Russia

February 19, 2025 | Clifford D. May |

Trump can halt Russia’s war against Ukraine

Just don’t expect peace and concord

February 18, 2025 | |

‘We Can’t Have a Contract That Says Iran or Russia Must Not Bid’: South African Minister Opens Door to Nuclear Cooperation With Tehran and Moscow 

Iran and Russia in the Running: A South African government minister has said that Pretoria is willing to turn to Iran and Russia as partners in the development of its civilian...

February 18, 2025 | Behnam Ben Taleblu |

Tehran’s Trump Trap

Iran is seeking to gain leverage while hoping that Washington will misread its own weakness and fear as goodwill and restraint.

February 17, 2025 | Janatan Sayeh |

From Afghanistan to America: the rising reach of the Islamic State Khorasan Province

Four years after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the threat posed by the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) has expanded beyond the region, now endangering both American and European soil.

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 | Saeed Ghasseminejad, Janatan Sayeh

U.S. Should Rescind Sanctions Waiver for Iranian Port at Chabahar

Donald Trump has reignited Washington’s economic war on Tehran, and New Delhi is now caught in the crossfire. India signed a 10-year deal in 2024 to develop and operate the port of Chabahar on Iran’s...

February 14, 2025 | |

Ukrainian President Zelensky Says He Won’t Meet With Putin Without U.S.-Backed Peace Plan

Zelensky Won’t Meet With Putin Absent Common Peace Plan: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared on February 14 that he would not meet with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir...

February 14, 2025 | Annie Fixler, Rohannah Shrestha 

Ending the Ransomware Scourge Requires Punishing Its Enablers

Washington and its allies took a bite out of cybercrime on Tuesday in a series of coordinated steps against ransomware actors and their internet infrastructure.

February 14, 2025 | Ivana Stradner, Marina Chernin

Russia is using Trump’s Greenland rhetoric to boost its Crimea claims

Last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted that President Donald Trump’s desire to acquire the Danish territory of Greenland is “not a joke.” At least one person,...

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 12, 2025 | Peter Doran |

Marco Rubio must convince Europe that ‘America First 2.0’ has replaced Biden-era US decline

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has a historic opportunity at this week’s Munich Security Conference to define what an “America First” foreign policy means for Europe in President Trump’s second...

February 12, 2025 | Max Meizlish |

5 Reasons Why South Africa Must Remain on FATF’s Financial Crime Watchlist

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) placed South Africa on its “grey list” in February 2023, identifying critical weaknesses in the country’s ability to combat money laundering and terrorist financing....

February 10, 2025 | Bradley Bowman, RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery

Trump is Right to Prioritize Homeland Missile Defense

President Trump issued an executive order, “The Iron Dome for America,” on January 27, jumpstarting a major effort to deploy and maintain a “next generation” missile shield to better...

February 10, 2025 | John Hardie |

Trump Administration Foreign Policy Tracker: February

Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Trump Administration Foreign Policy Tracker. As readers of our Biden Administration Foreign Policy Tracker will know, this is a monthly publication...

February 10, 2025 | Sophia Epley, Sinan Ciddi, Andrea Stricker

Nuclear Power Plant Project Highlights Turkish Role in Russia’s Sanctions Evasion

The United States dealt Russian efforts to evade international sanctions a significant blow by ordering the American bank J.P. Morgan to freeze $2 billion of Russian funds destined for Turkey. The move...

February 7, 2025 | Saeed Ghasseminejad, Janatan Sayeh

U.S. Treasury Should Target Iran’s Trading Partners

“Make Iran broke again,” declared Scott Bessent, the incoming Treasury secretary, shortly before his confirmation. That is a realistic goal given Iran’s isolation from the international financial...

February 7, 2025 | Cameron McMillan, Bradley Bowman

‘Keep America Close and Russia at Bay’: Europe Debates Defense Spending

Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz told Politico on Wednesday that the goal of his country’s increased military spending is to “keep America close and Russia at bay” as Warsaw aims...

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.

February 7, 2025 | Ben Cohen |

A suppressed voice for truth from within the United Nations

Alice Nderitu sought to make forgotten conflicts in the world a topic of discussion and action, but everyone wanted her to focus on what she wouldn’t call a genocide in Gaza.

February 5, 2025 | |

‘Denying Iran All Paths to a Nuclear Weapon’: Trump Reimposes Maximum Pressure Against Tehran

Washington Reinstates Maximum Pressure on Tehran: President Donald Trump signed a National Security Presidential Memorandum on February 4, titled “Denying Iran All Paths to a...