Greetings, All!

Let’s catch up on the latest top headlines, opinions, and recommendations.

The Maidan Massacre in Ukraine: How Ukraine Became a U.S. Client State | Dr. Ivan Katchanovski

In our conversation, Professor Ivan Katchanovski reveals the truth about the violent Maidan regime change in Ukraine, which enabled the West to use Ukraine as a proxy tool against Russia. Professor Katchanovski notes that after the brutally orchestrated overthrow of the democratically elected Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, the West transformed Ukraine into a client state, whose political leaders were selected by the United States and other Western officials to further their geopolitical agenda in Eastern Europe.

WORLD WAR II VICTORY: Inside the Soviet Triumph & Demise of Hitler's Empire | Dr. Vladimir Brovkin

May 9, 2025 marked the 80th Anniversary of the Allies’ Victory over Nazi Germany. I spoke with Dr. Brovkin about the key turning points in the history of World War II, the Eastern Front vs. the Western Front, and the Soviet offensive that broke the Wehrmacht. The conversation was truly fascinating (I love history!) and is a must-watch!

US Dollar DROPS 9% as Trump Pushes for INFLATION and Fed Alerts STAGFLATION Is Here | Ryan McMaken

The U.S. economy contracted 0.3% in the first quarter of this year, and the Federal Reserve just warned of growing stagflation risks. In the meantime, President Donald Trump is pushing the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates.

The push for low interest rates and monetary inflation benefits Wall Street at the expense of Main Street. These policies disproportionately serve the wealthy by inflating asset prices, boosting disposable income for top earners, and rewarding those with significant debt and investments. Meanwhile, lower-income Americans, who own fewer assets and benefit less from such policies, face rising costs and minimal income gains.

Ryan McMaken notes that Fed Chair Jerome Powell's latest warning is a major red flag, as the Federal Reserve habitually downplays economic risks and misrepresents warning signs.

Subscribe now

$2.5 Trillion Dollar Avalanche: Asia Prepares to Dump U.S. Currency as Global Trade Fragments

A massive shift in global finance may be underway as Asian nations, holding over $2.5 trillion in U.S. dollar reserves, consider moving out of the currency. Economist Stephen Jen warns that these unhedged dollar investments are increasingly vulnerable amid political tensions, particularly U.S. policies targeting China. With the Federal Reserve lowering interest rates and the dollar weakening, countries like China could repatriate large sums, triggering a broader selloff. This could lead to rising U.S. inflation, falling bond prices, and shifts toward emerging market currencies or digital assets. Meanwhile, BRICS+ nations, especially China and Russia, are accelerating de-dollarization in trade settlements. I further discussed the underlying causes in this new video.

Watch more videos on YouTube

Let’s move on to the week’s top geopolitics, economics, and finance headlines.

• Markets Pause After Rally: The S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq ended the week down 0.3–0.5%, snapping a nine-day winning streak. Investors remain cautious amid ongoing U.S.-China trade talks and President Trump’s renewed tariff proposals.

• Tariff Concerns Impact Earnings: Berkshire Hathaway reported a 14.1% decline in Q1 operating earnings. CEO Warren Buffett announced plans to retire by year-end and criticized proposed tariffs.

Remember to tune in to World Affairs in Context for more news, analysis, and upcoming interviews available on YouTube, Rumble, Patreon, Locals, and Spotify.

Thank you to all my subscribers for being part of World Affairs in Context. Your support makes the newsletter happen, and your questions, ideas, and suggestions inspire it. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber, which will help contribute to the resources needed to produce more content on the platform. If you’d like to make a one-time contribution, please do so via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.

Subscribe now

• Federal Reserve Holds Rates Steady: The Fed maintained interest rates, while Treasury yields remained flat. During my discussion with Ryan McMaken, economist and editor at the Mises Institute, Ryan noted that Fed Chair Jerome Powell's latest warning is a major red flag, as the Federal Reserve habitually downplays economic risks and misrepresents warning signs.

• The Federal Reserve’s balance sheet runoff slows: The Federal Reserve’s balance sheet declined by $17 billion to $6.7 trillion since March 2025, the lowest since April 2020. In March, the Fed announced it would slow the average pace of Quantitative Tightening from $60 billion monthly to $40 billion. (If you’d like a refresher on how this works, Ryan McMaken did a great job explaining the basics here.)

  

Read more

The U.S. economy contracted 0.3% in the first quarter of this year, and the Federal Reserve just issued a warning of growing stagflation risks. In the meantime, President Donald Trump is pushing the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates.

