Peter Leonard, EurasiaNet
Michael Shurkin, WOTR
The novel coronavirus will hit the U.S. military and its allies hard, as already there have been outbreaks at the Marine Corps boot camp at Parris Island and on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. How hard will depend on a number of variables — some...
Michael Kofman, Riddle
Valery Gerasimov, Chief of the Russian General Staff, turns 65 this year and is likely to stay on as long as Sergei Shoigu remains minister of defense. Gerasimov looms large over the current era of Russian military reform and modernization, though both processes were initiated by his predecessor, Nikolai Makarov. During his tenure, the Russian military has also been bloodied in two conflicts, Ukraine and Syria, with the lessons learned subsequently integrated into exercises at home. Читать дальше...
Will Collins, The American Conservative
The government’s initial reaction to the spread of coronavirus was robust. Two weeks ago, after less than 100 cases had been confirmed within Hungary’s borders, Orbán closed schools, limited public gatherings, and placed a curfew on non-essential businesses. Late last week, non-essential businesses were shut down completely. All of these measures were severe but justifiable responses to an unprecedented emergency.
Paul Mason, New Statesman
In a world fraught with dangers and uncertainties, there will be a flight to nationalist solutions.
James Jay Carafano, TNI
The Trump administration is far more likely to continue to soldier on, pushing back wherever China impinges on U.S interests and responsibilities in the economic, political, military and diplomatic spheres, until China stops and respects the equities of America and its allies. But that doesn’t mean just business as usual. Expect the U.S. to double down in these four specific areas of competition."
Lowy Institute
Jamie Blackett, Spectator
Here in the Scottish countryside the labour force is creaking. A big dairy farmer nearby was relying on nine Irish students for calving – all nine went back to Ireland a few days ago to avoid the lockdown. The heroes of the countryside are the septuagenarians on family farms who have voluntarily broken self-isolation to maintain the flow of milk to the nation’s breakfast tables. Social distancing is something that comes naturally to us bumpkins, but it has to be ignored when push comes to shove. Читать дальше...
none, Council on Foreign Relations
For more than a century, countries have wrestled with how to improve international cooperation in the face of major outbreaks of infectious diseases. A pandemic of a new coronavirus that originated in China in 2019 underscores the urgency.
A. Bosoni, Stratfor
Myers & Gallagher, AQ
China helped spare the region from the worst of the 2008-09 financial crisis. But recently, its lending to Latin America has been in decline.
Markus Ziener, Straits Times
BERLIN - Officially, German politicians display a sense of calm and authority as the country grapples with the coronavirus outbreak. Behind the scenes, however, an intense battle is taking place over how long the country can sustain a lockdown.
Bryan Harris & Andres Schipani, FT
Behaviour of Brazil’s ‘walking crisis’ president sparks backlash among one-time allies.
Shikha Dalmia, Reason
Its rulers tried to cover up an epidemic, then declared war on their people to control it.
Mitchell Ferman, Texas Tribune
Two Texas oil companies with big business in the Permian Basin wrote to state regulators requesting an emergency meeting to consider reducing oil production as demand around the world has collapsed due to the new coronavirus.
Paul Hockenos, Foreign Policy
Hungary has used the pandemic to abandon its last vestiges of democracy—and to dare the EU to do anything about it.
Matthew Karnitschnig, Politico EU
Crisis offers German leader one last chance to embrace ‘more Europe.’
Gary Schmitt, The American Interest
John McCormack, National Review
A. Giuffrida & L. Tondo, G’dian
Three weeks on from start of lockdown, Italians are seeing that everything is not all right
