Neutrality Studies

There are many layers to the West’s brutality in its 21st century colonial quest for total dominance. One of them is the eradication of an academic future for the populations it targets for destruction. Support Abdullah here:Abdullah’s Fundraising: https://chuffed.org/pr...Instagram:   / abdullhabuwarda  Abdullah, a 21-year-old English literature student from Jabalia, describes continuing his education amid displacement, destruction, loss, hunger, and unstable infrastructure in Gaza. He discusses his unsuccessful attempt to reach a journalism program in London, the financial and visa barriers facing Palestinian students, why journalism matters to him, and the need for meaningful educational opportunities at a scale matching the crisis.Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Merch: https://neutralitystud...Donation: https://neutralitystud...Timestamps:00:00:00 Introducing Abdullah from Gaza00:01:40 Abdullah’s life and education before the war00:07:22 Continuing education amid destruction00:11:42 Displacement, loss, and daily survival00:18:05 The barriers to studying in London00:28:27 Education as hope amid systemic obstacles00:35:05 Exchange programs and evacuation pathways00:37:08 Why London and the fundraising struggle00:46:10 Why journalism matters to Abdullah00:50:54 Daily life, Gaza’s institutions, and final message

The Ukraine Proxy-War is going from bad to worse for the NATO war coalition and the leadership knows it. Panik is setting but at the same time there is no strategy on how to confront the failing project, just Donald Trump's erratic way of saying one thing today, another tomorrow and a third one in the time between. How will Russia and China deal with this situation?In Istanbul, Daniel Davis joins Pascal Lottaz to examine what they describe as the contradictions driving American foreign policy. They discuss Trump’s diplomacy with Iran, Russia and China, loyalty inside his administration, and competing influences on White House decisions. Davis challenges the idea that intelligence agencies independently control policy, while warning that NATO lacks the air defenses and industrial capacity for war with Russia. The conversation explores European escalation, diplomatic credibility, and the danger of a conventional conflict turning nuclear.Daniel’s Links:YouTube:    / @danieldavisdeepdive  X: https://x.com/DanielLD...German:    / @danieldavisdeepdivege...  French:    / @danieldavisdeepdivefr...  Italian:    / @danieldavisdeepdiveit...  Spanish:    / @danieldavisdeepdivesp...  Russian:    / @danieldavisdeepdiveru...  Portuguese:    / @danieldavisdeepdivepo...  Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 An Istanbul conversation with Daniel Davis00:40 Trump’s contradictory Iran policy02:20 Diplomacy, trust and broken agreements06:38 Loyalty and the people around Trump11:53 Who shapes American foreign policy?15:58 Russia, the CIA and diplomatic channels19:34 Europe and the risk of escalation22:45 Why Davis says NATO cannot win

In Istanbul, historian Jeff Rich joins Pascal to discuss what a peaceful multipolar world could look like. They debate civilisation states, China–India relations, and the tension between sovereignty and global interdependence. Rich argues that states must challenge US unilateralism while strengthening practical cooperation under the UN Charter. The conversation explores BRICS, regional diplomacy around the Strait of Hormuz, Ukraine’s reconstruction, and the limits of military power, ending with reflections on Václav Havel and ordinary people’s capacity to create change.Jeff's Links:The Burning Archive Substack: https://jeffrich.subst...The Burning Archive YouTube:    / @theburningarchive  Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 Istanbul: Imagining a multipolar future04:10 China, India and civilisation states13:01 Interdependence, sovereignty and globalism20:07 A new order rooted in the UN Charter29:21 BRICS and regional alternatives34:53 Ukraine: Reconstruction and reconciliation42:26 Empire and the limits of US power48:53 Building peace and the power of the powerless

