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Deterrence & Foreign Policy

What is shaping American nuclear modernization, nuclear strategy, policy, and operations?

Archive, Deterrence & Foreign Policy, Strategic Adversariesdemocracy, Deterrence, forever war, Moscow, NATO, NPT, Putin, Russia, u.s. congress, Ukraine

Why Congress Should Support Ukraine

Stephen Blank & Peter Huessy0 Comments

Although Congress has adjourned for the holidays, when it returns, its first order of business should be passage of a resolution to provide Ukraine the support it needs to win.…

Archive, Deterrence & Foreign PolicyABM, Arms Control, China, Deterrence, IAMD, Russia, SASC, Space, START, strategic posture, treaty

Understanding the Strategic Posture Commission Report

The new Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States report unanimously concluded the United States is unprepared to face China and Russia as two nuclear-armed peer adversaries.…

Archive, Deterrence & Foreign PolicyArms Control, China, Deterrence, NATO, nuclear, Russia, stability

The Danger of Minimum Deterrence

Peter Huessy

Arms control advocates often propose a minimal deterrence strategy as a first step toward the abolition of nuclear weapons. Closely connected to a “no first use” policy, much of such…

Deterrence & Foreign PolicyArmenia, Azerbaijan, European Union, Iran, Nagorno-Karabakh, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine

Azerbaijan Coerces Nagorno-Karabakh While Armenia Plays Russian Roulette

Jack Dulgarian

The Republic of Armenia has been under attack by Azerbaijan. Baku may not halt its aggression any time soon. If matters worsen for Armenia, Russia may offer the ultimate trade…

Deterrence & Foreign PolicyChina, South America, United States

The First Rule of Countering Influence: Don’t Talk About Countering Influence

Adam Ratzlaff & Emma Woods

This article has been updated from the version originally published on July 2, 2021. China’s growing influence in the Americas is neither in the U.S. nor the region’s interests. The…

Deterrence & Foreign PolicyChina, European Union, France, Germany, Iran, Russia, United Kingdom, United States

The JCPOA is Dead—Renewal Not Required

Shima Bozorgi

It was a vibrant time in Iran. After two dark decades of post-revolutionary Iran, Mohammad Khatami came to the scene in 1997 with reforms from within and a "conversation of…

Deterrence & Foreign PolicyChina, European Union, Russia, United States

It’s Time to Stop Pivoting: Great Power Competition is Everywhere

Matthew Ivey

Early in the new year, the Biden Administration will release a National Security Strategy (NSS), a National Defense Strategy (NDS), and other strategic documents that will set the stage for…

Deterrence & Foreign PolicyIndia, Pakistan, South Asia, Taliban, Terrorism, United States

India Should Become The United States Premier South Asian ally

Kimia Hashemi-Nejad

For years, CIA officials tried to confront Pakistani intelligence officials about their assistance to the Taliban. Douglas London, who oversaw the CIA’s counterterrorism operations in South Asia until 2018, recalled…

Deterrence & Foreign PolicyColombia, Cuba, Russia, United States, Venezuela

A Two-Pronged Approach for Dealing with Venezuela

Walker D. Mills

The US can’t afford to ignore Venezuela. Even though it has been at odds with the United States since the election of Hugo Chávez in 1998, Venezuela has consistently received…

Deterrence & Foreign PolicyAfghanistan, Middle East, Syria, United States, Yemen

When it Comes to Security in the Middle East and Afghanistan, Climate Change is a Looming Threat

Perry Lum & Lilly Blumenthal

In response to the Taliban retaking power in Afghanistan, the United States and international donors have suspended aid and frozen billions of dollars in assets. The country, which is highly…

Deterrence & Foreign PolicyAlbania, Balkans, North Macedonia, Serbia

Western Balkan Border Changes Must Remain an EU Red Line

Nick Lokker

Anyone who glances at a European Union map will immediately notice the conspicuous exclusion of most of the Western Balkan states. Despite being surrounded by EU members on all sides,…

Deterrence & Foreign PolicyArctic, Russia

Russian Ambitions in the Arctic: What to Expect

Gabriella Gricius

Over the past few years, the Arctic has become an arena growing in prominence both for its potential as a geographic area of geopolitical competition as well as global concerns…