As the new Trump administration prepares to take office in January 2025, uncertainty about the president-elect’s stance on support for Ukraine looms large. European nations must urgently craft strategic policies to show that they are willing to stand behind Ukraine for the long haul, even if the U.S. is not. It can be done through aggregate efforts in economic, military, and informational domains. Read more...
The potential deployment of 100,000 additional North Korean troops to Russia benefits both countries in different ways, including by boosting Russia’s manpower and potentially creating an avenue for sharing highly sensitive nuclear technology. Meanwhile, the West can take various actions to mitigate the likelihood of the Ukraine conflict becoming a world war.Read more...
While its member states are taking their own steps to contain Russia in its war with Ukraine, NATO must pursue a multilayered overall approach to further inhibit the Russian war machine. In doing so, the alliance must take into account the differing political interests of its members, as well as all possible outcomes of the plan, including direct conflict with Russia.Read more...
Russia’s latest target for disinformation is the U.S. funded malaria vaccination program in West Africa. As the Kremlin continues to exploit institutional weaknesses and amplify skepticism towards Western initiatives, the divide between Africa and the West is only deepening. Read more...
On September 24th, 2024, two Russian missile carrier aircraft flew past the coast of Alaska while remaining in international air space. Policymakers must focus on areas of likely conflict, rather than getting distracted by a couple of Russian or Chinese aircraft operating in international airspace. Read more...
The conflict-ridden Sahel belt is experiencing a surge in violence. Russian paramilitary troops have been in the region for many years, but recent events in Mali, Burkina Faso, and the Russian home front suggest a shift in their operations and a weakened Russian stance in Africa. Read more...
On the week of September 23rd, 2024, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will meet with U.S. President Joe Biden to pitch his “victory plan”, including the use of the American-made Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) to strike targets deeper within Russia. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin warns that using Western missiles to strike such targets will lead to a war between Russia and NATO. The United States should therefore decide as soon as possible whether to allow Ukraine to use its limited ATACMS inventory in a potentially escalatory manner. Read more...
On September 10th, 2024, Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed that Iran had recently sent Fath-360 short-range ballistic missiles to Russia and subsequently called for further sanctions against Tehran. Though Iran denies it has done so, these weapon transfers clearly benefit it in various ways, and although there is no single solution to the problem, the United States can certainly implement strategies to mitigate any benefits Iran receives through its weapon sales to Russia. Read more...
On September 4th, 2024, the Biden administration announced that it would take major actions against Russian influence in the upcoming presidential election. According to the U.S. intelligence community, Russia has been interfering with the election in order to manipulate voters. Despite the issue’s complexity, the U.S. government must continue mitigating foreign influence in elections to ensure that the process is fair and not used to the advantage of adversaries overseas. Read more...
For now, Ukraine’s air force is severely lagging behind that of Russia in terms of available airpower, impeding its ability to defend itself, and there are several challenges in maintaining Ukraine's F-16 squadrons. However, this problem can be ameliorated by engaging in a comprehensive modernization effort aimed at establishing a long-term Ukrainian capability of flying, maintaining, and protecting its Western-supplied aircraft.Read more...
