Maxime Marquette
MadMax is an independent bilingual news outlet based in Québec, publishing analysis on geopolitics, technology, democracy, and culture.
Our mission: rigorous, source-cited analysis carried out with full editorial independence — no sponsorship, no party line.
Our editorial standards: sources are cited inline, corrections are fixed and logged publicly, and any use of artificial intelligence is disclosed.
“Burn rather than rot. Write rather than stay silent.”
Fire first. Sentences after. No lukewarm takes.
Always answer the strongest version of the opposing point. No strawmen.
No commissioned pieces. No editorial masters. No compromise.
Columns by Maxime Marquette
4,540 columns published
EDITORIAL: Hormuz Reopened, Fake Peace: Why the West Must Not Lower Its Guard on Iran
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most vital arteries of the global economy. Approximately 20% of world oil trade and a significant…
COMMENTARY: Beijing Arms Moscow, Threatens Taiwan: The Great Chinese Threat as Seen from the West
Here is a fact that too many Western leaders still struggle to fully absorb: the war in Ukraine and the threat to Taiwan are…
INVESTIGATION: The Diplomacy of Deception: Inside the Kremlin's Machinery for Simulating Peace While Striking
On June 23, 2026, Vladimir Putin declared that Russia was «ready to negotiate» with Ukraine — on the basis of the 2022 Istanbul agreements…
REPORT: On the Road of Debt: The Russian Regions Paying the Price for Putin's War
In Moscow, restaurants are packed, shop windows glow, and official statements speak of a «special military operation» proceeding «according to plan». Thousands of kilometers…
ANALYSIS: Belarus, Armed Vassal: How Lukashenko Became Russia's Launchpad Against NATO
Alexander Lukashenko's Belarus is no longer a neutral state wedged between Russia and the European Union. It is a Russian military operations base disguised…
DECODING: The Ankara Gamble: Turning The Hague's Promises into Real Tanks, Shells and Missiles
On July 7 and 8, 2026, the leaders of NATO member states will gather at the presidential Beştepe Palace in Ankara, Turkey. This summit…
COMMENTARY: The EU Sanctions Wall Holds Until 2027: Patience Against Putin's Chaos
On June 26, 2026, the European Union confirmed what its critics had doubted: its economic sanctions wall against Russia holds. Trade, banking, energy, cryptocurrencies…
ANALYSIS: The Refinery War: How Ukraine Is Turning Russian Oil Into an Achilles' Heel
On June 25, 2026, Ukrainian drones traveled more than 1,300 kilometers to strike the Bashneft refineries in Ufa, in the Bashkortostan region, hitting two…
DECODING: Two Years of the Moscow-Pyongyang Treaty: the Axis of Authoritarians Fueling War in Europe
On June 22, 2026, North Korea marked the second anniversary of the mutual defense treaty with Russia, signed with great ceremony in Pyongyang during…