Guy Taylor
Articles by Guy Taylor
Boycott threats, ideological clashes threaten to derail host Biden’s hopes for hemisphere summit
The weeklong ninth Summit of the Americas' gathering that starts Monday in Los Angeles has become so rife with ideological drama that it risks becoming one more headache for President Biden's foreign policy agenda and his political standing at home. Published June 2, 2022
UAE-Israel free-trade deal latest fruit of U.S.-backed ‘Abraham Accords’
Israel and the United Arab Emirates inked a precedent-setting free trade deal on Tuesday, the latest in a continuing series of diplomatic breakthroughs stemming from the "Abraham Accords" that were brokered by the Trump administration and greatly eased the Jewish state's historic isolation in the Arab world. Published May 31, 2022
Iran-Israel tension rises over assassination in Tehran
Tension between Israel and Iran ratcheted higher over the weekend, with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett saying Tehran can expect to "pay the full price" for backing militant proxies that target Israel and others around the Middle East. Published May 29, 2022
Blinken says China hid evidence of genocide during U.N. official’s Xinjiang visit
The Biden administration accused China over the weekend of trying to "restrict and manipulate" a visit to the country by the United Nations' top human rights official as part of an effort by Beijing to hide evidence of its genocide against Uyghurs and other predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities. Published May 29, 2022
Chinese and Russian aggression looms large over ‘Quad’ summit in Tokyo
U.S. President Biden and other leaders of the "Quad" strategic group with India, Australia and Japan issued a carefully worded warning Tuesday to China, which has triggered unease in recent years by building military bases on disputed islands in the South China Sea. Published May 24, 2022
China, North Korea cast shadow over Biden Asia mission
President Biden will attempt to project harmony and unity of purpose among Indo-Pacific democracies and underscore America's security commitment to Asia during a six-day visit to South Korea and Japan this week, amid criticism from a wary China and concerns that North Korea may try to derail the trip with a nuclear test. Published May 19, 2022
Defenders’ fate uncertain as Ukraine abandons Mariupol fortress
The strategically key southeastern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol appeared to fall to Russian forces on Tuesday, a rare breakthrough for Moscow as its forces remain largely bogged down in much of the country after nearly three months of hard fighting, according to Western intelligence assessments. Published May 17, 2022
Sweden follows Finland’s lead with NATO push
Russian forces faced fresh battlefield losses in eastern Ukraine Monday, as Sweden formally announced that it will follow its Nordic neighbor Finland's lead and seek NATO membership, reversing more than two centuries of military nonalignment amid soaring security concerns that Russia's invasion of Ukraine have sparked across greater Europe. Published May 16, 2022
Iran protests turning political; U.S. expresses support for Tehran demonstrators
U.S. officials are expressing support for protesters in Iran, as demonstrations over soaring food and commodity prices have turned increasingly political over the weekend. Published May 16, 2022
China bristles at Biden’s ASEAN summit, wary of power struggle with U.S.
President Biden's summit with Southeast Asian leaders begins Thursday, and China is warning participating nations that American attempts to exert influence over the region could stoke confrontation. Published May 11, 2022
New conservative South Korean leader prepares for inauguration with pledge for deeper ties to U.S.
The inauguration of a conservative South Korean president is expected to pave the way for greater military and diplomatic coordination between Washington and Seoul in response to escalating North Korean nuclear and missile threats, as well as to China's expanding pressure tactics against smaller countries in Asia. Published May 6, 2022
Russia carries out late-night airstrikes as fears mount of an expanding war phase
Russian forces pounded cities in central Ukraine on Wednesday night, capping a day of mounting concern among Western leaders that Moscow is preparing to ramp up its attacks and may even formally declare all-out war against Ukraine when Russia holds its annual Victory Day celebrations early next week. Published May 4, 2022
South Korea weighs tighter ‘cohesion’ with U.S. as North tests another ballistic missile
South Korea's incoming defense minister said he'll push for tighter military "cohesion" between Washington and Seoul in response to increasingly aggressive North Korean posturing Wednesday -- comments that came just after the North had carried out another ballistic missile test. Published May 4, 2022
CIA seeks help from frustrated insiders as Putin’s Ukraine progress deemed ‘anemic’
A major civilian evacuation from the besieged Ukrainian port city of Mariupol progressed on Monday, although Russia claimed to have pounded more than three dozen other locales in eastern Ukraine with missiles and Western European countries inched closer to imposing sweeping new sanctions on Russia's critical energy sector. Published May 2, 2022
Reclusive Taliban supreme leader hails ‘victory’ in speech marking Muslim Eid holiday
The Taliban's reclusive supreme leader in Afghanistan hailed the militant Islamist group's "victory" and successful takeover of the war-torn country from a U.S.-backed government in a rare public speech over the weekend, roughly eight months after full withdrawal of the last American and allied troops left the country. Published May 2, 2022
Biden presses $33B aid package for Ukraine as Russia steps up bombardment in the east
President Biden prodded Congress on Thursday to approve another $33 billion to support Ukraine in its fight against a renewed Russian military assault and replenish depleted American arsenals, saying the cost of defending democracy in Kyiv "is not cheap." Published April 28, 2022
GOP lawmaker presses for answers on China role in proposed Forbes sale
A key Republican lawmaker is pressing the Treasury Department to examine the proposed acquisition of Forbes Global Media Holdings by a China-based enterprise that got its initial seed money from an arm of the Communist Party. Published April 27, 2022
Effective propaganda machine props up Putin’s domestic base, Blinken says
President Vladimir Putin continues to have broad support inside Russia, Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged Tuesday, lamenting that Mr. Putin's state propaganda operations have effectively skewed many Russians' view of reality. Published April 26, 2022
North Korea’s Kim Jong-un vows to ramp up nuclear forces at nighttime military parade
North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un vowed to ramp up his country's nuclear forces in the "fastest possible" way in a feisty speech at a major nighttime military parade where several banned intercontinental ballistic missiles were on display. Published April 26, 2022
Defense Sec. Austin says U.S. wants Russia ‘weakened’ to prevent future invasions
"When it comes to Russia's war aims, Russia is failing. Ukraine is succeeding," the secretary of state said. "Russia has sought as its principal aim to totally subjugate Ukraine, to take away its sovereignty, to take away its independence. That has failed." Published April 25, 2022