Silent Lonesome Man

The moment Roman Abramovich, a rising Russian billionaire, took over the English club Chelsea F.C. in 2003, the small club suddenly emerged to become a superpower in English football and later Europe. And the Russian owner remains loved by the fans of the London Blue. But few people truly realise that Abramovich is a very close ally of the autocratic leader of Russia, Vladimir Putin. When I'm saying "few people", I mean, they have no clear insight about how deep Abramovich and Putin connected. In fact, despite Putin may not always have great relations with various oligarchs, Abramovich, among a handful of henchmen, are never touched by Putin, if not saying the Russian dictator has tolerated Abramovich as a reward. Putin never questions Abramovich, and Abramovich transfers money back to Russia freely. Abramovich's model is being copied by other Russian billionaires, and the number is increasing. Russian government has been successfully diversifying its assets from oil

Every April 30th, two worlds exist between Vietnamese people. In Vietnam, where the communists gained unified power since 1975, the communists declared the day as "Liberation of the South" and made it a national holiday to observe. The regime also spends millions of dollars each year to celebrate and to demonstrate the might of the communists and how life in Vietnam has changed under the rule of the Communist Party. Some Vietnamese diasporas, mostly in former Comecon or in East Asia, do celebrate alongside their compatriots in Vietnam. Then, there is another world. Every year, the same day since 1975, Vietnamese gather, not to welcome, but to mourn the loss of the Republic of Vietnam, or South Vietnam, to the hand of the communist North. They have observed the fall of Saigon, first in 1976 and this has become a common practice of Vietnamese diasporas living in Western Europe, North America and Australasia - where the loyalty with the yellow flag and three red stripes remains

Ever since the Euromaidan and tensions increased between Ukraine and Russia, Kyiv has sought to become a prominent player within Europe, by trying to join NATO and EU. But while France and Germany have become more reluctant to accept Ukraine into the EU, due to the unwanted Brexit that saw the United Kingdom left the group, joining NATO maybe even more problematic because NATO also has members who share veto powers. One of them is Turkey, as Kyiv has been seeking to cultivate a friendlier alliance. Now, with U.S. President Joe Biden going to address the recognition of the Armenian Genocide, this can become a problem for Kyiv. Pro-Turkish and anti-Armenian views Ukraine has been at the spotlight when the Euromaidan when Ukrainians joined the protest demanding the pro-Russian President, Viktor Yanukovych, to leave power. The Maidan lasted for a year before it successfully toppled the President, forcing him to flee to Russia. The first death in the Maidan was a Ukrainian national of Armen

  The alliance between Russia and China has emerged radically since the end of the Cold War. China, now a wealthier, more powerful and economically more prosperous, allying with slowly diversifying and less reliant on Western investors Russia, partly contributed by the increasing antipathy against the West in both nations. The two big nations are cooperating on many fronts, and China is the only country to not give a damn about sanctions the West imposed on Russia and recently, China, over human rights abuse, military aggression and its political infiltration. Yet Russia and China alone can't make them possible to overcome tough opponents. The United States has already built a vast network of allies in Europe and is also making one in Asia in a rapid process. Thus, any potential confrontation right now could bring huge risks to both Beijing and Moscow, so trying to provoke and challenge the response of America and its partners in the current play tool is being used by both governme

I have a quite strange feeling about European leaders nowadays, especially within the EU. There is always something that is hidden among them. They don't speak out, but they appeared to be. Yes, I'm talking about the leadership of the European Union and its associates. There's something not right on it. I sense this since 2010s, something has changed. Guess? Am I talking about the increasing right-wing natures? Am I talking about the traditional left-wing groups? Or Russian intelligence in these nations? No. It's more than that. It's about manipulation. And Europe is unprepared to face this round. Russia is quietly conducting agenda, covert and cautious, but with solid results. Poland Poland has to be the biggest shock for the European leadership today. Because just only nearly two decades ago, Poland joined the European Union and was seen with the highest potential. The deterioration was unbelievable because Poland was once a leading front nation fighting against a

On 19 April 2005, in the capital city of Poland, Warsaw, the Polish Sejm (Lower House), officially passed a solution. This solution was abnormal because it laid a historic and important ground for not just Poland's political stance, but also it greatly affected Poland's relations with another country that historically been one of Poland's biggest protectors. Yes, on that night, a cool night in the Polish capital, the Polish Sejm Marshal, Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz, issued an official recognition. And this, by the moment, Turkey started to change. This move by the Polish government triggered widespread nationwide criticism in Turkey. And more. On 19 April 2005, Poland officially became the 17th country, to recognise the Armenian Genocide. And this is also when Turkey will never be the same again. A complicated tie Turkey and Poland have unique relations with each other. In the past, the Ottoman Empire clashed frequently with the Commonwealth of Poland and Lithuania. The Polish-