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Image of North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un. Image Credit: North Korean State Media. Image of North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un. Image Credit: North Korean State Media.

Aerospace & Defense

The Bidding War for Pyongyang: How North Korea Plays Russia and China Against Each Other

For decades Beijing and Moscow treated North Korea as a shared client — “as close as lips and teeth,” in Mao’s phrase. Ted Galen...

15 hours ago
President Donald J. Trump boards Marine One on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., Friday, July 17, 2026, en route Joint Base Andrews, Maryland for a trip to New York. (Official White House Photo by Andrea Hanks)

The Embassy

Donald J. Trump: The Imperial President

Dr. Robert Kelly, a professor of international relations at Pusan National University, argues the separation of powers in American foreign policy has nearly collapsed,...

4 days ago
President Donald Trump

Aerospace & Defense

Donald Trump Is Ready to Start Bombing Iran All Over Again

Dr. Robert Farley argues a renewed US-Israeli air campaign against Iran awaits only the midterm elections, citing a New York Times report of personnel...

4 days ago
The littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) arrives to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for a scheduled port visit. Fort Worth deployed for a scheduled 16-month rotational deployment to Singapore in support of the Navy's strategic rebalance to the Pacific. Fort Worth is the first littoral combat ship to deploy under the 3-2-1 manning concept, swapping fully trained crews roughly every four months and extending the littoral combat ship forward presence. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Diana Quinlan/Released)

Aerospace & Defense

China Dominates Global Shipbuilding and the United States Ranks 14th by Tonnage. The Case for an Allied Counterweight.

American-flagged vessels account for less than 0.3 percent of the shipping carrying U.S. trade, and the country graduates several hundred naval architects a year...

October 23, 2026

Dr. Andrew A. Michta: Geostrategy
M1 Abrams SEPv3 Tank U.S. Army

Dr. Andrew A. Michta: Geostrategy

Seeking to Pry Russia Away from China, the United States May End Up Losing Europe

Putin’s proposal for a U.S.-China-Russia trilateral in China — with Ukraine and Europe excluded — has revived Beltway enthusiasm for a “Kissinger-in-reverse” bid to...

5 days ago
Putin Back in March of 2025 at Desk Creative Commons Putin Back in March of 2025 at Desk Creative Commons

Dr. Andrew A. Michta: Geostrategy

The Russia Diesel Deal Is a Strategic Mistake

The Trump administration’s deal to allow Russian diesel into the United States blindsided Kyiv and Europe alike — halting peace talks, triggering threats to...

October 14, 2026

Dr. Andrew A. Michta: Geostrategy

Putin’s Next Target May Be NATO Itself

Sabotage at Leipzig, Swindon, and Skarżysko-Kamienna. A curfew across the river from Narva. New garrisons at Petrozavodsk, Lupche-Savino, and Pechenga pointing at Finland's 830-mile...

September 28, 2026
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) summit at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia May 16, 2022. Sputnik/Sergei Guneev/Pool via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY./File Photo Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) summit at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia May 16, 2022. Sputnik/Sergei Guneev/Pool via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY./File Photo

Dr. Andrew A. Michta: Geostrategy

Why the Witkoff-Kushner Mission Failed: Washington Still Misreads the Stakes in Ukraine

The Witkoff-Kushner shuttle between Moscow and Kyiv ended, predictably, without a breakthrough — and Andrew Michta argues the failure reveals something deeper than bad...

September 9, 2026

Aerospace & Defense
F-35

Aerospace & Defense

Lockheed F-22 and F-35 Stealth Smasher: Russia’s S-400 Air Defense System Has 1 Mission

Isaac Seitz reviews Russia’s S-400 Triumph against the F-35: the 91N6E Big Bird radar tracking 300 targets at 600 km, the 92N6E fire-control radar,...

3 hours ago
Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis waits for the arrival of President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence Jan. 18, 2018, at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. (DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Dominique A. Pineiro) Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis waits for the arrival of President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence Jan. 18, 2018, at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. (DOD photo by U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Dominique A. Pineiro)

Aerospace & Defense

Decades Later, General James ‘Mad Dog’ Mattis and His Line on the Marines and Failure Is Still One of the Greatest Military Quotes in Armed Forces History

“I don’t lose any sleep at night over the potential for failure,” James Mattis said. “I can’t even spell the word.” Harrison Kass runs...

