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The Embassy

‘Russia Cannot Win’: A Definitive Verdict Just Landed on Putin’s War — His Last Real Option Is Negotiating Before the Terms Get Worse

The expectation that cutting U.S. aid would force Ukraine to fold is dead: Russia cannot win this war without a mass mobilization or nuclear...

1 hour ago
MLRS like those used in Ukraine. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Dr. Andrew A. Michta: Geostrategy

The Decisive Theater: North Korea and the Problem of Simultaneous War

Western analysts fixate on North Korea's missiles. The real danger is speed — a mass artillery-and-missile salvo in the war's first hours, backed by...

22 hours ago
J-20S Stealth Fighter Landing

Aerospace & Defense

China Can Build a J-20 Stealth Fighter in Months. Building a Pilot to Fight It Takes Decades — and That’s Beijing’s Real Problem

China's aerospace industry did something that looked impossible 20 years ago: it built one of the world's largest stealth-fighter fleets. But the J-20's greatest...

4 days ago
F-22 Raptor Fighter Elephant Walk

Aerospace & Defense

Air Power Just Failed Its Biggest Test: What the Iran War Proved About Winning Wars

The Iran war was as close to a pure air campaign as America has fought, and James Holmes — who holds the J.C. Wylie...

5 days ago

Dr. Andrew A. Michta: Geostrategy
A B-1B Lancer assigned to the 9th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron takes off at RAF Fairford, United Kingdom, to participate in a Bomber Task Force Europe mission, Oct. 27, 2021. “Bombers enhance our ability to address dynamic threats and counter adversary actions in the region as an effective joint force,” said Gen. Jeff Harrigian, U.S. Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa commander. Operations and engagements with NATO allies and global partners demonstrate the shared commitment to global security and stability. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Colin Hollowell)

Dr. Andrew A. Michta: Geostrategy

The Case for NATO: Leaving Europe Would Be a Serious Strategic Mistake for America

The second Trump administration is reviewing America's military footprint in Europe, and the worst-case outcome is a full withdrawal. Andrew Michta argues that would...

June 22, 2026
A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor assigned to the 154th Wing, Hawaii Air National Guard, takes part in a multi-ship formation off the coast of Hawaii, Jan. 5, 2026. The aircraft participated in a comprehensive training sortie designed to integrate the 154th Operations Group’s distinct mission sets, including air superiority and aerial refueling, to ensure peak mission readiness in the Indo-Pacific theater. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Mysti Bicoy) A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor assigned to the 154th Wing, Hawaii Air National Guard, takes part in a multi-ship formation off the coast of Hawaii, Jan. 5, 2026. The aircraft participated in a comprehensive training sortie designed to integrate the 154th Operations Group’s distinct mission sets, including air superiority and aerial refueling, to ensure peak mission readiness in the Indo-Pacific theater. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Senior Master Sgt. Mysti Bicoy)

Dr. Andrew A. Michta: Geostrategy

The Iran Deal Doesn’t Stop at Iran: Russia, China, and North Korea are Watching

The US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding is being judged on whether it cools tensions in the Persian Gulf. Strategic-studies scholar Andrew Michta argues that's the...

June 19, 2026
240105-N-LK647-1019 STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR (Jan. 5, 2024) A view from the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) of the first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), as the Ford Carrier Strike Group passes through the Strait of Gibraltar, Jan. 5, 2024. Normandy is part of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and is currently operating in the Mediterranean Sea, at the direction of the Secretary of Defense. The U.S. maintains forward-deployed, ready, and postured forces to deter aggression and support security and stability around the world. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Malachi Lakey) 240105-N-LK647-1019 STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR (Jan. 5, 2024) A view from the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) of the first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), as the Ford Carrier Strike Group passes through the Strait of Gibraltar, Jan. 5, 2024. Normandy is part of the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and is currently operating in the Mediterranean Sea, at the direction of the Secretary of Defense. The U.S. maintains forward-deployed, ready, and postured forces to deter aggression and support security and stability around the world. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Malachi Lakey)

Dr. Andrew A. Michta: Geostrategy

The Iran War Is Giving China Time, Russia Money, and North Korea an Opening

Iran: A War at the Wrong Time and Place: As the war in Iran continues and analysts debate how long it will last and...

