Eastern Europe

Ukraine, Russia, NATO posture, deterrence, and the wider security architecture of Eastern Europe.

243 Dispatches

Is the British Military Ready for a Major War?
Military & Defense

Is the British Military Ready for a Major War?

An analysis of Britain's defence readiness, where manpower shortages, procurement failures, and ageing equipment leave the UK's tier-one status in question.

Simon Whistler · June 2, 2026
Is the U.S. Military Losing Its Edge? What the War With Iran Exposed
Geopolitics & Strategy

Is the U.S. Military Losing Its Edge? What the War With Iran Exposed

The war with Iran exposed drone vulnerabilities, interceptor shortages, and eroding alliances behind America's trillion-dollar military machine.

Simon Whistler · June 2, 2026
Is Ukraine Winning? What Victory Day 2026 Revealed About Russia's War
Conflicts & Crises

Is Ukraine Winning? What Victory Day 2026 Revealed About Russia's War

A scaled-back Red Square parade and a Zelenskyy taunt exposed a deeper truth: Russia's war machine is faltering at the front, the back lines, and at home.

Simon Whistler · June 2, 2026
Could JNIM Build a Caliphate in West Africa? Inside the Sahel's Most Formidable Jihadist Group
Conflicts & Crises

Could JNIM Build a Caliphate in West Africa? Inside the Sahel's Most Formidable Jihadist Group

JNIM is the Sahel's dominant jihadist group, controlling more territory than ever. We examine whether it could declare a caliphate in West Africa.

Simon Whistler · June 2, 2026
Joe Biden's Foreign Policy Legacy: The Tarnished Record of America's 46th President
Geopolitics & Strategy

Joe Biden's Foreign Policy Legacy: The Tarnished Record of America's 46th President

A region-by-region assessment of Joe Biden's foreign policy, from the Afghanistan withdrawal and Ukraine to the Middle East, China, Haiti, and Africa.

Simon Whistler · June 2, 2026
How Kazakhstan Is Hedging Against a Russian Invasion
Geopolitics & Strategy

How Kazakhstan Is Hedging Against a Russian Invasion

Sharing the world's longest border with Russia and lacking a nuclear umbrella, Kazakhstan is using a multi-vector foreign policy to keep the bear at bay.

Simon Whistler · June 2, 2026
Killswitch Disengage: Why America's Allies Are Abandoning U.S. Weapons
Geopolitics & Strategy

Killswitch Disengage: Why America's Allies Are Abandoning U.S. Weapons

Why Canada, Europe, and East Asian allies are walking away from American weapons—from F-35 kill-switch fears to a collapse of trust in Washington.

Simon Whistler · June 2, 2026
Kremlin Propaganda: What the Russian Public Is Told About the War
Geopolitics & Strategy

Kremlin Propaganda: What the Russian Public Is Told About the War

How Russian state television manufactures atrocities, denies defeats, and criminalizes dissent to control how the public understands the war in Ukraine.

Simon Whistler · June 2, 2026
Lessons from Ukraine's Failed 2023 Counteroffensive
Conflicts & Crises

Lessons from Ukraine's Failed 2023 Counteroffensive

Why Ukraine's much-hyped 2023 summer counteroffensive failed — undertrained brigades, missing breaching gear, lost surprise, and Western dithering, per RUSI.

Simon Whistler · June 2, 2026
Is Mali About to Collapse? The Coordinated Offensive That Shook Bamako
Conflicts & Crises

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.

Simon Whistler · June 2, 2026
Why NATO Would Lose a Drone War Tomorrow
Military & Defense

Why NATO Would Lose a Drone War Tomorrow

Two recent wargames exposed how cheap drones can defeat NATO's conventional mass, and why the alliance's countermeasures are years behind Russia and Ukraine.

Simon Whistler · June 2, 2026
NATO's 2% Rule: Who Is (and Isn't) Paying Their Way
Geopolitics & Strategy

NATO's 2% Rule: Who Is (and Isn't) Paying Their Way

A clear-eyed look at NATO's 2% defense spending target—what it actually means, who hits it, and which members remain the alliance's freeriders.

Simon Whistler · June 2, 2026