The push for low interest rates and monetary inflation benefits Wall Street at the expense of Main Street. These policies disproportionately serve the wealthy by inflating asset prices, boosting disposable income for top earners, and rewarding those with significant debt and investments. Meanwhile, lower-income Americans, who own fewer assets and benefit less from such policies, face rising costs and minimal income gains.

Ryan McMaken notes that Fed Chair Jerome Powell's latest warning is a major red flag, as the Federal Reserve habitually downplays economic risks and misrepresents warning signs.

Ryan McMaken is an economist (Austrian economics), executive editor at the Mises Institute, writer, and the author of “Breaking Away: The Case of Secession, Radical Decentralization, and Smaller Polities" and “Commie Cowboys: The Bourgeoisie and the Nation-State in the Western Genre”.

Follow Ryan McMaken on X (Twitter): https://x.com/ryanmcmaken.

Read more of his work here: https://mises.org/profile/ryan-mcmaken.

Thank you to all my subscribers for being part of World Affairs in Context. Your support makes the newsletter happen, and your questions, ideas, and suggestions inspire it. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber, which will help contribute to the resources needed to produce more content on the platform. If you’d like to make a one-time contribution, please do so via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.

Subscribe now

The interview is available on YouTube and Patreon.

Share World Affairs in Context

The recent joint statement issued by China, Japan, South Korea, and the 10 ASEAN member states during the 28th ASEAN+3 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors’ Meeting on May 4th marks a pivotal shift in global economic dynamics. The statement emphasizes a collective move toward strengthening regional economic resilience and reducing reliance on Western-led financial frameworks. This development is part of a broader trend of de-dollarization, which emphasizes a growing trend among countries in the Global South to protect economic sovereignty and mitigate risks associated with reliance on Western-led financial systems.

This momentum has not arisen in isolation. It has been catalyzed by years of increasingly aggressive U.S. economic policy during recent administrations, which resorted to various forms of economic coercion - economic sanctions imposed on non-aligned actors, sweeping tariffs and trade restrictions on key global economies. Trump’s protectionist stance caused deep concern across Asia, pushing even traditionally adversarial nations like China and Japan to find common ground. These actions effectively encouraged regional cooperation as a countermeasure to what many perceive as economic coercion. During my recent interview with a BRICS expert, Dr. Yaroslav Lissovolik, who attended a BRICS meeting in Brazil this spring, he noted that President Trump’s tariffs may ultimately become a “blessing in disguise” for the BRICS+ nations as they are further incentivized to focus on prioritizing regional cooperation and South-South alignment.

Share World Affairs in Context

The U.S. continued use of the dollar as a geopolitical tool through sanctions and restrictive trade policies has not gone unnoticed. This policy continuity has only strengthened the resolve of countries across Asia to forge alternative economic pathways. As a result, the joint statement marks not just an economic agreement but a geopolitical alignment, one that seeks to diminish dependency on Western institutions like the IMF and World Bank and sidestep the U.S.'s economic influence altogether.

One of the most striking features of the joint statement is its denunciation of “escalating trade protectionism,” a veiled reference to U.S. economic policy.

“Escalating trade protectionism weighs on global trade, leading to economic fragmentation, affecting trade, investment, and capital flows across the region.”

Instead of relying on Western-centric trade, the ASEAN nations and China, Japan, and South Korea are promoting intra-regional trade and deepening regional financial cooperation.

“We call for enhanced regional unity and cooperation as we endeavor to weather the heightened uncertainty. Our current policy priority is to reinforce long-term resilience while maintaining flexibility to address near-term challenges, including rising protectionism and volatile global financial conditions. On the fiscal front, this means rebuilding policy buffers while continuing to provide well-targeted support to sustain growth while implementing structural reforms. We will also carefully recalibrate monetary policy based on domestic conditions. We will maintain exchange rate flexibility as a buffer against external shocks.”

Subscribe now

One major initiative in this effort is the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralisation (CMIM), a currency swap mechanism designed to provide liquidity support in times of financial stress without involving Western financial institutions. Will it impact U.S. dollar demand? Absolutely! This regional mechanism allows participating countries to respond to financial emergencies with local and regional resources, reducing the risk of being subject to Western political and economic pressures.

In addition, the statement outlines plans to develop local currency bond markets, which would further insulate regional economies from fluctuations in the U.S. dollar. By doing so, these countries aim to create more stable financial systems that are less exposed to external shocks and the unpredictability of U.S. fiscal and monetary policy. The creation and growth of local bond markets also symbolize a decisive break from the dollar's historic dominance in global finance.

