The U.K. has broken with France and Italy over whether Europe should reopen direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper warning that Moscow has shown no credible interest in peace. Speaking to POLITICO on Thursday, Cooper rejected suggestions from … [Read more...]
Can the 15th Five-Year Plan Fix the People’s Liberation Army’s Procurement Bottlenecks?
China’s newly released 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) proposal, unveiled after the Fourth Party Plenum in October 2025, not only marks Beijing’s quest to achieve the People’s Liberation Army’s goal of building a so-called world-class military by 2049. As the last major planning cycle before the … [Read more...]
Experts see pragmatism in Canada policy
With uncertainty surrounding US trade policy adding pressure on Ottawa to diversify, experts say Canada is beginning to reassess its China policy through a more pragmatic lens after years of strained relations. "Canada and China have both demonstrated a willingness to move beyond recent … [Read more...]
Iran’s Struggle: Economy, Unrest, and Power
In the Islamic Republic of Iran, the current unrest began on December 28, 2026, when shopkeepers at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar protested against the rapid depreciation of the Iranian rial. These demonstrations quickly expanded into nationwide protests involving an unusually broad social coalition. Iran … [Read more...]
Latin American Reactions to Maduro’s Capture
Reactions in Latin America to the United States’ detention of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro have been divided. In several countries – including Argentina, Colombia and Chile – public opinions have differed from those of the national government. The public has tended to support Maduro’s arrest … [Read more...]
Total Defense for an Era of Total War
When federal agents walked into the municipal utility building in Littleton, Massachusetts, in late 2023, they carried a warning that should have wounded Americans’ sense of security. Chinese state-backed operators had penetrated the town’s water system, quietly compromising its control network for … [Read more...]
Report on the Arctic Capabilities of the U.S. Armed Forces
The United States has considerable interests in the Arctic and is one of just eight countries with territory in the region. It also has a responsibility to prepare and protect its armed forces that could be called upon to secure its Arctic interests as the region becomes an increasingly active … [Read more...]
End of western alliance means UK must be bolder, says Chatham House director
Donald Trump has ended the western alliance, requiring the UK to adopt a bolder, more independent foreign policy towards the US and China, the director of Britain’s most prestigious foreign policy thinktank has said. Delivering her analysis in her annual lecture, Bronwen Maddox, the director of … [Read more...]
The return to a British sphere of influence: The case for a GIUK gap security treaty
The United Kingdom (UK) stands at a generational inflection point. As the United States (US) reasserts a muscular approach to geopolitics in the Western Hemisphere, and as Russia and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) seek to reshape eastern Europe and the Indo-Pacific, Britain must decide whether … [Read more...]
Mercenarism Reborn: Drone Operators, Coders, and the Post-Ukraine Market for Force
Ukraine has emerged as the world’s most intense proving ground for modern warfare. Yet, these lethal advances in technology and tactics will not remain confined to Ukrainian battlefields. While wars typically end with questions about security guarantees and postwar reconstruction, the end of the war … [Read more...]