
In the United States, since President Joe Biden entered the oval office in January of 2021, the country has been embroiled in a chaotic and tumultuous political climate. At both the domestic and international levels, Biden has proven to be a feckless and incoherent leader. In August 2021, the president led a botched withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, and 13 servicemembers were killed. The American military lost millions of dollars of military equipment which fell into the hands of the Taliban and forfeited access to vital strategic airfields that could have been utilized as a national security buffer in future potential conflicts with China. Foreign adversaries like Russia and the communist government in Beijing have taken advantage of Bidens poor leadership and acted in an aggressive and assertive manner. Russia remains engaged in a stalemated and bloody conflict in Ukraine in which a half a million individuals are estimated to have been killed or wounded.
The tragedy in Ukraine continues to unfold. In a recent troubling report, some Russian soldiers are believed to have acted as “double agents”, murdering their fellow servicemembers with the promise of monetary rewards and assistance with expatriation. According to a Kyiv and a partisan fighting force aligned with the Ukrainian cause called Atesh, Russians have been open to cooperation with their enemy. The guerilla group, comprised of Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars, operates behind Russian lines and occupied territory. An unnamed soldier recently reportedly placed ten kilograms of lethal explosives on Russian trucks utilized as troop transports. This soldier then detonated the charges as the trucks were filled, in an act of sabotage.
As the war continues to rage on, public support in Russia is questionable. Vladimir Putin continues to consolidate his power in the Kremlin and has largely crushed any opposition to his ultimate authority. One woman, the widow of Alexei Navalny (a critic of Putin) is attempting to take his place in opposing him.