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The Cipher Brief: National Security news, analysis and expert commentary.

How Far Should the U.S. Go to Defend Saudi Arabia?

Former senior CIA official Norm Roule examines how Washington can strengthen Saudi Arabia’s defenses against Houthi attacks without risking another open-ended conflict

SAUDI-YEMEN-US-ISRAEL-IRAN-WAR

Recent deadly attacks by Yemen's Iranian-backed Houthis inside of Saudi Arabia have raised questions about just how far the U.S. should go in helping [...] More

Middle East Expert View

Expert Insights

Cipher Brief Experts bring context to today’s global events

Opinion

The U.S. Military Has Much to Learn From Ukraine

Walter Pincus

“What does Ukraine really need? How do we make sure they're delivering what they actually need? And you know, right now those are air defense munitions, it's funding for drones, it's extended range artillery, electronic [...] More

Walter Pincus Fine Print
Opinion

The Terms We Must Set

Richard Berry

On October 15, a Vietnamese state-owned tanker, the PVT Azura, departed St. Petersburg with 109,000 barrels of Russian diesel. It is due at Norfolk on November 2, at a facility that the shipping journal gCaptain reports [...] More

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News & Analysis

The 214th Separate Assault Battalion OPFOR Training Held In Ukraine

How Ukraine’s Ground Robots Are Changing the Battlefield

Operation Vivaldi, a Ukrainian military effort to repel Russian forces in the Donbas, has done much more than push back Moscow’s offensive in the [...] More

David Kirichenko Xen Europe Ukraine

Opinion

We’re Losing the Cognitive Space Race

Dr. Geoffrey Ling

We’re Losing the Cognitive Space Race

Over the last century, modern medicine achieved a historic feat. We increased the human lifespan by 33%. But at the same time, we completely failed [...] More

Alternative Perspectives

What’s on The Cipher Brief’s Digital Channel

Book Reviews

The Challenge of History: Terrorism in Canada
The Challenge of History: Terrorism in Canada

Access, Attachment, And Judgment: The Americans Who Explained Beijing
Access, Attachment, And Judgment: The Americans Who Explained Beijing

Can A 19Th-Century Idea Fix 21St-Century Disorder?
Can A 19Th-Century Idea Fix 21St-Century Disorder?

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The Best National Security Gossip

THE CANDIDATE FROM THREE CAPITALS: The Trump administration is weighing former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for UN secretary-general, according to a Wall Street Journal opinion column published Sunday. Citing sources in three countries, the Journal reports that Washington has raised the idea directly with Orbán and urged him to run. The unusual twist: U.S. officials believe Russia and China might back him, too, making Orbán a potential joint candidate of Washington, Moscow and Beijing. One U.S. official called him a “dream candidate for MAGA conservatives,” citing his positions on immigration, liberal nonprofits [...] More

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Events

Live Events

2026 Threat Conference

2026 Threat Conference

The Cipher Brief Threat Conference is the nation’s premier forum for non-partisan discussion of global threats and solutions as well as high-level [...] More

Previous Event: 25 October, 2026

The Cipher Brief 2027 HONORS Awards

The Cipher Brief 2027 HONORS Awards

Join us for the third annual Cipher Brief Honors Dinner, the evening of April 9, 2027. This Black-Tie event is invite-only. Please apply here for a [...] More

Upcoming: 09 April, 2027

Podcasts

State Secrets

Russia’s war against Ukraine is being fought on the battlefield, but another confrontation is unfolding across Europe. From drone incursions and sabotage operations to cyberattacks and threats against critical infrastructure, Moscow’s expanding gray zone campaign is raising urgent questions about NATO’s ability to respond.

In this episode of State Secrets, host Suzanne Kelly is joined by Dr. Jacek Siewiera, former head of Poland’s National Security Bureau and former senior national security advisor to the Polish president, and Dave Pitts, former senior CIA executive and co-founder of The Cipher Brief’s Gray Zone Group.

Together, they examine how Russia is using hybrid warfare to test NATO’s defenses, spread fear and uncertainty, and undermine European support for Ukraine. They also explore the growing risks posed by drone technology, the potential use of chemical and radiological weapons, and why traditional deterrence strategies may no longer be enough.

As Russia’s shadow war expands beyond Ukraine, what will it take for Europe and the United States to effectively deter Moscow before these threats escalate further?