The warmongering is not a bug. It's a feature of the system the Political West has build to dominate the world. How can we change that?At the East-West Forum in Istanbul, Professor Richard Sakwa joins Pascal to examine the political West, European sovereignty, and the persistence of Cold War thinking. Sakwa argues that Western triumphalism has weakened diplomacy and narrowed political imagination. They discuss competing visions of modernity, the risks of confrontation, and whether China offers an alternative to bloc politics. The conversation concludes with Sakwa’s proposal for a Charter Order grounded in international law, pluralism, and the unfulfilled promise of the United Nations.Richard's Links:University of Kent profile: https://www.kent.ac.uk...East-West Forum: https://east-west-foru...Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 At the East-West Forum in Istanbul00:39 The political, imperial, and philosophical West03:22 One West and Europe’s lost sovereignty07:10 Cold War victory and the lost peace08:46 From the postwar era to a prewar world12:28 Fukuyama and the ideological trap15:38 China and an alternative to bloc politics18:57 A Charter Order: the promise of 1945Chapters

The war-mania in Europe is heating up. People are starting to see drones everywhere, and all of them must be the product of Russian "hybrid warfare". What does this irrational psychosis mean for the future of the continent?Today I'm talking (in person) to my friend and colleague, Glenn Diesen. We examine Europe’s confrontation with Russia and the dangers of uncontrolled escalation. Diesen argues that European leaders are struggling to accept a changing balance of power, while questioning Washington’s willingness to end the Ukraine war. They discuss nuclear deterrence, NATO, Iran, economic dependence and America’s emerging spheres of influence. The conversation also explores whether transatlantic elites serve national interests, and how liberalism, democracy and multipolarity are reshaping the international order today.Glenn's Links:Glenn Diesen on YouTube:    / @gdiesen1  Glenn Diesen on Substack: https://glenndiesen.su...East-West Forum: https://east-west-foru...Harici: https://harici.com.tr/en/Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 An in-person conversation in Istanbul02:53 Europe’s leaders and American influence07:59 Drone incidents and the rhetoric of war12:52 Russia, nuclear risks and uncontrolled escalation26:10 Trump, Anchorage and outsourcing the war31:48 Why the unipolar order resists change36:59 Spheres of influence and Europe’s dependence39:58 Transatlantic elites, liberalism and democracy

Ambassador Jack Matlock reflects on the diplomacy that ended the Cold War and argues that Western leaders misunderstood its outcome. He discusses NATO expansion, Ukraine’s neutrality, sanctions, and the dangers of treating international relations as a contest for dominance. Drawing on his work with Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, Matlock contrasts negotiated security with attempts to impose political systems abroad. He also warns about nuclear weapons and emerging technologies, and explains why cooperation remains essential to preventing further global conflict.Jack's Links:Jack Matlock’s website: https://jackmatlock.comLooking Back to Look Ahead (free book): https://jackmatlock.co...Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 Welcome and Matlock’s diplomatic service01:33 The lost peace after the Cold War05:20 Nuclear weapons and new technological risks10:22 How the Cold War actually ended19:17 Reagan’s approach to diplomacy24:33 NATO expansion and Ukraine’s neutrality35:54 Rebuilding mutual security44:15 Matlock’s books and lessons for today

With every passing week, the Europeans are talking themselves deeper and deeper into a war-psychosis. And now, the Russians are starting to believe them. Stanislav Krapivnik joins Pascal to discuss drone strikes, Russian public opinion, and the danger of a wider European war. He assesses attacks on refineries, warehouses, ports, and transport networks, arguing that economic escalation carries consequences beyond Ukraine. Their conversation also examines military readiness, demographic pressures, sanctions, diesel supplies, and food distribution. Krapivnik offers a bleak outlook for the coming winter, while Lottaz questions how economic hardship and political decisions could affect the prospects for peace across Europe and beyond.Stas's Links:YouTube:    / @mrslavikman  X: https://x.com/STANISKR...Substack: https://zmeigarinich.s...Telegram (English): https://t.me/staswasth...Telegram (Russian): https://t.me/stastydai...Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 Introduction and Russia’s elections03:06 Drone strikes, refineries and air defenses08:20 Warehouses, ports and economic escalation16:20 Europe, Russia and the risk of wider war22:20 Military readiness and a possible NATO conflict29:49 Europe’s winter: diesel, energy and food34:38 Sanctions and the global oil market37:42 Shipping bottlenecks and political consequences

