As Western leaders departed the G7 summit in Évian talking of a “strategic awakening in support of Ukraine,” the night sky over Moscow was illuminated by the fires of a burning oil refinery just nine miles from the Kremlin. This unprecedented Ukrainian drone strike on Russian territory was met in Western capitals with quiet endorsement … Read more
When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived at the G-7 summit in Evian, France, last week, he was ready with his latest set of military and economic requests. Near the top of his list was a new item: a license to produce Patriot anti-ballistic missile interceptors inside Ukraine. Ukraine’s deficit of air defenses is, at this … Read more
Chinese President Xi Jinping’s summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang earlier this month celebrated their decades-long alliance, with both sides vowing to elevate their ties to “new heights.” However, the summit reflected a marriage of convenience with clear limitations. The Xi-Kim summit was a meaningful indication that China-North Korea bilateral ties … Read more
When Donald Trump arrived in the White House in January 2025, securing a quick end to the war in Ukraine was near the top of his foreign policy agenda. Despite political backlash, he pushed ahead with this objective early in his second term by resuming dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin and initiating parallel diplomatic … Read more
The time is ripe for European leaders to set aside the self-licking summits in European capitals and get in the room with the U.S., Ukraine, and Russia to orchestrate a modern-day Helsinki Conference. A durable peace for Ukraine will require several interlocking agreements, each of which will be incredibly difficult to negotiate, but all of … Read more
For a small, land-locked nation between the Black and Caspian Seas and surrounded by Iran, Russia, and Turkey, Armenia has had a bright spotlight shone on it the last couple of months. The reason? The country’s most consequential election since regaining independence 35 years ago. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party held onto its … Read more
Given the uneven course of the Russian economy during the first five months of 2026, Russian authorities, especially President Vladimir Putin, were keen to minimize the impacts of any possible stagnation at the 29th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. When asked by a reporter about Russia’s stagnating economy, Putin avoided a detailed response and paraphrased … Read more
“Birds in Ukraine are building nests from drone cable.” The headline itself tells a story, but the subsequent article in The Sunday Times missed the true magnitude of what the story represents. Almost from the beginning of the Ukraine war more than four years ago, the use of uncrewed drones has drawn significant attention. Observers … Read more
The warning from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to the U.S. and European governments to evacuate their diplomats and citizens from Kyiv before Russia launches “systematic strikes” marks a drastic escalation in the Ukraine conflict — with a serious risk of drawing the Washington and NATO into direct conflict with Russia. It most probably means … Read more
This month, as delegates from around the world gathered at the United Nations to talk about nuclear nonproliferation, the U.S. and Russia chose to remind everyone just how much destructive power they command. On May 12, Russia staged a test launch of its Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Russian President Vladimir Putin promptly announced that … Read more