, Algeria, and Western Sahara. He discusses migration, control of the Strait of Gibraltar, energy routes, Morocco’s ties with Israel, public pressure at home, and a possible power struggle before Moroccan elections.Links:Jazair Hope Website: https://jazairhope.org Jazair Hope YouTube: / @jazairhope Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Merch: https://neutralitystudies.com/shop Donation: https://neutralitystudies.com/donate Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introduction and the Ceuta crossing 00:04:46 Ceuta, Melilla, and migration rumors 00:09:20 Was the border move organized? 00:11:38 Israel, the US, and pressure on Spain 00:21:57 Gibraltar and the risk of a divided Europe 00:28:14 Spain, Algeria, and gas routes 00:36:43 Why Morocco is close to Israel 00:47:35 Morocco’s risky regime gamble 00:53:27 Follow Fethi and Jazair Hope
Trump is losing the last chance there was for a face-saving exit from Iran. And he doesn't even know why. U.S. journalist Patrick Henningsen returns to Neutrality Studies after reporting from Iran. He and Pascal Lottaz discuss the funeral processions he saw, public unity under pressure, Iran’s political culture, Shia Islam and Palestine, media narratives, military deterrence, sanctions, and the wider fight between the United States, Israel, Iran, Russia, and China. They also look at how the conflict may develop.Links:21st Century Wire: https://21stcenturywire.com 21st Century Wire YouTube: / @21stcenturywiretv Patrick Henningsen Substack: https://patrickhenningsen.substack.com Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Merch: https://neutralitystudies.com/shop Donation: https://neutralitystudies.com/donate Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and Iran reporting 05:02 Western media narratives on Iran 08:32 Iran after attacks: unity and anger 14:10 Iran, Shia Islam, and the Muslim world 24:40 A new revolutionary moment 35:20 Iran’s deterrence and global role 48:53 What comes next in the conflict 01:01:01 Where to follow Patrick Henningsen
The cracks in Japan's "everything is fine" pretense policies are starting to show. The country can't import some very essential goods anymore and the trend is not looking good. On top of that, the Takaichi's LDP government chose some political fights at home that are alienating her voter base.Professor Aya Ikegame of Kyoto University discusses Japan’s oil shortages, the government’s response, and the political strength of Sanae Takaichi. They examine the debate over Japan’s imperial succession, the role of party power brokers, relations with China, military policy, and the weak state of the opposition. They also discuss social media campaigning, local elections, and the future of the LDP.Links:Aya Ikegame – Personal Website https://ayaikegame.com Aya Ikegame – University Profile https://www.ioc.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/facu... Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.substack.com Merch: https://neutralitystudies.com/shop Donation: https://neutralitystudies.com/donate Timestamps: 00:00:00 Introduction 00:01:31 Japan’s oil shortage and daily impact 00:04:55 Oil supplies from Iran and Russia 00:07:53 Support Neutrality Studies 00:08:16 Takaichi’s landslide and weak opposition 00:10:52 Three controversial new laws 00:16:41 Imperial succession and female emperors 00:25:02 The emperor, peace, and political power 00:37:04 Takaichi’s leadership and public image 00:38:35 Taiwan, China, and Japan’s foreign policy 00:47:39 Japan’s military and North Korea fears 00:50:02 Nuclear policy and the LDP’s future 00:54:10 The opposition and social media campaigning
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Observed September 19, 2026. Cached outside the daily freshness window; the positions keep the date they were taken on.
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