Will Japan and Russia Ever Be at Peace?

Then-Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida shaking hands with President Vladimir Putin in 2016. Photo Credit: Newsweek Japan On August 9, 1945, merely hours before the B-29 bomber Bockscar dropped the “Fat Man” on Nagasaki, the Soviet Union began its offensive against the Japanese Kwantung Army in Manchuria. Within days, the imperial forces surrendered and ceded control … Continue reading Will Japan and Russia Ever Be at Peace?

From Nordic to NATO: How Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine May Affect Sweden and Finland

Photo Credit: NATO The Russian invasion of Ukraine changes the way non-NATO member states prioritize security. There are a variety of reasons why countries do not join NATO, however, these countries are reconsidering as the conflict in eastern Europe approaches its third month. Currently, attention is on the non-NATO Nordic countries of Sweden and Finland. … Continue reading From Nordic to NATO: How Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine May Affect Sweden and Finland

Democracy in Danger: How AI-Enhanced Disinformation is Threatening Democracy

Soon after the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy circulated on social media, asking Ukrainian soldiers to surrender. It appeared not only on social media, but also on Ukraine’s national television station, Ukraine 24. The entirely faked video demonstrates firsthand the threat which deepfakes pose to democracy. … Continue reading Democracy in Danger: How AI-Enhanced Disinformation is Threatening Democracy

Ukraine Is Not the Leadership Case Study You Think It Is

Photo Credit: Boris Baldinger/World Economic Forum Soon after Russia invaded Ukraine at the end of February, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy became, at home and abroad, a symbol of heroic resistance to Vladimir Putin. Through bold addresses from Kyiv and emotional, heartbreaking appeals to other foreign leaders, Zelenskyy gave a human face to the impact of Russian … Continue reading Ukraine Is Not the Leadership Case Study You Think It Is

The Ukraine-Russia War: An Uncertain Future for Indian Defense Modernization

Photo Credit:Agence France-Presse             In the days following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in late February, India remained silent. In the United Nations Security Council, where India is currently a non-permanent member, and in the General Assembly, India has noticeably abstained on resolutions condemning Russia. This silence has prompted international criticism given Russian targeting of … Continue reading The Ukraine-Russia War: An Uncertain Future for Indian Defense Modernization

A New Russian Strategic Calculus? Analyzing the Viability of JCPOA Negotiations

Photo Credit: Deutsche Welle Underneath the central crisis of its invasion of Ukraine, Russia is more subtly challenging global security. Most recently, Russian attempts to hijack negotiations around the United States’ re-entrance into the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), threaten to spiral Middle Eastern security into greater crisis. Indeed, these negotiations have constantly been … Continue reading A New Russian Strategic Calculus? Analyzing the Viability of JCPOA Negotiations

Incongruence and Strategic Adaptation

Image from Twitter Military means must not be considered separately from the political ends they serve.  This political-military maxim is both elementary and often ignored.  In an effective system, civilian and military leaders collaborate to craft strategies that establish realistic political ends and military means capable of accomplishing them at an acceptable cost.  More often … Continue reading Incongruence and Strategic Adaptation

Putin’s Hitmen: How Mercenaries Serve the Kremlin at the Expense of Stability

Photo released by the Ukrainian Security Service allegedly depicting Wagner Group mercenaries at an unknown location. Photo Credit: VOA News Volodymyr Zelensky sits in a chair next to the podium as he conducts a press conference, wearing the olive-green military clothing that has now come to symbolize his defiant resolve to fight against the Russian … Continue reading Putin’s Hitmen: How Mercenaries Serve the Kremlin at the Expense of Stability

Democracy, Race, and Ukraine

Nigerian students in Ukraine wait at the platform at the Lviv railway station on Sunday. (Bernat Armangue/AP) The Russian violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty has brought the former Eastern Bloc country to the forefront of news cycles. Democratic countries standing up to the autocratic ruler of Vladimir Putin have also been a focus of the crisis. … Continue reading Democracy, Race, and Ukraine

How Will the Russia-Ukraine War Affect the Stability of Egypt?

On February 24th, Vladimir Putin initiated a ‘special military operation’ in Ukraine. Despite diplomatic attempts to prevent escalation, the Russian president moved to enforce his military grip on the former Soviet republic. While much has already been said about the potential consequences of the Russo-Ukrainian War on NATO, on other Eastern European republics, and on … Continue reading How Will the Russia-Ukraine War Affect the Stability of Egypt?