Kyiv

April 15, 2026 | Ivana Stradner, Peter Doran

Americans shouldn’t cry for Orban

Never ignore the voters. After 16 years in power, Hungary’s corpulent Prime Minister Viktor Orban lost touch with the conservative base that supported him from the start, believing...

April 14, 2026 | Ivana Stradner |

Center-Right Party’s Overwhelming Victory in Hungarian Election Could Boost EU Support for Ukraine

After 16 years in power, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was resoundingly defeated in the country’s general election on April 12. The victory of the center-right Tisza Party led by Peter Magyar...

April 10, 2026 | RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, Ivana Stradner

Why Hungary’s two-faced Orbán deserves to lose his re-election bid

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary is on the ropes in his latest bid for reelection, down by double-digit margins in the latest polls. So he brought in a ringer. Vice President JD Vance, a star...

April 2, 2026 | Mark Dubowitz, Simone Rodan-Benzaquen

The War in Iran Is Painful for Poland. It May Also Be in Poland’s Interest.

The blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 12-14 percent of Europe's liquefied natural gas flows, puts Poland's energy diversification strategy to a serious test. However, this is nothing compared to the risk posed by a nuclear-armed Iran supplying Russia with advanced missiles and drones.

April 1, 2026 | Ahmad Sharawi, Dmitriy Shapiro

Ukraine Agrees to Mutually Beneficial Defense Deals With Gulf Arab States

“In terms of expertise, no one today can help the way Ukraine can,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after his visit to the Middle East, referring to defenses against the Shahed drones...

April 1, 2026 | John Hardie, Keti Korkiya

Putin Reportedly Vows To ‘Keep Fighting,’ Asks Oligarchs To Pitch In

Russia “will keep fighting” until it captures the rest of the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, President Vladimir Putin reportedly told Russian business elites. During a meeting last week, the...

March 27, 2026 | John Hardie, Dmitriy Shapiro

Russia reportedly sending Iran drones for use against the US and Israel

“There’s an axis of aggression between Russia and Iran,” British defense chief John Healey declared on Thursday, accusing Moscow of “sharing tactics, training, and tech” to help Tehran...

March 17, 2026 | Dmitriy Shapiro |

Russian Hypocrisy on Display at the UN on Iran’s Behalf

Ties to the Persian Gulf region are “among Russia’s foreign policy top priorities,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov declared during a ministerial meeting with Arab Gulf states in the resort...

March 12, 2026 | Keti Korkiya, John Hardie

Russia Allegedly Meddles in Hungary’s Upcoming Elections

As Hungarian voters prepare for parliamentary elections in April, the contest is shaping up to be one of the toughest political challenges yet for Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whom President Donald Trump...

March 10, 2026 | RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery |

Can Ukraine’s state-of-the-art drone tech come to US aid in Iran?

President Donald Trump’s Department of War has rightly called Israel a “model ally” — and no wonder, as the world watches Israeli pilots operate alongside their American counterparts in the...

March 5, 2026 | Tzvi Kahn |

Trump Administration Foreign Policy Tracker: March

Trend Overview Welcome back to the Trump Administration Foreign Policy Tracker. Once a month, we ask FDD’s experts and scholars to assess the administration’s foreign policy. They provide trendlines...

March 5, 2026 | John Hardie |

Ukraine will help combat Iranian drones in Middle East, Zelenskyy says

Years of Russian bombardment with Iranian drones have provided Ukraine with unparalleled experience in finding cost-effective ways to counter these weapons. Now, that hard-won expertise may be about to...

March 5, 2026 | Ivana Stradner, RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery

Escalation Without Detonation: Russia’s Nuclear Threats

Fears of a renewed arms race are echoing around the world once again, ignited by last month’s expiration of New Start, the last treaty limiting U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenal deployment. This week,...

March 4, 2026 | Ivana Stradner, Emily Hester

Moscow Muddies the Info Waters to Hide How It’s Abandoned Its Ally

In modern conflict, narrative is a weapon. The Kremlin understands this. Now the US has a chance to remind the world how treacherous Russia as ally can be.

March 2, 2026 | John Hardie, Keti Korkiya

Russia Watches Iran War From the Sidelines — Again

Amid its all-consuming war in Ukraine, Russia has repeatedly found itself struggling to shape other global events — from the Caucasus to the Middle East to Latin America. Moscow is now again watching from the sidelines as the United States and Israel seek to topple the regime in Iran, potentially dealing a further blow to Russian interests. In the short term, though, the Middle East conflict carries greater risk for Ukraine, since it could divert U.S. attention and military resources.

February 27, 2026 | Keti Korkiya |

Four Years After Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion, Peace Requires Leverage — Not Capitulation

Four years ago, Russian armored columns pushed toward Kyiv, expecting a swift collapse of the Ukrainian state. That collapse never came. Russia failed in its central objective. Kyiv did not...

February 24, 2026 | Andrea Stricker |

Countering Iran’s Covert Chemical Weapons Program

February 24, 2026 | John Hardie, Keti Korkiya

Four Years Into Russia’s Invasion, U.S. Course Correction Needed To End War in Ukraine

Exactly four years since launching its full-scale invasion, Russia has still failed to subjugate Ukraine. Yet Russian President Vladimir Putin has not abandoned that goal. He now aims to achieve at the...

February 19, 2026 | RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, John Hardie, Ivana Stradner, Peter Doran, Joe Dougherty

Marking Four Years of Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

February 17, 2026 | Peter Doran |

Marco Rubio’s Munich Moment

Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s speech has instilled a new sense of purpose within the transatlantic alliance.