Dollars and Sense: Military Spending During an Economic Downturn
The relationship between military spending and GDP growth in peacetime seems an easy equation. When a country’s economy is healthy and growing, it can splurge […] More
Russia
Russia's Determination to Revise the Post-Cold War Order
The Russian economy has been in recession for nearly two years now, with GDP growth shrinking by 3.7 percent in 2015. However, as the recession […] More
Defense Officials Discuss Countering Russian Aggression
A group of high-level defense officials from Central and Eastern Europe and the United States on Wednesday warned of the threat of Russian aggression, discussing […] More
Great Power Rivalry Is Here to Stay, Say National Security Leaders
With a decline in U.S. global influence since the 2008 financial crisis, China’s emergence as an economic and increasingly political world power, and Russia striving […] More
How the Kremlin Views a Trump Presidency
A potential Trump Presidency provides both opportunities and challenges for Russia and President Vladimir Putin. Putin’s strategic goals are to weaken the U.S., diminish U.S. […] More
Uzbekistan After Karimov: Examining External Influences
The funeral for Islam Karimov, Uzbekistan’s president since the country’s independence in 1991, took place over the weekend. With no apparent successor, The Cipher Brief’s […] More
Iran Deploys Long Delayed Russian-Made Defense System Around Nuclear Site
Iran has deployed a Russian-made air defense system around its underground Fordow nuclear facility, state media reported this week. Given the timing of the announcement, […] More
Russia, China, and Cyber Espionage
In the wake of a series of hacks against government and private networks, it is clear that Russia and China are among the most active […] More
A Cyber Cold War
The Cipher Brief spoke with Justin Harvey, CSO of Fidelis Cybersecurity, about the cyber threats posed by both China and Russia. According to Harvey, although […] More
Syria: No End In Sight
As the Syrian civil war progresses with no end in sight, Rob Richer, former Associate Deputy Director for Operations at the CIA and member of […] More
Biden in Turkey: An Attempt to Mend Fences
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden’s trip to Turkey on Wednesday marked the first time a senior White House official has called on the country’s president […] More
Why Russia is the GOP’s Foreign Policy Litmus Test
Russia is back in the U.S. political spotlight in a way it hasn’t been since the Cold War. President Vladimir Putin is increasing Russia’s show […] More
NATO’s Ambiguity on the Red Line for Russia
Ukraine and Georgia have made clear their desires to become full members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in order to ensure their security. […] More
Important Moment: Georgia’s Perspective
In 2008, Russia invaded Georgia, after NATO allies at the Bucharest Summit made clear that Georgia and Ukraine should be offered membership in the future. […] More
Stronger NATO: Ukraine’s Take
In 2014, Russia illegally annexed Crimea, six years after the NATO summit in Bucharest – where members signaled that Ukraine and Georgia should be made […] More
The World is Watching: The American Election and Russia
In an electoral season with no shortage of drama, the recent resignation of Donald Trump’s campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, brought even more scrutiny to Russia’s […] More
Does Putin See an Opportunity with a Trump Administration?
There is no question of the intense level of interest in Moscow in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election campaign. For the first time in modern […] More
The Poor State of the Putin-Clinton Relationship
It is no secret that the Kremlin is not terribly enthused about the idea of a Hillary Clinton presidency. Russia’s alleged involvement in the computer […] More