As U.S. Pivots to Russia, Ukraine Pitches ‘Armed Forces of Europe’
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT — As the Trump administration moves sharply towards Russia, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has made a plea to his allies in Europe: […] More
military
After Seismic Shifts in U.S.-Russia Relations, What Will Europe Do?
EXPERT INTERVIEW – As the United States makes a sudden and profound shift away from western Europe and towards Russia, global leaders, policymakers, and analysts […] More
Trump is Right to Prioritize Homeland Missile Defense
OPINION — President Trump issued an executive order, “The Iron Dome for America,” on January 27, jumpstarting a major effort to deploy and maintain a “next […] More
China’s Preparations for a ‘Major-Power War’
EXPERT INTERVIEW – A report from China about a massive new military command center – a complex that, when completed, is expected to be 10 […] More
The Latest
Expert Q&A: The AI Challenge for the U.S. Military
EXPERT Q&A — Chinese AI startup DeepSeek shook the U.S. tech and business communities this week, with its launch of a free AI chatbot that it […] More
A Top US Commander is Fired – and What May Come Next
OPINION — “She is a leader of character and integrity who I relied on for counsel and support as the Commandant of the Coast Guard and […] More
How Can the U.S. better manage the Gray Zone?
This is part three in a three-part series by Cipher Brief Expert and former Assistant Director of CIA for South and Central Asia Dave Pitts, who also […] More
Pete Hegseth’s Answers to Questions That Weren’t Raised in Public
OPINION — “My priority will be to deliver on the President’s [Candidate Trump’s] promise to the American people to protect the homeland with an Iron Dome […] More
A Defense Bill Aims to Boost ‘Quality of Life’ in the Military
OPINION — “For the first time in decades, this year’s [fiscal 2025] defense [authorization] bill carries a different name. It is the Servicemember Quality of Life […] More
NATO Prepares for Trump, and His Plans for Ukraine
EXPERT INTERVIEW – Donald Trump has issues with NATO. That much seems clear from his past statements as a candidate and as president. But that […] More
Assessing US Recruitment: The Military V. Pete Hegseth
OPINION — “The U.S. Army Recruiting Command exceeded our fiscal year 2024 recruiting mission, with more than 55,000 future soldiers going to basic combat training. Additionally, […] More
Former US Commander: Future Global Policies ‘Being Written In Ukraine’
EXPERT INTERVIEW — In the week since Donald Trump’s election victory, the world has been speculating and preparing – in some cases with high anxiety […] More
AI, the Future of the DoD, and Elon Musk
OPINION – “I think the thing that’ll be really important is how you make them [new unmanned aircraft], because this is another thing the [Pentagon] […] More
In Next President’s Inbox: 10 Global Nightmares
SPECIAL REPORT – As a divided nation hurtles towards the election, and officials worry about politically-driven violence, potential nightmares abound for the next commander-in-chief. Put […] More
Ex-Ukraine Defense Minister: Russia ‘Trying to Grow the War’ with North Korean Troops
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — The Pentagon said Monday that North Korea has sent some 10,000 troops to Russia to train and deploy to the battlefield in Ukraine […] More
Are Putin’s ‘Red Lines’ Real Threats or Hollow Bluffs?
DEEP DIVE — Does Vladimir Putin have actual “red lines” for the West when it comes to the war in Ukraine? And if so, what will […] More
North Korean Deployment Sparks Fears of Escalation – Even ‘World War’ – in Ukraine
DEEP DIVE — North Korea’s deployment of thousands of troops to Russia – presumably for use in the war against Ukraine – has stunned policymakers and […] More
The Houthis are winning with Iran’s help. Here’s what we should do.
This piece by Cipher Brief Expert VADM Kevin ‘Kid’ Donegan (Ret.) was first published by our friends at The Middle East Institute. OPINION — Despite being battered, […] More
Behind the U.S. Letter – and Ultimatum – To Israel
DEEP DIVE — It’s one of those “private” documents that was almost certainly written for public consumption. A spokesman for Secretary of State Antony Blinken insisted […] More