3 hours ago
General George Patton U.S. Army Photo General George Patton U.S. Army Photo

Aerospace & Defense

Over 80 Years Later, General George Patton’s Best Army Line Is Still the Greatest Military Quote in Armed Forces History

“I am a soldier, I fight where I am told, and I win where I fight.” Harrison Kass takes George S. Patton’s line back...

13 hours ago
The aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) operates in the Arabian Sea during sunset on Jan. 5, 2013. The John C. Stennis Strike Group is deployed to the 5th Fleet area of responsibility to conduct maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts. DoD photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class James Stahl, U.S. Navy. (Released) The aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) operates in the Arabian Sea during sunset on Jan. 5, 2013. The John C. Stennis Strike Group is deployed to the 5th Fleet area of responsibility to conduct maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts. DoD photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class James Stahl, U.S. Navy. (Released)

Aerospace & Defense

100,000-Ton US Navy Aircraft Carrier John C. Stennis CVN-74 Has Been Delayed By Years in Returning to Sea

USS John C. Stennis has been in its Refueling and Complex Overhaul since May 2021. The exit date slipped from August 2025 to October...

14 hours ago

Trillions
Aircraft Carrier

Trillions - 19FortyFive

‘Effectively Closed’: The Strait of Hormuz Oil and Gas Crisis Is Going from Bad to Even Worse

Four ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz Thursday against a 10-day average of 16. Iran said it hit tanker Trend on Friday. Brent is...

September 19, 2026
Steve Jobs Creative Commons Photo with iPhone Apple Steve Jobs Creative Commons Photo with iPhone Apple

Trillions - 19FortyFive

21 Years Ago, Apple Founder Steve Jobs Advice on Time and ‘Living Someone Else’s Life’ Is the Truth Serum That Still Shapes Our World

Jobs dropped out of Reed College and stayed on as what he called a "drop-in," sitting in on classes that interested him. One was...

September 14, 2026
Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin

Trillions - 19FortyFive

“Money Never Made a Man Happy Yet, Nor Will It. The More a Man Has, the More He Wants.” Benjamin Franklin Was the 8th of 17 Children, Got 2 Years of Schooling Because His Family Could Not Afford More, and His Face Is on the $100 Bill.

"Money never made a man happy yet, nor will it. There is nothing in its nature to produce happiness. The more a man has,...

September 9, 2026
A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress aircraft, assigned to the 96th Bomb Squadron from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, flies over spectators at the Dubai Airshow 2025, Nov. 17, 2025, at the Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The B-52 flew from Rota, Spain, to participate in the event, showcasing U.S. airpower on a global stage. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tylin Rust) A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress aircraft, assigned to the 96th Bomb Squadron from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, flies over spectators at the Dubai Airshow 2025, Nov. 17, 2025, at the Al Maktoum International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The B-52 flew from Rota, Spain, to participate in the event, showcasing U.S. airpower on a global stage. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Tylin Rust)

Trillions - 19FortyFive

Iran’s Economy Is Buckling. That Is Not the Same as Iran Being Ready to Sign a Deal

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has unveiled Operation Economic Outcast: secondary sanctions across five sectors and more than sixty targets, with no relief attached. Iran's...

August 25, 2026

The Embassy
Ukraine War TOS-1A

The Embassy

Pausing the Ukraine War Could Help Ukraine

Both sides would use a Ukraine war pause to rearm, and a longer pause may mean a bloodier spring. Michael Rubin argues Kyiv should...

October 22, 2026
Soldiers with Echo Company, 1st Battalion, 81st Armor Regiment, 194th Armored Brigade, conduct tank gunnery training with the M1 Abrams tank July 09, 2025, at Brooks Range, on Fort Benning, Georgia. (U.S. Army photo by Daniel Marble) Soldiers with Echo Company, 1st Battalion, 81st Armor Regiment, 194th Armored Brigade, conduct tank gunnery training with the M1 Abrams tank July 09, 2025, at Brooks Range, on Fort Benning, Georgia. (U.S. Army photo by Daniel Marble)

The Embassy

Ukraine Promised to Do the Fighting If the West Paid for It. That Bargain Is Now in Question

For four and a half years the request was essentially a check, and the argument was that a properly supplied David could match Goliath....

