Explore

Putin, Russia and the New Network Around North Korea

The train is the telling detail. North Korean ammunition leaves the port of Rajin, crosses the short border into Russia, then travels by rail toward depots nearer the war in Ukraine. A shipment that begins on one isolated peninsula becomes…

Why Russia and North Korea Are Getting Closer

When Vladimir Putin arrived in Pyongyang in June 2024, he and Kim Jong Un signed a treaty that promised more than friendly declarations. It bound their governments to military and other assistance if either were subjected to armed invasion,…

Why Taiwan Sits at the Center of the U.S.–China Relationship

A disruption in the Taiwan Strait would not stay in the Taiwan Strait. It could test the limits of U.S. policy, unsettle American allies, interrupt trade routes, and expose how much of the world’s advanced computing depends on production cl…

Why Putin Still Has Leverage After Four Years of War

The battlefield is only one source of power. Four years into Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, one of the easiest mistakes to make is to measure Vladimir Putin’s leverage by territory alone. How many kilometers has Russia captured?

Russia's Shadow Fleet: How Oil Keeps Moving Around Sanctions

The tanker doesn't look Russian. That's the point. It may fly the flag of one country.

The New Race for Space

For decades, space looked like the domain of governments. The United States. Russia.

How Russia's Economy Has Adapted to Sanctions

When the first major sanctions arrived after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the expectation in many Western capitals was straightforward: Cut Russia off from capital. Restrict technology.

The Difference Between Price and Value

A house is listed for $500,000. Someone offers $450,000. Another person offers $520,000.

The Russia–China Relationship Is Bigger Than Ukraine

The easiest way to understand Russia and China is to look at Ukraine. It is also one of the easiest ways to misunderstand them. Because the relationship between Moscow and Beijing did not begin with the 2022 invasion.

What Putin Actually Wants From Negotiations

Every time peace talks appear on the horizon, the same question returns: What does Putin actually want? The answer is more complicated than “Ukraine.”