After Syria’s Revolution, Turkey Holds Keys to What Comes Next
EXPERT INTERVIEWS — The stunning uprising in Syria will have ripple effects that reach far from Damascus and the other cities that the rebels captured […] More
Russia
In Georgia’s Crisis, US Support is Essential
OPINION — Large-scale protests have spread from Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi, to cities across the small but strategically crucial country in the South Caucasus. The Georgian people […] More
Georgia’s ‘Tipping Point’ – and Why It Matters for the World
DEEP DIVE — The protests and police crackdowns convulsing the nation of Georgia represent more than one more global conflict zone; they are also the latest […] More
In Syria Rebellion, Questions for Assad, the US and the Middle East
DEEP DIVE — Even by the standards of the Middle East, it’s been a volatile and violent year – from Gaza to Lebanon to the […] More
The Latest
The Consequences of the Syrian Rebellion
EXPERT INTERVIEW — An already volatile Middle East has a new frontline: Syria. Actually, it’s an old frontline that’s returned to the fore, as Syrian rebels […] More
The Biden Administration’s Race to Help Ukraine – and Putin’s Response
DEEP DIVE — The war in Ukraine has veered into volatile new territory, ignited by a final push — in Washington and Kyiv – to alter […] More
A Ukrainian Archbishop Offers Thanks to America – Along With a Warning
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — After 1,000 days, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has caused untold suffering for the Ukrainian people; Russian attacks have killed thousands of Ukrainians and […] More
Is Biden Aid to Ukraine Too Little, Too Late?
EXPERT INTERVIEW — With less than two months before President-elect Donald Trump returns to office, the Biden administration is working on a range of last-ditch efforts […] More
Undersea Sabotage Threatens Cables Connecting the World
EXPERT INTERVIEW — Deep in the Baltic Sea, two undersea fiber-optic telecommunications cables — linking Finland to Germany and Sweden to Lithuania — were severed this week. Several […] 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
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
Can the Biden Administration’s ‘Parting Gift’ to Ukraine Change the War?
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW — For the first time, the Biden Administration has authorized Ukraine to use long-range ATACMS missiles to strike targets inside Russia, a policy […] More
NATO Must Respond to Russian Shadow War on European Soil
OPINION — The year 2024 has seen a spate of terrorist attacks strike Europe, and surprisingly, hardly anyone seems to care. Unlike previous waves of terrorism […] More
The Ukraine War at 1,000 Days
DEEP DIVE — The first bulletins hit late in the evening of February 23, 2022 in the U.S., and just before dawn on the 24th in […] More
Does the West Have ‘Red Lines’ In Ukraine?
OPINION — In September 2024, I was part of a small delegation that visited Ukraine to study the situation on the ground in that country, try […] 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
In Ukraine, the Anxious Wait for Trump’s Plan to End the War
DEEP DIVE — President-elect Donald Trump’s promise of a quick end to Russia’s war on Ukraine is something that Ukrainians desperately want, as the full-scale invasion […] More
How Trump 2.0 May Deal With Global Flashpoints
DEEP DIVE – As Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House, the U.S. faces an unusually broad set of global security challenges: wars […] More
Avoiding Strategic Surprise will be key in the next Administration
EXPERT Q&A – The Cipher Brief tapped Dave Pitts, former Assistant Director of CIA for South and Central Asia and range of other experts with […] More