Guy Taylor
Articles by Guy Taylor
Russian forces now effectively occupying Kazakhstan, opposition figure claims
A top Kazakh opposition figure claims Russian forces have effectively launched an "occupation" of Kazakhstan, with Russian President Vladimir Putin pushing toward the goal of enveloping the Central Asian nation into a Moscow-controlled order akin to the former Soviet Union. Published January 7, 2022
Unrest grips another former Soviet Republic while U.S.-Russia tensions continue to rise
A popular revolt exploded in Kazakhstan on Wednesday, with protesters storming and setting fire to the presidential residence in the often unnoticed but strategically vital Central Asian nation that shares lengthy borders with Russia and China and operates as a key hub for U.S. oil companies in the region. Published January 5, 2022
As Putin rages, some outsiders move closer to NATO
Russian President Vladimir Putin's tough talk and threatening military buildup on Ukraine's border could backfire and result in the one thing he says he doesn't want: an expansion of NATO to more countries on Russia's doorstep. Published January 3, 2022
Biden calls fight for democracy the world’s defining challenge
President Biden called upon more than 100 world leaders gathered for the opening of his "Summit for Democracy" on Thursday to stand together in battling what he described as a "backward slide of rights and democracy" in the face of rising authoritarianism around the world. Published December 9, 2021
America’s response to China crippled by paralysis in Washington, analyst warns
America may still be the world's lone superpower, but it has lost its capacity to manage the challenge of a rising China. Published December 8, 2021
Tensions soar as Putin, Biden hold high-stakes virtual summit
Ukraine's president said Monday that his country's military is ready to "derail" any invasion by Russian forces -- a stark warning ahead of President Biden's high-stakes virtual summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday morning amid soaring tensions and military buildups on both sides of the old Cold War divide in Europe. Published December 6, 2021
Host’s headache: Invite list for Biden’s democracy summit proves divisive
The goal behind President Biden's upcoming "Summit for Democracy" was to feature U.S. leadership and unify like-minded democracies around the world, including many the administration hopes will work together to counter communist China's rise as a rival, autocratic global power. Published December 2, 2021
Iranian demands raise fresh doubts as nuke talks resume
Iran refused to meet face-to-face with American diplomats as talks over the Islamic republic's suspect nuclear programs resumed Monday in Vienna following a five-month hiatus -- a period in which a hardline new government has come to power. Published November 29, 2021
U.S. envoy rips Russian disinformation for inflaming tensions as Belarus clash deepens
Friction between the European Union and Russia-backed Belarus escalated Monday, while a top U.S. diplomat in the region called on Moscow to exert its influence over Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko to stop inflaming regional tensions. Published November 22, 2021
White House official: China engaged in ‘dramatic’ military buildup
China's "dramatic" military buildup has triggered unease across Asia and was the driving factor behind the recent formation of a three-way U.S., Britain and Australia security pact focused on the region, said President Biden's top national security advisor for the Indo-Pacific. Published November 19, 2021
‘Red lines’ or ‘rules of the road’: China, U.S. paint different images of summit
The White House painted a rosy picture of President Biden's video summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, but it was only half as rosy as the portrayals by China's state-controlled media, which all but declared victory after Monday night's highly anticipated meeting. Published November 16, 2021
Biden exits three-hour Xi summit with no White House mention of China’s growing nuke arsenal
President Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met via video teleconference for more than three hours on Monday night, discussing a wide slate of issues at a moment of growing international concern over Cold War prospects between them. Published November 16, 2021
A manufactured border crisis puts Belarus back in the spotlight
Outrage among European Union officials who say Belarus is deliberately trying to flood Middle Eastern migrants into Poland and Lithuania reached new heights Monday, with the EU announcing it will sanction airlines that arranged special deals to fly the migrants into Belarus in recent months. Published November 15, 2021
Iran and Saudi Arabia are talking but bad blood remains between bitter rivals
Bitter rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran have engaged in a growing number of back channel and public diplomatic meetings during recent months, but U.S. sources and regional experts say tension continues to soar between them. Published November 13, 2021
Biden, Xi expected to hold virtual summit Monday: Report
President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will participate in an online meeting with other regional leaders Saturday and then plan to hold a virtual U.S.-China summit early next week. Published November 11, 2021
Blinken warns Russia over troop buildup, regional aggression
The Biden administration said Wednesday it fears Russian forces may be on the verge of entering Ukraine to "rehash" the chaos that resulted in Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014, warning the Kremlin that the U.S. and its allies are committed to helping Ukraine defend itself. Published November 10, 2021
EXCLUSIVE: Trump was ‘very close’ to getting Saudis to normalize ties with Israel
The Trump administration was "very close" to getting Saudi Arabia to join the Abraham Accords last year, according to former U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, who says the Biden administration has squandered the momentum to expand the historic normalization agreements between leading Gulf Arab powers and Israel. Published November 7, 2021
Iran looks to shift blame for Iraqi assassination attempt to U.S.
Iran on Sunday insinuated the U.S. was behind a drone attack assassination attempt on Iraq's prime minister, despite evidence suggesting the attack was actually carried out by Tehran-backed militias with a history of using drones to wreak havoc in Baghdad. Published November 7, 2021
China upholding Iranian regime with oil purchases
Chinese purchases of Iranian oil have steadily increased since President Biden arrived in office, with Beijing's blatant flouting of U.S. sanctions on the Islamic republic providing an economic lifeline to hardliners in Tehran. Published November 4, 2021
Paris court to hear defamation lawsuit against Blinken
Former Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha said that a Paris judge has accepted his defamation lawsuit against Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Published October 28, 2021