April 14, 2026
M1 Abrams Tanks for Ukraine. Image: Creative Commons. M1 Abrams Tanks for Ukraine. Image: Creative Commons.

Dr. Andrew A. Michta: Geostrategy

Russia Is the Big Winner in the Iran War

Strategic expert Andrew A. Michta explores how Russia is capitalizing on the Iran War to consolidate gains in Europe. With U.S. resources drained and...

March 22, 2026

Aerospace & Defense
A-12 Avenger II. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Aerospace & Defense

The 1 Word That Killed the ‘Flying Dorito’ A-12 Avenger II Stealth Fighter That Almost Flew from U.S. Navy Aircraft Carriers

Boeing is losing billions on fixed-price defense programs, but the warning was there decades ago. The Navy’s A-12 Avenger II collapsed after Washington tried...

13 hours ago
MiG-1.44 MiG-1.44

Aerospace & Defense

Grounded Dreams: Russia Cancelled Its F-22 Rival Three Years Before Its First Flight. Then the Dead Fighter Flew Anyway

The jet in the air-show photos is not Russia's cancelled stealth fighter. It is the stand-in for a fighter that was never built at...

14 hours ago
Kirov-Class Kirov-Class

Aerospace & Defense

The Soviet Navy Set Out to Build an 8,000-Ton Submarine Hunter. It Ended Up With the Largest Surface Warship Since World War II

Khrushchev had killed the capital ship for good, or so Soviet doctrine said. Then a submarine hunter began absorbing missions, one requirement at a...

14 hours ago
H-20 Bomber from YouTube Screenshot H-20 Bomber from YouTube Screenshot

Aerospace & Defense

Grounded Dreams: Everyone Asks Why China’s H-20 Stealth Bomber Is So Late. The Better Question Is Whether Beijing Even Needs It

China's H-20 stealth bomber has been talked about for roughly a decade. And yet, the stealth warplane has never flown in public.

15 hours ago

Trillions
(April 8, 2017) - Pre-Commissioning Unit Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) departs Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News Shipbuilding for builder’s sea trials off the coast. The first- of-class ship—the first new U.S. aircraft carrier design in 40 years—will spend several days conducting builder’s sea trials, a comprehensive test of many of the ship’s key systems and technologies. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ryan Litzenberger)

Trillions - 19FortyFive

Iran Wants Every Ship in the Strait of Hormuz to Pay It “Protection Money” — and Experts Say the World’s Most Important Oil Route May Never Be the Same

Iran is moving to charge ships for passing through the Strait of Hormuz — the waterway that carries a fifth of the world's oil...

6 days ago
J-50 Fighter J-50 Fighter

Trillions - 19FortyFive

China Shows Its Sixth-Generation Fighter Refueling for the First Time: The YY-20 Tanker Extending Its Pacific Reach

A film celebrating ten years of China's Y-20 transport slipped in something no other country has shown on official camera: a sixth-generation fighter refueling...

June 30, 2026
H-20 Bomber from YouTube Screenshot H-20 Bomber from YouTube Screenshot

Trillions - 19FortyFive

Why China’s H-20 Stealth Bomber Still Has No Production Line: The Engine, Materials, and Tooling Problems Xi’an Hasn’t Solved

A decade after it surfaced, China's H-20 has no flying prototype and no production line. The reasons are industrial, not financial: an intercontinental flying...

June 30, 2026
Holtec Nuclear Reactor Holtec Nuclear Reactor

Trillions - 19FortyFive

A Utah Project Bets That Small, Factory-Built Reactors Can Solve America’s Looming Power Crunch

A new 1.5-gigawatt project in Utah will use five 300-megawatt Holtec small modular reactors rather than two massive conventional ones, part of a broader...