“Given the continued uncertainty in the global financial markets, well-functioning local currency bond markets remain the cornerstone of the region’s financial stability. We celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Credit Guarantee and Investment Facility (CGIF). To date, CGIF has successfully realized 100 bonds guaranteed and sukuks issued by 64 companies across 12 economies in 9 currencies with a total cumulative notional guarantee amount of USD 4,151 million.”

Furthermore, the declaration renews the bloc’s commitment to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the largest trade agreement in the world by population and economic output. Notably, the United States is excluded from RCEP, a clear indication of the shifting center of economic gravity. The agreement represents a powerful regional alternative to U.S.-led trade frameworks and provides a platform for deeper economic integration across Asia.

The scale of regional trade is already massive. In 2024 alone, trade between China and ASEAN reached nearly $1 trillion, underscoring the growing interdependence of Asia’s economies.

When Japan and South Korea are added to the equation, the total economic value becomes even more significant. This bloc of countries is effectively creating a self-sustaining economic ecosystem—one that is less susceptible to external interference.

This joint initiative is more than a response to U.S. policies—it is part of a strategic decoupling. These nations are proactively seeking to safeguard their economic sovereignty and build resilient systems that can endure geopolitical turbulence. It reflects the emergence of a multipolar world order, in which economic and political power is no longer concentrated solely in the West. Countries are exploring new alliances, fostering South-South cooperation, and designing regional financial architectures that support shared growth and independence.

This initiative, while rooted in economic cooperation, is deeply geopolitical in its implications. By aligning their financial and trade strategies, these countries are reshaping the global landscape. If the current trend continues, the world could witness a lasting shift toward a decentralized, multipolar economic order where Asia plays a central and independent role.

Remember to tune in to World Affairs in Context for more news, analysis, and upcoming interviews available on YouTube, Rumble, Patreon, Locals, and now Spotify.

Thank you to all my subscribers for being part of World Affairs in Context. Your support makes the newsletter happen, and your questions, ideas, and suggestions inspire it. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber, which will help contribute to the resources needed to produce more content on the platform. If you’d like to make a one-time contribution, please do so via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.

Subscribe now

Dr. Brovkin served as a professor of History at Harvard University and a consultant to various US agencies. His recent book, “From Vladimir Lenin to Vladimir Putin: Russia in Search of Its Identity,” examines how the Russian past influenced and shaped current politics, particularly the East–West divide.

As the 80th Anniversary of the Allies’ Victory over Nazi Germany is approaching, I spoke with Dr. Brovkin about the key turning points in the history of World War II, the Eastern Front vs. the Western Front and the Soviet offensive that broke the Wehrmacht.

Follow Dr. Vladimir Brovkin's fantastic YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@vladimirbrovkin4052.

Check out his latest book, “From Vladimir Lenin to Vladimir Putin: Russia in Search of Its Identity.”

Thank you to all my subscribers for being part of World Affairs in Context. Your support makes the newsletter happen, and your questions, ideas, and suggestions inspire it. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber, which will help contribute to the resources needed to produce more content on the platform. If you’d like to make a one-time contribution, please do so via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.

Subscribe now

The interview is available on YouTube and Patreon.

Share World Affairs in Context

In our conversation, Professor Ivan Katchanovski reveals the truth about the violent Maidan regime change in Ukraine, which enabled the West to use Ukraine as a proxy tool against Russia. Professor Katchanovski notes that after the brutally orchestrated overthrow of the democratically elected Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, the West transformed Ukraine into a client state, whose political leaders were selected by the United States and other Western officials to further their geopolitical agenda in Eastern Europe.

Following the Maidan coup, the politics of Ukraine have been dictated by foreign actors at the expense of the national interests of the Ukrainian population. The loss of sovereignty foreshadowed the destruction of Ukrainian statehood and regional peace and stability.

Professor Ivan Katchanovski is a Ukrainian and Canadian scholar specializing in Ukraine's politics and conflicts. Professor Katchanovski spent 11 years researching one of the most pivotal events in the modern history of Ukraine, the Maidan massacre. His latest book, “The Maidan Massacre in Ukraine: The Mass Killing that Changed the World," illustrates the origins of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the decisive role played in it by foreign actors. It’s available to be downloaded for FREE, and it's absolutely a must-read!

Follow Dr. Ivan Katchanovski on X (Twitter): https://x.com/I_Katchanovski.

Download Professor Katchanovski's "The Maidan Massacre" book in open access for FREE: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-67121-0

Support Professor Katchanovski's research via GoFundMe campaigns:

https://gofund.me/173df0ed

https://gofund.me/334b0e98

Thank you to all my subscribers for being part of World Affairs in Context. Your support makes the newsletter happen, and your questions, ideas, and suggestions inspire it. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber, which will help contribute to the resources needed to produce more content on the platform. If you’d like to make a one-time contribution, please do so via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.

