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War On The Rocks
China’s Ties with North Korea Are in a Ditch, and Therein Lies Opportunity
One year ago, experts had many reasons to think China and North Korea would become closer than ever before. But that’s not what happened. Instead, Beijing and Pyongyang have become distinctly discordant and discourteous. This gap between…
America’s Long-Range Retaliation
On Feb. 2, 2024, two U.S. Air Force B-1B aircraft, on direct order from the president, released thousands of pounds of precision weapons onto targets in the Middle East as part of a large-scale U.S. retaliatory mission. The B-1s flew…
In Brief: The Belt and Road Initiative Expands
A lot happens every day. Alliances shift, leaders change, and conflicts erupt. With In Brief, we’ll help you make sense of it all. Each week, experts will dig deep on a single issue happening in the world to help you better understand it.…
Armed Neutrality for Ukraine Is NATO’s Least Poor Option
When it comes to securing Ukraine’s future, to paraphrase Winston Churchill, armed neutrality is the worst option for the United States and NATO, except for all the others.
As the Russo-Ukrainian war approaches its third anniversary, the…
“We Stand with Free People” — U.K. Security & Strategy with Tom Tugendhat
<!-- category --> February 17, 2025 Member of U.K. Parliament and military veteran Tom Tugendhat was recently in Washington and was kind enough to join Ryan for a short but weighty conversation. Tugendhat chaired the Foreign…
The Superpower Has Left the Building: Munich 2025
National security’s Burning Man took place this weekend, as foreign policy types from around the world gathered once again in Bavaria. The Munich Security Conference years ago burst the confines of the Bayerischer Hof hotel, where a…
South Korea Should Lean into Nuclear-Powered Submarines
The art of the deal is back, and so is the price tag on alliances. In this context, South Korea’s ambitions to develop nuclear-powered submarines could become a critical factor in shaping its alliance with the United States. While the…
Russia’s War in Ukraine Has Brought Iran and Belarus Closer Together
Belarus and Iran have developed a growing strategic partnership since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. What began as a pragmatic association rooted in mutual economic and political isolation from the…
The 51st State That Never Was: Why the United States Didn’t Annex Canada
Why didn’t the United States annex Canada during earlier historical periods? In short, because it didn’t want to.
President Donald Trump has drawn widespread criticism (dating back to before his first term) for seeing U.S. foreign policy in…
The Continental Divide
Welcome to Mid-Afternoon Map, our exclusive members-only newsletter that provides a cartographic perspective on current events, geopolitics, and history from the Caucasus to the Carolinas. Subscribers can look forward to…
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