Dr. Richard Sakwa is Emeritus Professor of Politics at the University of Kent at Canterbury, UK. He has written widely on comparative politics, international relations and political philosophy, with a focus on Russian and European affairs. A few of his latest books are “The Lost Peace: How the West Failed to Prevent a Second Cold War,” and “The Russo-Ukrainian War: Follies of Empire.” The Ukrainians will not cede the land controlled by the Russians and a cease-fire will not bring a lasting peace, it will only lock in a fragile standoff. Europeans must be more involved in promoting reconciliation and development initiatives. To arrive at a peace agreement, concessions \must be made by both sides. Substantive discussions are critical at several levels The Russian-US relationship, Russian- European relationships, and Russian Ukrainian. For a just and lasting peace to end the war, Ukraine should become a neutral, nonaligned, tolerant, multicultural entity.

September 1, 2026

Jeremy Varon is professor of history at The New School in New York City. He is the author of “Bringing the War Home: The Weather Underground, the Red Army Faction, and Revolutionary Violence in the Sixties and Seventies.” His most recent book is, “Our Grief Is Not a Cry for War: The Movement to Stop the War on Terror.” The majority of recent US wars are widely- viewed as failures and unnecessary. The Trump administration destroyed much of the trust and alliances with US allies, all of whom need treaties, trade agreements and partnerships. The Obama Nuclear Deal with Iran was very effective, but Trump decimated it in 2018. Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, US’s negotiators, apparently are incompetent and misunderstood the history culture and current conditions of the Persian Gulf States. President Trump launched this unconstitutional, illegal war based on” a feeling” and erroneous reporting by Kushner and Witkoff.
August 29, 2026

Felix Dodds is Adjunct Professor at the University of North Carolina. Felix chaired the 2011 UN conference that proposed the first set of indicative Sustainable Development Goals. From 1992 to 2012, he served as the Executive Director of the Stakeholder Forum for a Sustainable Future. He established the Network for Regional Government for Sustainable Development in 2002, the Water and Climate Coalition in 2007, and the Communitas Coalition for the UN’s SDG 11 in 2013. His most recent books are both with Chris Spence: last year's Environmental Lobbying at the United Nations and the 2023 book Heroes of Environmental Diplomacy: Profiles in Courage. The United Nations, through its international conferences, research studies, agency programs, and collaboration with civil society, has been one of the most significant proponents of discussions on the climate crisis and clean energy. Many countries have bypassed the USA in achieving energy independence and environmental enhancement.,

July 20, 2026