Subscribe now

The interview is available on YouTube and Patreon.

Share

Greetings, All!

Let’s catch up on the latest top headl…

Read more

The BRICS+ alliance, under the chairmanship of Brazil, held a conference, "The Dilemmas of Humanity," in São Paulo, where the bloc’s members and partners discussed approaches to countering the tariff regime imposed by the Trump administration, a new financial architecture, and enhancing platforms to promote South-South cooperation.

Yaroslav Lissovolik attended the conference and shared recent updates with us. In our conversation, Yaroslav emphasized that President Trump’s tariffs are encouraging countries of the Global South to increase cooperation and establish joint commodity platforms, such as the BRICS+ Grains Exchange. With more than 30 countries expressing interest in joining the bloc, its expansion is an indicator of the global shift in power fueled by the economic and trade policies of the West.

To address the flaws in global economic governance, the BRICS+ advocates for establishing a regional governance layer between national economies and global institutions like the IMF and World Bank. This intermediate layer would include regional trade, financing, and development institutions, which already possess more combined resources than their global counterparts. While some progress has been made, a comprehensive system is still lacking. The Global South, with existing regional groups and financial institutions, is well-positioned to lead this initiative through integration and coordination.

Dr. Yaroslav Lisovolik is the founder of BRICS+ analytics, a valuable source of unbiased and professionally presented, highly detailed information on the BRICS+ economic alliance and its latest developments.

Thank you to all my subscribers for being part of World Affairs in Context. Your support makes the newsletter happen, and your questions, ideas, and suggestions inspire it. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber, which will help contribute to the resources needed to produce more content on the platform. If you’d like to make a one-time contribution, please do so via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.

Subscribe now

The interview is available on YouTube and Patreon.

Share World Affairs in Context

Greetings, All!

Let’s catch up on the latest top headl…

Read more

Let’s examine a critical topic that affects all of us…

Read more

Greetings, All!

Let’s catch up on the latest top headl…

Read more

Today, I was honored to connect with Dr. Ron Paul whose dedication to supporting a peaceful foreign policy and the protection of civil liberties at home has been unparalleled. Dr. Paul is a former Congressman, United States Presidential candidate, and the founder of The Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity. Dr. Paul is the host of The Ron Paul Liberty Report, a must-watch show on Rumble!

Dr. Paul notes that the United States has been on an unsustainable fiscal path, and we are witnessing the collapse of the fake economic system. President Trump seeks to increase the Pentagon budget to $1 trillion as the federal deficit rises and the national debt surpasses $37 trillion. Interest on the debt is already larger than spending on Medicare and national defense combined – it is second only to Social Security. Ending the glorification of militarism and interventionism over peace, sound money policies, and the nation’s prosperity is the first step toward addressing economic and political challenges.

Follow Dr. Ron Paul on X, watch The Ron Paul Liberty Report for daily updates, news, and analysis, and connect with the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity.

The video is available on YouTube and Patreon.

Thank you to all my subscribers for being part of World Affairs in Context. Your support makes the newsletter happen, and your questions, ideas, and suggestions inspire it. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber, which will help contribute to the resources needed to produce more content on the platform. If you’d like to make a one-time contribution, please do so via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.

Subscribe now

Although President Donald Trump campaigned on ending the Ukraine-Russia conflict “in 24 hours”, the complexity of the US proxy war has proven to be far more nuanced. Since January 2025, the neocons in Washington spent $1 billion to bomb Yemen as the Trump Administration approved nearly $12 billion in major FMS sales to Israel. As the US buildup of military assets around Iran intensifies, will it seek to exit its failed proxy war in Ukraine to attack Iran?

Share World Affairs in Context

Dr. Pascal Lottaz notes that although the US-Russia peace talks are progressing much slower than originally expected, the peace in Ukraine is viewed by both sides as only a part of the bigger goal to re-establish an effective security architecture in Europe. The calls for a ceasefire are meant to freeze the conflict as Russia is decisively winning on the battlefield. The tensions within the Trump administration and the neocons who push to continue the fighting (such as Gen. Chris Cavoli) indicate internal policy misalignment as the military-industrial complex refuses to abandon a failed proxy war before it sets the stage for a pivot to another lucrative multi-billion-dollar conflict.

