Every time the guns fall silent in Gaza, the world exhales like a nervous parent whose toddler finally stopped screaming. The diplomats dust off their talking points, the news anchors smile a little wider, and everyone starts asking the same hopeful question: “Who’s going to keep the peace this time?” Predictably, the answer that floats…
The Test of True Peace: Why Hamas Must Lay Down Its Arms
President Trump’s diplomacy has won an important and dramatic pause: Israel and Hamas have signed off on the first phase of a ceasefire plan that promises hostage releases, humanitarian corridors, and an initial Israeli withdrawal. This is a relief worth noting, but it’s not, on its own, an assurance of lasting peace. The reason is…
Hamas’ “Conditional Acceptance”: Peace on Layaway?
So, President Trump slapped a deadline on Hamas’ acceptance of his peace plan: Sunday at 6 p.m. sharp or Hamas faces “consequences … like no one has ever seen before.” That’s not exactly the kind of line you hear in the polite tea rooms of Geneva, but then again, Geneva’s been sipping tea for decades…
A Review of Trump’s 20-Point Gaza Plan
The Middle East is a mess. I know, that’s not exactly a news flash. For decades, Israel and Hamas have been caught in the same exhausting cycle: rockets fly, bombs drop, the world yells “ceasefire,” and then—surprise—it all starts over again. It’s like watching the world’s worst rerun, except every season ends with more destruction,…
Israel, Gaza, the UN, and the Latest Round of Blame Games
If you haven’t been glued to the headlines, let me catch you up before CNN and the UN finish chiseling Israel’s tombstone. Israel is knee-deep in Gaza once again, this time bulldozing into Gaza City after months of firefights with Hamas. It’s messy, bloody, and about as “civilized” as a bar brawl at 2 a.m.…
Oops, Wrong Border? A Look at Russia’s Violation of Polish Airspace
I’ve been mulling over the latest drama out of Eastern Europe. Between September 9th and 10th, Poland found itself playing host to dozens of uninvited Russian drones. The fallout? Airports went into panic mode, flights grounded, fighter jets scrambled, and Polish air defenses got a live-fire training exercise they didn’t exactly sign up for. NATO…
Wings, Not Boots: My Take on U.S. Air Support in Ukraine
President Trump made it clear this week that American boots won’t be marching into Ukraine, but he didn’t shut the door on helping from above. Instead, he left U.S. air support on the table as part of a possible peace deal with Russia. The idea is to build a framework for ending the war, maybe…
No Crimea, No NATO: What Conservative Realism Should Demand
President Trump is hosting Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House—alongside a scrum of European leaders—just three days after sitting down with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. And he’s framing the deal in blunt-Trump terms: Ukraine won’t be getting back Crimea, and NATO membership is off the table. Zelenskyy, he says, “can end the war almost…
Alaska, Peacemaking, and the Peril of “Quick Fix” Diplomacy
If you’re looking for tidy endings, geopolitics is the wrong genre. President Trump and Vladimir Putin sat down in Anchorage, and—surprise—no white-smoke peace deal drifted over the Chugach. Still, the two leaders talked for hours about Ukraine, pledged to keep talking, and signaled that President Zelenskyy will now be heavily engaged. Reports suggest he’s heading…
Missiles and Mandates: Ukraine’s Battle for Survival and the Soul of Its Democracy
As President Trump and Germany's defense leaders commit five Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, the world is reminded that war doesn’t just test a nation's strength—it reveals its soul. In Ukraine today, two battles rage side by side. One is against the bombs and bullets of a foreign invader. The other is quieter but just…
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