Expert Q&A: U.S. Should Reach Out to North Korea
EXPERT Q&A – As The Cipher Brief has reported, North Korea recently unveiled evidence that it is building what its state media called a “nuclear-powered […] More
North Korea
North Korea’s Underwater ‘Apex Predator’ – and What it Will Mean
BOTTOM LINE UP FRONT — Headlines from North Korea rarely bring good news in the realm of global security, but this week’s bulletin from Pyongyang was […] More
Expert Q&A: From Ukraine to North Korea’s New Nuclear Sub
EXPERT Q&A — On a day when Ukraine felt the pain of a pause in intelligence sharing from the U.S. in the form of deadly […] More
Security Assurances and Lasting Peace in Ukraine
OPINION — President Donald Trump’s efforts to secure a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine are admirable. Equally important, however, are security assurances for Ukraine. […] More
The Latest
The Global Shift To Authoritarianism
OPINION — Based on my numerous assignments abroad, my work for the late Director of Central Intelligence William Casey as his Special Assistant and subsequent work […] More
The US Should Not ‘Give Up’ on Engagement with North Korea
OPINION — The absence of any diplomatic engagement with North Korea during the past four years has resulted in a more belligerent North Korea, now more […] More
Expert Q&A: North Korea and Russia – ‘Fighting and Dying’ Together
EXPERT Q&A — Western officials report that of the estimated 11,000 North Korean troops sent to fight in Russia’s western Kursk region, 4,000 have already been […] 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
The North Korean Card in Ukraine
OPINION — The Budapest Memorandum of December 1994 provided security assurances to Ukraine in exchange for that country giving up its nuclear weapons. The Memorandum prohibited Russia, […] More
What are our Adversaries trying to achieve in the Gray Zone?
This is part 2 of a 3-part series by Cipher Brief Expert and former Assistant Director of CIA for South and Central Asia Dave Pitts, who also […] More
Syria’s Rebellion Could Be a Turning Point for Axis of US Adversaries
OPINION — The Ukraine war has often been characterized as a precipitating factor in the growing alignment of the United States’ key adversaries—China, Russia, Iran, and […] More
8 Global Security Questions For 2025
SPECIAL REPORT — Given how unpredictable 2024 proved to be – did anyone foresee the fall of Bashar Al-Assad, the decapitation of Hezbollah, an invasion of […] More
2024: 10 Great Cipher Brief Conversations
SPECIAL REPORT — In a year of world-changing events – from the Middle East to Ukraine, cyberattacks to undersea cable attacks, and much more – The […] More
5 Hours That Shook South Korea – and What Comes Next
EXPERT INTERVIEW — It was a shock that few saw coming – and which brought memories of South Korea’s days as a military dictatorship, a generation […] More
Memo to the 47th President: There’s a Way Forward on North Korea
MEMO TO THE PRESIDENT — To the President-elect: North Korea spent almost thirty years trying to normalize relations with the U.S., knowing it would legitimize the […] More
Memo to the 47th President: The Psychology of America’s Adversaries Matters
MEMO TO THE PRESIDENT — Since Donald Trump’s victory in the November 5 election, The Cipher Brief has reached out to our network of experts for their thoughts […] More
The World Trump Will Face: No Stability Here
OPINION — The so-called “Axis of Authoritarian” states – Russia, China, Iran and North Korea – pose an immediate threat to the international world order. […] More
The Danger of War on the Korean Peninsula
OPINION — North Korea’s enhanced allied relationship with Russia, and leader Kim Jong Un’s decision to send troops to aid Russia in its war of aggression […] 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