Dr. Pascal Lottaz is Associate Professor for Neutrality Studies at Kyoto University’s Faculty of Law & Hakubi Center. Follow Pascal on X and watch one of his recent interviews and analysis videos on Neutrality Studies.

The video is available on YouTube and Patreon.

Thank you to all my subscribers for being part of World Affairs in Context. Your support makes the newsletter happen, and your questions, ideas, and suggestions inspire it. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber, which will help contribute to the resources needed to produce more content on the platform. If you’d like to make a one-time contribution, please do so via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.

Subscribe now

The US State Department’s approval of a $5.58 billion military sale to the Philippines, featuring 20 cutting-edge F-16 fighter jets and a wide array of advanced weaponry and support systems, came amid reports of the deployment of yet another Typhon missile system to the country. After the recent social unrest caused by the ICC arrest of the former President Rodrigo Duterte, the Marcos Jr. administration welcomed US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, whose main goal was to strengthen the military alliance between the two countries.

Anna Malindog-Uy notes that the new arms race in the region will drive China to an increasingly defensive posture and will further destabilize the Indo-Pacific region. The tensions in the South China Sea and those surrounding Taiwan are escalating as the multi-billion-dollar sales of weapons to the Philippines indicate it is being groomed as a new U.S. proxy in Asia.

Dr. Anna Malindog-Uy is the Vice President at the Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute. Follow Anna on X and read her latest articles on her site.

Thank you to all my subscribers for being part of World Affairs in Context. Your support makes the newsletter happen, and your questions, ideas, and suggestions inspire it. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber, which will help contribute to the resources needed to produce more content on the platform. If you’d like to make a one-time contribution, please do so via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.

Subscribe now

Greetings, All!

Let’s catch up on the latest top headl…

Read more

As the new tariff regime is launched, its impact on the United States, the targeted countries, and the global economy is increasingly challenging to predict. After identifying China as a foreign “adversary”, the United States has doubled down on aggressive policies aimed at inflicting economic pain to weaken China’s manufacturing, military, and geopolitical capabilities.

Dr. notes that China’s trade ties are well-diversified, and the shift away from the US market will take no longer than two years. The new tariffs are unlikely to yield better results than the tariff regime imposed on China during President Donald Trump’s first term. In fact, China has already won the technology race. Warwick underscored that tariffs alone would not “bring manufacturing back to the United States”; instead, policies to reduce the dominance of the finance sector, raise substantial investments in infrastructure, and create highly skilled, well-educated human capital should be prioritized.

Follow Warwick Powell on X, and check out his recent articles here!

Thank you to all my subscribers for being part of World Affairs in Context. Your support makes the newsletter happen, and your questions, ideas, and suggestions inspire it. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber, which will help contribute to the resources needed to produce more content on the platform. If you’d like to make a one-time contribution, please do so via PayPal or Buy Me a Coffee.

Subscribe now

Follow World Affairs in Context on YouTube for more video content. In the comments section, let me know who you would like to see as a guest on the podcast in the future.

Share World Affairs in Context

As the gold price reached $3,000 per troy ounce, the Trump administration may consider revaluing U.S. gold reserves. Despite the fact that calls to audit Fort Knox have died down, the existence of nearly 8,000 tons of gold (worth about $750 billion) held at Fort Knox is still surrounded by mystery. Does the gold at Fort Knox even exist? What is its true origin? What’s driving the federal government’s lack of transparency? Will gold revaluation collapse the U.S. dollar, as so many gold brokers claim? Will gold reserves be used to pay off $37 trillion in U.S. national debt or buy Bitcoin for the newly created Federal Bitcoin Reserve? I discussed these and other questions with Ryan McMaken, economist and executive editor at the Mises Institute.

Ryan McMaken notes that the gold held at Fort Knox was effectively “stolen” from the American public by the U.S. government after President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 6102 in 1933. This order effectively made gold ownership, both in coins and bars, illegal for all Americans and punishable by up to ten years in prison.

Follow Ryan McMaken on X, and check out his books and articles here!

Thank you to all my subscribers for being part of World Affairs in Context. Your support makes the newsletter happen, and your questions, ideas, and suggestions inspire it. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber, which will help contribute to the resources needed to produce more content on the platform.

Subscribe now

Follow World Affairs in Context on YouTube for more video content. In the comments section, let me know who you would like to see as a guest on the podcast in the future.

Share World Affairs in Context

Chinese regulators recently blocked BlackRock’s $23 b…

Read more

Greetings, All!

Let’s catch up on the latest top headl…

Read more

The article was written by Dr. Ron Paul and originall…

Read more

Greetings, All!

Let’s catch up on the latest top head…

Read more