Iranian skyline with mountains in the background. Photo Credit: Shutterstock. Iran’s approach to deterrence and grand strategy produces threats to different US foreign policy priorities: chiefly, non-proliferation, arms control, and regional stability, making it difficult for the United States to make and build consensus for an effective countering strategy. Iran’s desire to establish a nuclear … Continue reading Iran’s Approach to Deterrence
Category: Europe & Central Asia
The Russo-Turkish Alliance: With Friends Like These…
Putin and Erdogan inspect Turkish troops in Ankara. Photo Credit: The Kremlin. In the Erdogan-Putin era of great power chauvinism, geopolitical ambitions run rampant. The ambiguous Russo-Turkish alliance, however, sits on shaky ground. Moscow and Ankara were rivals for years in the Syrian conflict, openly providing support to opposing sides. But the countries are now … Continue reading The Russo-Turkish Alliance: With Friends Like These…
The Return of the Russian Hooligans: Expect Violence at Euro 2020
Russian fans attack an England supporter at the Euro 2016 match between the two countries. Photo Credit: Thanassis Stavrakis/AP. In 1945, George Orwell described sport as “war minus the shooting.”[i] Certainly, that must have been how it appeared on June 11, 2016, in Marseille, France. As their teams were about to play, fans of the … Continue reading The Return of the Russian Hooligans: Expect Violence at Euro 2020
Optics Matter: Strengthening Defense Cooperation to Counter Russia in the Black Sea
Officials from the U.S. and Poland with Battle Group Poland April, 2017. Battle Group Poland includes soldiers from the United States, United Kingdom, Romania and Poland as part of NATO's Enhanced Forward Presence. Photo Credit: Staff Sgt. Charlene Moler (U.S. Army). Defense cooperation between NATO and its Georgian and Ukrainian partners in the Black Sea … Continue reading Optics Matter: Strengthening Defense Cooperation to Counter Russia in the Black Sea
Despite its Economic Impact, The Maximum Pressure Campaign Is Not Successful
An Iranian woman holds her national flag as she walks past the former US Embassy in Tehran. Behrouz Mehri /Getty Images. Four years since Washington and Tehran signed the JCPOA agreement, diplomatic efforts have given way to renewed hostilities and brinksmanship between the two sides. The maximum pressure campaign, the Trump administration’s replacement to the JCPOA, … Continue reading Despite its Economic Impact, The Maximum Pressure Campaign Is Not Successful
Bringing NATO Into the Fold: A Dilemma for Arctic Security
The amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima passes under the northern lights during exercise Trident Juncture 2018 in the Norwegian Sea, Oct. 26, 2018. The NATO-led exercise is designed to increase interoperability among nations. Photo Credit: Petty Officer 3rd Class Kevin Leitner/US Navy. When many people consider the Arctic, they think not only of its … Continue reading Bringing NATO Into the Fold: A Dilemma for Arctic Security
The European Union’s Defense Ambitions Threaten to Undermine European Security
Signing the joint notification on the permanent structured cooperation. Photo Credit: Tauno Tõhk/European Council. In recent years, the European Union has put forth a host of initiatives aimed at improving the region’s defense and security. These proposals are wide-ranging, covering areas from defense spending to a “European Army.” While efforts to create improvements in defense … Continue reading The European Union’s Defense Ambitions Threaten to Undermine European Security
Estonia’s Digital Embassies and the Concept of Sovereignty
An e-Estonia display. Photo Credit: E-Estonia. INTRODUCTION I have previously covered e-Estonia and the strategic risks Estonia’s e-government platforms pose for Estonian and NATO cybersecurity by presenting a ready center of gravity for adversarial cyber operations.[i] That risk is calculated against the revolutionary benefits that e-governance has brought Estonia, making the country’s administration incredibly flexible, … Continue reading Estonia’s Digital Embassies and the Concept of Sovereignty
Is Green the New Black? Katharina Schulze is Reshaping Politics in Germany’s Bavaria
Katharina Schulze in front of a green background. Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons. At 34 years old, Katharina Schulze does not fit the stereotypical mold of a Bavarian politician. She is young, dynamic, and a self-described feminist, not to mention a member of the Green Party. Although one might picture an older, male, Christian Social Union … Continue reading Is Green the New Black? Katharina Schulze is Reshaping Politics in Germany’s Bavaria
The Lack of a US Response to Iran’s Brazen Actions may be its Most Escalatory Move Yet
Riverine Command Boats (RCB) 802 and 805 participate in a bi-lateral exercise with Kuwait naval forces in the Arabian Gulf. Photo Credit: U.S. Navy/Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Torrey W. Lee. Iran's ongoing attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and its escalatory strike on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities in Abqaiq have jolted … Continue reading The Lack of a US Response to Iran’s Brazen Actions may be its Most Escalatory Move Yet