Current Events & Trends: Russia flexes its muscles
A feature article in the Financial Times quoted Georgian diplomat and foreign policy analyst Alexander Rondeli as joking "that while Russians may not be good at 'soft power'—the art of attraction—'they know how to do soft blackmail'" (Neil Buckley and Roman Olearchyk, "Eastern Europe: Which Way to Turn?" Nov. 11, 2013).
One nation currently feeling the pressure is Ukraine. Russia has constructed 62 miles of barbed-wire fence along their common border. And the Russian natural gas monopoly Gazprom has demanded that cash-strapped Kiev pay its overdue gas bill of nearly $900 million, threatening yet another Russian shutoff (James Marson, "Russia Warns Ukraine Over Gas Bill," The Wall Street Journal, Oct. 29).
Meanwhile the European Union and Ukraine are not far from closing a natural gas deal that would free Kiev from relying on Russian gas. Clearly Brussels and Moscow are vying for Ukraine. Some see Russian bullying as driving Kiev into the arms of the European Union. Yet the EU has also been exercising a milder form of bullying to encourage Ukraine to throw in its lot with Europe by joining the EU.
Russian influence is also increasingly felt in its ever-wary neighbor Finland. Moreover, the London Times reported Nov. 14, "Egypt's military leaders hope to strike a $2 billion arms deal with Russia today as Moscow seeks to capitalise on souring relations between Cairo and Washington."
But most disturbing of all are Moscow's plans to spend $755 billion over the next decade to bolster its military. While the United States and Britain pare their defense budgets considerably, both Russia and China are substantially increasing theirs. (Sources: Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Times [London].)
An Article from:
Good News Magazine: January - February 2014
Course Content
Jerold Aust
Jerold Aust has served in the ministry for 52 years, as a public speaker for 58 years, a published writer for 38 years, and is employed by UCG’s Media and Communications Services. He is a Senior Writer, interviewer, and editor for Beyond Today Magazine and has taught Speech Communication for UCG’s ministerial online program and the Book of Revelation for ABC.
Jerold holds a BA in theology from Ambassador College, Pasadena (1968), an MA in Communication from California State University, Fullerton (1995), a distance-learning Ph.D (2006), and a Famous Writers School diploma in non-fiction writing (1973). Additionally, he studied post-grad communication at University of Southern California (1995), radio, TV, voice-overs, and Public Relations at Fullerton College (1995-1996), and graduate communication at Wichita State University (1978). Jerold has taught communication at the University of South Alabama (7 years) and ABC (17 years). His published works include, Ronald Reagan’s Rhetoric: Metaphor as Persuasion and EZSpeakers: Public Speaking Made Easy in 7 Steps. Jerold's overarching goal is to share with humankind its incredible destiny!
John Ross Schroeder
John died on March 8, 2014, in Oxford, England, four days after suffering cardiac arrest while returning home from a press event in London. John was 77 and still going strong.
Some of John's work for The Good News appeared under his byline, but much didn't. He wrote more than a thousand articles over the years, but also wrote the Questions and Answers section of the magazine, compiled our Letters From Our Readers, and wrote many of the items in the Current Events and Trends section. He also contributed greatly to a number of our study guides and Bible Study Course lessons. His writing has touched the lives of literally millions of people over the years.
John traveled widely over the years as an accredited journalist, especially in Europe. His knowledge of European and Middle East history added a great deal to his articles on history and Bible prophecy.
In his later years he also pastored congregations in Northern Ireland and East Sussex, and that experience added another dimension to his writing. He and his wife Jan were an effective team in our British Isles office near their home.
John was a humble servant who dedicated his life to sharing the gospel—the good news—of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God to all the world, and his work was known to readers in nearly every country of the world.
