Ukraine’s Next Act Could Impose Higher Costs for Putin
OPINION — There is a bit of typical Russian humor going around Moscow these days. Vladimir Putin, troubled by the intrusion of enemy forces into […] More
Russia
Ukraine’s Bold Invasion Raises Fears in Russia, and Questions About the War
SUBSCRIBER+ EXCLUSIVE REPORTING – The scenes are stunning. Access all of The Cipher Brief’s national security-focused expert insight by becoming a Cipher Brief Subscriber+ Member. […] More
U.S. Adversaries Create a Web of Threats
EXPERT Q&A — Closer collaboration between China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea – increasingly referred to as the ‘Axis of Authoritarians’ – requires a more holistic […] More
Americans Need to Understand We’re Living in a New Era of Global Threats
EXPERT Q&A – Experts have been concerned in recent times, about national security threats emanating from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea but a new […] More
Prisoner Swap Could Open Doors to Further Opportunity
OPINION — Following the barbaric Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a mainstream narrative has arisen, suggesting that no real chance for peace – absent […] More
Dealing with ‘Axis of Authoritarians’ Requires Greater U.S. Policy Risk
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT — Individually, China, Russia, Iran and North Korea consistently rank high on the U.S. list of global threats but national and […] More
U.S. Navy’s Ukraine Lesson: We Need More Sea Drones
SUBSCRIBER+ EXCLUSIVE ANALYSIS — Ukraine continues to strike Russian military targets in occupied Crimea, an area that has seen the most dynamic fighting in the […] More
America Beware: Russia is Waging a Broader War with Tactics Both Seen and Unseen
OPINION — Every night I am awoken by air alerts from Kyiv. A few months back, while traveling to that city I put the “Air […] More
How U.S. Adversaries are Eyeing Our Presidential Election
OPINION — Describing the conditions that set the stage for history’s largest, most costly war, Winston Churchill wrote in The Gathering Storm, “The malice of […] More
Putin’s Maskirovka and his Preference for U.S. President
OPINION — “Who ya gonna believe, me or your own eyes?” asked Chico Marx in the 1933 Mar Brothers film, Duck Soup, (though the quote […] More
Russian Propaganda Blames Biden and Ukrainians For Trump Shooting
SUBSCRIBER+ EXCLUSIVE REPORTING — On a Russian TV program recently, Dmitry Novikov, a Russian lawmaker, said that political chaos and divisions in the U.S. were […] More
Former Estonian President: NATO Falls Short of “Moral Obligation” To Defend Ukraine
OPINION — As part of The Cipher Brief’s coverage of this week’s 75th-anniversary NATO Summit in Washington, international correspondent Ia Meurmishvili spoke with Toomas Hendrik […] More
NATO Summit Leaves Out Georgia at a Critical Juncture
OPINION — In a significant and troubling shift for the country of Georgia, there was a glaring absence in this week’s NATO Summit declaration: the […] More
Putin’s Greatest Weapon Remains the ‘Scare Tactic’
EXPERT Q&A – World leaders are promising much-needed additional aid to Ukraine at this week’s NATO Summit in Washington DC with the U.S., Germany, Romania, […] More
Why NATO Would Be Stronger With Ukraine As a Member
OPINION — As the NATO Summit gets underway in Washington, experts agree on this much: Ukraine and Russia dominate the agenda, even for an alliance […] More
NATO Must Stop Putin – and Stop Worrying About Trump
OPINION — As the leaders of NATO gather in Washington for a three-day celebration of the alliance’s 75th anniversary, they also face short- and longer-term […] More
Russia’s Speedy Military Rebuild Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story
OPINION — As the fighting in Ukraine grinds on, Western policymakers and military officials are thinking ahead to the next war. Given how fast Russia […] More
How did the Presidential Debate Address U.S. National Security Issues? Not well.
OPINION – The Cipher Brief tapped expert Dave Pitts for his reaction to Thursday night’s debate from a national security perspective. “To the original national […] More