Kyiv

February 14, 2025 | Cameron McMillan, Ryan Brobst, Bradley Bowman

‘Stark Strategic Realities’: Hegseth Tells NATO U.S. Must Prioritize Pacific Deterrence

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told European allies Wednesday that the United States could no longer be “primarily focused on the security of Europe” because of threats emanating from the Indo-Pacific....

February 14, 2025 | John Hardie |

Ukraine bets on unmanned systems with expansion of best drone units

On February 9, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced a new initiative to expand some of Ukraine’s most capable drone units and replicate their strengths across the force. Amid a shortage...

February 14, 2025 | Jack Burnham |

Seeking Leverage, China Reportedly Offers Washington Assistance in Settling the Ukraine War

Despite fueling Moscow’s war machine, China has expressed its interest in playing peacemaker in Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal reported on February 13 that Chinese authorities had approached the Trump...

February 7, 2025 | RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, John Hardie

Trump must keep arming Ukraine if he wants a good peace deal

Europe must do its fair share, but it cannot carry the burden alone.

January 31, 2025 | John Hardie |

North Korean troops pull back in Kursk as Pyongyang prepares fresh deployment, officials say

North Korean (DPRK) forces fighting in Russia’s Kursk region “have been pulled off the front lines after suffering heavy casualties,” though their absence may only be temporary, The New York...

January 29, 2025 | Annie Fixler, Mariam Davlashelidze

The Biden Administration Left Space Vulnerable to Cyberattack

Space systems are as vital as electricity to our everyday lives, but their cybersecurity is not similarly prioritized by the federal government. President Joe Biden’s final cybersecurity executive...

January 17, 2025 | Bradley Bowman |

What Happens in Kyiv Doesn’t Stay in Kyiv

Biden’s Afghanistan withdrawal sent a signal. So will Trump’s Ukraine policy, whatever it may be.

January 14, 2025 | John Hardie |

Trump Needs Timely Congressional Action to Support His Ukraine Agenda 

The United States unveiled a new security assistance package for Ukraine on January 9, expected to be the last under President Joe Biden. President-elect Donald Trump stands to inherit enough aid authority...

January 10, 2025 | Andrea Stricker |

Trump should get tough again on chemical weapons states

The media has largely ignored a disturbing trend: Russia is openly using chemical weapons against Ukraine. Ukraine’s army support services say Russia has carried out 4,800 chemical...

January 9, 2025 | John Hardie |

Ukraine, Russia trade attacks in Kursk while Russia takes Kurakhove

Russia and Ukraine both launched sizable attacks in different parts of Kursk Oblast in recent days, battling over territory that Kyiv hopes to use as leverage in potential peace talks. In eastern Ukraine,...

January 1, 2025 | Clifford D. May |

American greatness requires great military power

Encouragingly, most Americans understand that 

December 20, 2024 | John Hardie |

Russia announces plans to form Unmanned Systems Forces

On Monday, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov unveiled plans to form a new military branch focused on unmanned systems. His announcement, which follows a similar Ukrainian move earlier...

December 20, 2024 | John Hardie |

Biden Administration Foreign Policy Tracker: December

Welcome back to the Biden Administration Foreign Policy Tracker. Once a month, we ask FDD’s experts and scholars to assess the administration’s foreign policy. They provide trendlines of very positive, positive, neutral, negative, or very negative for the areas they watch. ...

December 16, 2024 | Benjamin Jensen, RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery

The Demographic Dilemma: Why Military Support Must Consider Population Trends

The strategic center of gravity for Ukraine in its war with Russia is its ability to sustain the manpower needed to man the front lines against a determined foe. Ukraine has struggled to mobilize enough...

December 4, 2024 | RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, John Hardie

Trump Should Make Putin Wince Before They Sit Down to Talk

A maximum pressure campaign would raise the likelihood of a fair and lasting peace in Ukraine.

November 26, 2024 | Ivana Stradner, Jason Jay Smart

Team Trump mustn’t buy Putin’s nuke threats: We’re not on the verge of WW III

Russian strongman Vladimir Putin is beating his chest again, hinting he may use nuclear weapons. Don’t buy the bluffs: We’re not on the verge of a nuclear World War III. Putin’s huffing...

November 21, 2024 | |

‘Ready For Any Developments’: Russia Launches Experimental Missile at Ukraine

Ukraine Comes Under Attack From Russian Experimental Missile: Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh confirmed that a missile launched by Russia at Ukraine on November 21...

November 20, 2024 | |

U.S. Temporarily Shutters Embassy in Kyiv Fearing ‘Significant Air Attack’

U.S. Issues Warning of Russian Attack: The U.S. Embassy in Kyiv temporarily closed on November 20 “out of an abundance of caution,” telling U.S. citizens in Ukraine to be prepared to shelter in place following a warning that it had received “specific information” about “a potential significant air attack” from Russia.

November 20, 2024 | George Bogden, David Rader

Out with the old in the Old World: How Trump can usher in Eastern Europe’s moment

“In times of rapid change,” remarked industrialist J. Paul Getty, “experience could be your worst enemy.” For those in Washington, Brussels, and Berlin who are panicking about what a second...

November 19, 2024 | John Hardie |

Ukraine Needs More Missiles to Take Full Advantage of New Biden Policy

Explosions thundered in Russia’s Bryansk region last night after Ukraine struck an ammunition depot near the city of Karachev. According to U.S. and Ukrainian officials, this was Ukraine’s first strike...