We want peace and multipolarity! And we want it now! That's what every sensible politician SHOULD be striving for. But well, as usually, the West does not follow what makes good sense.Profs. Daniel Klein and Christopher Coyne join Pascal to discuss their statement for peace and multipolarity. They challenge American primacy, examine the incentives behind militarism and regime change, and explore how trade, diplomacy, and everyday cooperation can sustain peace. The conversation considers corporate interests, government power, Adam Smith, and Western and non-Western intellectual traditions. Rather than demanding ideological agreement, the guests call for a broad coalition committed to sovereignty, restraint, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence among different societies and political orders.Daniel and Chris's Links:Daniel Klein's website: https://cjdjej.org/Christopher Coyne's website: https://www.ccoyne.com/For the Peace and Multipolarity statement: https://neutralitystud...Signatures so far: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies Links:Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps00:00 A statement for peace and multipolarity04:33 US primacy and the multipolar world11:04 The incentives behind the war machine15:31 The regime-change playbook18:37 Building peace through everyday cooperation24:13 Capitalism, corporate interests, and state power36:58 Grotius, Adam Smith, and traditions of peace48:00 Tolerance, coexistence, and a broad peace coalition

The Ukraine Proxy-War is turning now so decisively against Ukraine that the Europeans have no more other option than to escalate the war into their own territories—and they are preparing just that after also the last "Wunderwaffe" is failing.Rainer Rupp, former high-level NATO officer and East German spy, discusses the limits of AI and Palantir-style systems in Ukraine, the importance of intelligence gathering and industrial capacity, Iran’s independent military capabilities, the vulnerability of US bases, shrinking Western weapons stocks, and the political crises unfolding in Europe and Ukraine.Links:Rainer Rupp Substack: https://rainerrupp.sub...Neutrality Studies substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Merch: https://neutralitystud...Donation: https://neutralitystud...Timestamps:00:00:00 AI Hype and Ukraine’s Data Systems00:08:40 Data Gathering and AI Force Multipliers00:16:47 Why Drones Cannot Decide Wars00:18:49 Iran Versus Ukraine’s Capabilities00:26:08 Intelligence, Human Networks, and Targeting00:32:53 Why US Bases Become Liabilities00:45:11 Air Defense Costs and Western Capacity00:52:35 The Future of Warfare and Iran01:00:04 Political Breakdown in Europe and Ukraine01:06:33 Closing and Rainer Rupp’s Work

Col. Lawrence Wilkerson joins Prof. David Gibbs and Pascal Lottaz to examine major American decisions after the Cold War. Drawing on his work with Colin Powell, Wilkerson recalls the Gulf War, George H. W. Bush’s diplomacy, and proposals to integrate Russia into European security. Gibbs questions the motives behind NATO expansion and intervention in Yugoslavia. Their discussion explores competing interpretations, the rise of neoconservative strategy, institutional rivalries, and the military industry’s influence over the direction of United States foreign policy.David and Lawrence's Links: David Gibbs — University of Arizona: https://dgibbs.arizona...Lawrence Wilkerson — Quincy Institute: https://quincyinst.org...Neutrality Studies Links: Neutrality Studies Substack: https://pascallottaz.s...Support Neutrality Studies: https://neutralitystud...Neutrality Studies shop: https://neutralitystud...Time Stamps 00:00 An oral history of American power 01:51 The Gulf War and April Glaspie’s meeting 05:02 Powell, sanctions, and the decision for war 11:36 Bush’s motives and the United Nations 16:36 Russia, NATO, and a lost security partnership 32:10 Wolfowitz and the strategy of global dominance 43:56 Yugoslavia and European peace efforts 56:02 NATO expansion and the arms industry