Eastern Europe
Ukraine, Russia, NATO posture, deterrence, and the wider security architecture of Eastern Europe.
235 Dispatches
America Isn't Ready for the Drone Warfare Era
Advanced militaries from Israel to the Gulf are burning through interceptors against cheap drones while Ukraine quietly becomes the world's counter-drone superpower.
Iran Strikes the UAE and US Warships as the Hormuz Blockade Bites
Iran fires missiles at the UAE and US warships over the Hormuz blockade, Hezbollah refuses to disarm, and the US pulls 5,000 troops from Germany.
Russia Is Failing in Africa: How the Sahel Project Unravelled
Russia's Africa Corps was sold to the Sahel's juntas as the cure for jihadist violence. After Kidal fell and Mali burned, the project is unravelling.
The Interceptor Gap: How America's Missile Defenses Ran Dry
A few weeks of war with Iran burned through interceptors faster than the global production base can replace in years, exposing a hollowed-out supply chain.
Is Mali About to Collapse? The Coordinated Offensive That Shook Bamako
A multi-city insurgent offensive killed Mali's defense minister and forced Russian forces to retreat, raising the question of whether the junta can survive.
Caught Between Two Fires: The Collapse of the Russian Soldier's War in 2026
In spring 2026, Russian front-line troops face AI drones from Ukraine and a command that sells them out. A look at a war machine grinding down its own.
Why Iran Now Wants the Bomb: Deterrence in the Shadow of the Mushroom Cloud
How a bruising war shattered Iran's threshold strategy and pushed Tehran toward the one deterrent that has reliably worked: a nuclear weapon.
Ukraine, Guardian of the Gulf: How Kyiv Became the Middle East's Drone-Defense Lifeline
How Ukraine, the world's leader in attritional drone warfare, exported its air-defense expertise to the Gulf states during the Iran War, and what Kyiv gets in return.
Moscow Loses Its Most Valuable Ally: What Orban's Defeat Means for Ukraine
How Viktor Orban's landslide election defeat in Hungary strips the Kremlin of its most useful European ally and reshapes the politics of the Ukraine war.
Who Could Lead Europe to War? The Continent's Missing Defense Leader
Europe is rearming but cannot agree on a leader. A nation-by-nation audit of who could command continental defense, and why no candidate clears the bar.
The Sahel at War: When the Government Is Worse Than the Jihadists
Across Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, military juntas backed by Russian mercenaries are killing more civilians than the al-Qaeda insurgency they claim to fight.
Hungary's 2026 Election: Why a Contested Vote Could Fracture NATO
Hungary's high-stakes 2026 election pits Orban against Peter Magyar's Tisza Party, and a disputed result risks dragging Trump, Russia, and NATO into crisis.