Geopolitical Perspectives - WestExec Advisors

Dennis Ross writes in The Washington Post: “For Diplomacy to Work, Iran Must Understand That It Cannot Overplay Its Hand”

"If there was any doubt that Iran wants and needs sanctions relief, it was removed on April 11. Rather than using what seemed like Israeli sabotage at Natanz, Iran’s largest uranium enrichment site, as pretext to walk away from the talks in Vienna — as many argued they would — the Iranians remain engaged with the British, French, Germans, Russians and Chinese, who are acting as mediators between the Islamic republic and the United States. There was no disruption of the [...]

Andrew Curtis2021-04-26T14:30:54-04:00April 26, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Michèle Flournoy quoted in The Sydney Morning Herald article, “‘Very Courageous’: Former Obama Official Backs Australia’s Hardline Stance Against China”

"A senior defence official under former United States president Barack Obama says the Five Eyes spy network should be used as a diplomatic grouping to pressure China, in a direct contrast to New Zealand’s attempt to narrow its remit… "Asked about New Zealand’s position, Ms Flournoy, who was under secretary of defense for policy between 2009 and 2012, said, 'New Zealand is an example of a smaller country that is under a lot of pressure and probably feels significant risk with [...]

Andrew Curtis2021-04-26T10:11:39-04:00April 26, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Michèle Flournoy interviewed in The Director’s Chair podcast, “Michèle Flournoy on Her Life and Career, China’s Rise and America’s Resilience”

"In this episode of The Director’s Chair, Michael Fullilove speaks with the distinguished policymaker and policy entrepreneur Michèle Flournoy. Michèle is a former senior Pentagon official, managing partner of WestExec Advisors, and chair of the Center for a New American Security…” Listen to the full episode here: Full Episode

Andrew Curtis2021-04-22T00:00:11-04:00April 22, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Celeste Wallander in PBS Newshour, “Why Navalny Poses a Special Challenge to Putin’s Leadership”

"Across Russia Wednesday, protesters took to the streets in support of the jailed — and critically ill — opposition leader Alexei Navalny. They denounced the man they blame for his imprisonment, President Vladimir Putin. Amna Nawaz discusses the latest with Celeste Wallander, who was the senior director for Russia and Eurasia on the National Security Council staff under the Obama administration…'" Watch the full interview here: Full Interview

Andrew Curtis2021-04-21T18:30:24-04:00April 21, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Celeste Wallander interviewed on CNN, “Encountering Putin From a Position of Strength”

"Celeste Wallander, former Special Assistant to President Obama on Russia, says the White House is preparing for a productive relationship with the Kremlin…" Watch the full interview here: Full Interview

Andrew Curtis2021-04-20T00:00:38-04:00April 20, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Meghan O’Sullivan interviewed on MSNBC, “O’Sullivan and Haass Argue It’s ‘Wrong’ to Withdraw From Afghanistan”

"Meghan O'Sullivan and Richard Haass join Andrea Mitchell to discuss why they argue that it's wrong to pull troops out of Afghanistan. Haass believes that 'the risk of leaving is that you will see the country descend into civil war at a high level.' O'Sullivan says that the withdrawal will jeopardize the gains she believes the U.S. has helped achieve for women and girls in Afghanistan 'because the probability of a Taliban takeover is very high…'" Watch the full interview here: [...]

Andrew Curtis2021-04-17T17:56:43-04:00April 17, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Meghan O’Sullivan writes with Richard Haass in The Washington Post: “It’s Wrong to Pull Troops Out of Afghanistan. But We Can Minimize the Damage.”

"President Biden announced Wednesday his intention to complete the withdrawal of all American military forces from Afghanistan by September, 20 years after the terrorist attacks that led to American armed forces first going there. He based his decision on three considerations: that the United States has other priorities at home and abroad — above all, increasingly tense relations with China; that it makes little sense to maintain an indefinite troop commitment to one country when terrorism is a global phenomenon; and [...]

Andrew Curtis2021-04-16T16:02:05-04:00April 16, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Dennis Ross quoted in The Jerusalem Post article, “How Will the Natanz Incident Affect Iran’s Vienna Negotiations?”

"Ambassador Dennis Ross, a distinguished fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told the Post that the incident in Natanz won’t change the Iranian desire to get sanctions lifted. 'It may reduce the sense of urgency on the part of the Biden administration to restore the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) lest the Iranian break-out time continues to be reduced,' said Ross. 'Thus, the disruption of the Iranian effort to produce and install more advanced centrifuges reduces the [...]

Andrew Curtis2021-04-14T20:53:47-04:00April 14, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Jim Jeffrey writes in The Washington Post: “The Biden Administration’s Wrong Move on Iran”

"The Biden administration has suddenly abandoned its tough position on a return to the nuclear deal with Iran (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA), for a breathtakingly broad interpretation of which post-2016 U.S. sanctions Iran can insist be lifted to include not just, reasonably, sanctions inconsistent with the JCPOA, but also those 'inconsistent with the benefits that Iran expects from the JCPOA.' That benefits language is not consistent with the agreement itself (which allowed continued nonnuclear related U.S. sanctions) [...]

Andrew Curtis2021-04-14T16:33:12-04:00April 14, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Danny Russel quoted in The Wall Street Journal article, “China’s Message to America: We’re an Equal Now”

"China retaliated against the EU sanctions by blacklisting European lawmakers and think tanks, although that might make the EU parliament’s ratification of a pending investment treaty with China more difficult. "'It’s a high-stakes gamble for the Chinese,' says Daniel Russel, a former Obama China official, now a vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute, a think tank. 'But it’s not a gamble they are certain to lose…'" Read the full article here: Full Article

Andrew Curtis2021-04-12T10:06:21-04:00April 12, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|