June 29, 2026

The Embassy
Hai Kun-Class Submarine

The Embassy

The Era of Strong U.S. Support for Taiwan Is Ending — and Not Just Because of Trump

Trump calling Taiwan a "bargaining chip" is the headline, but Denny Roy argues the deeper story is structural: a Chinese military that makes intervention...

5 days ago
A B-52 Stratofortress assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing takes off for a Red Flag 21-3 training mission at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, July 21, 2021. RF-Nellis 21-3 is unlike any previous Red Flags, as the 414th Combat Training Squadron builds upon the most challenging Red Flags in recent history. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Alexandre Montes) A B-52 Stratofortress assigned to the 2nd Bomb Wing takes off for a Red Flag 21-3 training mission at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, July 21, 2021. RF-Nellis 21-3 is unlike any previous Red Flags, as the 414th Combat Training Squadron builds upon the most challenging Red Flags in recent history. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Alexandre Montes)

The Embassy

Trump Set an August 18 Deadline to Resume the War With Iran. Now the White House Is Quietly Backing Away From It

For weeks, an August 18 deadline loomed: the day a U.S.–Iran understanding expired, and, by President Trump's own warning, the day fighting over the...

6 days ago
STRAIT OF HORMUZ (Nov. 12, 2021) Guided-missile destroyer USS O’Kane (DDG 77) performs a Strait of Hormuz transit with the amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), Nov. 12. Essex and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit are deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Joe Rolfe) STRAIT OF HORMUZ (Nov. 12, 2021) Guided-missile destroyer USS O’Kane (DDG 77) performs a Strait of Hormuz transit with the amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), Nov. 12. Essex and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit are deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Joe Rolfe)

The Embassy

The Gulf No Longer Trusts America to Protect It, So It’s Cutting Its Own Deal With Iran

The diplomatic center of gravity in the Middle East has decisively shifted to Riyadh. On June 23, 2026, talks between Iranian Majlis Speaker Mohammed...

June 28, 2026
Leopard 2 Tank Leopard 2 Tank

The Embassy

Germany’s Army Is Rebooting for What Was Once Unthinkable: A War with Russia

Germany still must address a readiness issue: large portions of the army are not considered fully combat-ready, with some readiness estimates for land forces...

June 23, 2026

Hermit Kingdom
KN-23 North Korean Missile Being Used in Ukraine War

Hermit Kingdom

KN-23: Russia Is Using North Korean Ballistic Missiles in the Ukraine War That Keep Getting Deadlier Every Passing Day

The KN-23, North Korea's version the Russian Iskander missile, showed up to fight in the Ukraine war. And it isn't the same platform as...

June 24, 2026
Choe Hyon class from North Korea Choe Hyon class from North Korea

Hermit Kingdom

North Korea Capsized Its New Destroyer on Live TV Before Kim Jong Un: Now It’s Building Warships Twice the Size

On May 21, 2025, a brand-new North Korean destroyer rolled over and partially capsized at its own launch ceremony — with Kim Jong Un...

June 19, 2026
North Korean Military. Image Credit: Creative Commons. North Korean Military. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Hermit Kingdom

6,000 North Korean Soldiers Are Dead in Ukraine: Kim Jong Un Keeps Sending More

Fake Russian IDs, Orders Never to Be Captured, and 50% Casualties: Inside North Korea’s Secret War in Ukraine The Russian Army has sustained nearly...

March 27, 2026
Hwasong-17 North Korea ICBM. Image Credit: Creative Commons. Hwasong-17 North Korea ICBM. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

Hermit Kingdom

Iran Has An ICBM Program: They Got it From North Korea

Summary and Key Points: Dr. Bruce E. Bechtol Jr., a political science professor and proliferation expert, evaluates the strategic partnership between Iran and North...

March 4, 2026
Russian artillery firing in Ukraine. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

The Embassy

Is Russia Still a Great Power?

Question: Is Russia still a great power? That the question needs to be asked suggests an earth-shattering transformation in European politics. Russia has been...

February 22, 2023
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