October 21, 2026
M142 HIMARS. Image Credit: Creative Commons. M142 HIMARS. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

The Embassy

Let Trump Be Trump on the Ukraine War

Let Trump be Trump—which he will be anyway. Even if his peace efforts fail (which is entirely possible), American interests will be protected, and...

October 21, 2026
The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) underway at sunset in the Persian Gulf. Roosevelt and embarked Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW-8) are currently on a regularly scheduled deployment conducting maritime security operations. U.S. Navy Photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Matthew Bash (RELEASED) The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) underway at sunset in the Persian Gulf. Roosevelt and embarked Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW-8) are currently on a regularly scheduled deployment conducting maritime security operations. U.S. Navy Photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Matthew Bash (RELEASED)

The Embassy

America First Foreign Policy Is A Strategy for America Alone

Dr. Robert Kelly argues that Donald Trump’s second term is alienating allies as no president has since 1945: refusing Saudi Arabia’s request to strike...

October 20, 2026

Hermit Kingdom
North Korea ICBM

Hermit Kingdom

The Case for Another Donald Trump-North Korea Summit

President Trump says he gets along with Kim Jong Un and wants a new summit before the end of 2026, along with smaller US-South...

October 10, 2026
North Korea North Korea

Hermit Kingdom

Donald Trump Needs to Bring Concessions if He Wants a Deal with North Korea

Trump is reportedly considering another meeting with Kim Jong Un. The last round produced Singapore, Hanoi, and the DMZ, and by 2020 the status...

September 15, 2026
A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit conducts an integrated maritime strike training exercise with U.S. Navy F-35C Lightning II and F/A-18E Super Hornets from Carrier Air Wing Eleven (CVW-11) off the coast of California, on Feb. 10-11, 2026. Practicing innovative methods to employ and integrate strategic bombers like the B-2 with Navy carrier strike groups enhances combat capabilities through synchronized, integrated power projection. (U.S. Navy photo by Katie Archibald) A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit conducts an integrated maritime strike training exercise with U.S. Navy F-35C Lightning II and F/A-18E Super Hornets from Carrier Air Wing Eleven (CVW-11) off the coast of California, on Feb. 10-11, 2026. Practicing innovative methods to employ and integrate strategic bombers like the B-2 with Navy carrier strike groups enhances combat capabilities through synchronized, integrated power projection. (U.S. Navy photo by Katie Archibald)

Hermit Kingdom

What the Iran War Proved About America’s Nuclear Weapons Threat to North Korea

American doctrine promises that any North Korean nuclear attack will end the Kim regime. The Iran war has just tested that assumption. The United...

September 4, 2026
B-2 Spirit stealth bombers assigned to Whiteman Air Force Base taxi and take-off during exercise Spirit Vigilance on Whiteman Air Force Base on November 7th, 2022. Routine exercises like Spirit Vigilance assure our allies and partners that Whiteman Air Force Base is ready to execute nuclear operations and global strike anytime, anywhere. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Bryson Britt) B-2 Spirit stealth bombers assigned to Whiteman Air Force Base taxi and take-off during exercise Spirit Vigilance on Whiteman Air Force Base on November 7th, 2022. Routine exercises like Spirit Vigilance assure our allies and partners that Whiteman Air Force Base is ready to execute nuclear operations and global strike anytime, anywhere. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Bryson Britt)

Hermit Kingdom

The North Korea Deal Donald Trump Should Actually Want

Trump ordered Ulchi Freedom Shield cut from eleven days to five before Kim Jong-un had agreed to anything in return. Kim Yo-jong dismissed the...

August 21, 2026
(DoD photo by Airman Kristopher Wilson, U.S. Navy. (Released))

Aerospace & Defense

The Shah of Iran bought 79 F-14 Tomcats from the United States in 1976, three years before the revolution; after 2006 they were the last of the type still flying, the Pentagon shredded its own so parts could not reach Tehran, and this March Israel said it had destroyed the remainder on the ground at Isfahan

The Navy’s swing-wing F-14 Tomcat fighter outlived the US Navy that retired it. It did not outlive the country that bought it as an...

September 17, 2026