A steady escalation along the Lebanon-Israel border—and no end in sight

Clashes along the Lebanon-Israel border have steadily escalated lately, even as international diplomats scramble to find a solution to return calm to the region. In recent days, Israel has attacked deeper into Lebanon with a series of airstrikes that have killed Hezbollah fighters, some of them senior officers, and several Lebanese civilians. On February 19,

Outgunned Ukraine bets on drones as Russian invasion enters third year

In early February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the creation of a separate branch of the Ukrainian Armed Forces devoted to drones. Ukraine’s new Unmanned Systems Force is a military innovation reflecting the growing prominence of drones in modern warfare. Zelenskyy’s decision also underlines the importance of UAVs to the Ukrainian war effort as Kyiv

Time is running out to help Ukraine and defend the West

Friends of Ukraine often say to Western political leaders: The West’s economy is 20-25 times bigger than Russia’s, how could we possibly give Ukraine fewer weapons than Russia has? Let’s do more, it is not such a big deal. But it is a bigger deal than that. I would like to encourage you to take

Here’s what an uncoordinated US withdrawal from Syria would look like. It’s bad for many partners, but especially Turkey.

Reports have surfaced regarding the possibility of the United States withdrawing from Syria completely. Despite officials rejecting these reports and a recent vote in the US Senate exhibiting reluctance among lawmakers to leave Syria, news of a potential US exit has been closely monitored by regional actors. Turkey is among them. While Ankara may favor

Dispatch from Munich: The lessons of appeasement for US lawmakers withholding support for Ukraine

MUNICH—The stench of appeasement hung over the Munich Security Conference this past weekend, leaving more than a few European leaders making comparisons to September 1938. That was when a very different Munich meeting placated a murderous dictator—with disastrous consequences. It was then that British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, meeting with Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and

Regardless of Sisi’s decision on Palestinian refugees in Rafah, he will not emerge as a winner  

Egypt has up security along its shared northern border with the Gaza Strip following Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s February 9 announcement of a planned ground offensive in Rafah, south of the enclave, “to eliminate Hamas’ last remaining strongholds.” The impending crisis has left Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi with little options—as internal pressures continue

Can Ukraine’s new army chief overcome mounting battlefield challenges?

Oleksandr Syrsky does not have the luxury of easing into his new job. As Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches the two-year mark, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently tapped Syrsky as Ukraine’s new commander-in-chief in the biggest shakeup of Ukraine’s military leadership since the start of the war. As Ukraine’s top general, Syrsky must now

What happens to mail at basic training?

It’s been a few years since I went through recruit training on Parris Island, but I remember the long runs, sand fleas, and (my personal favorite) pugil sticks like it was just yesterday that I first lined up on those famous Yellow Footprints. In hindsight, it wasn’t the physical challenges or the intense training that

Ukraine’s Black Sea success offers hope as Russian invasion enters third year

As Ukrainians prepare to mark the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the news from the front lines is increasingly bleak. After the failure of last year’s counteroffensive, the Ukrainian military has now switched to active defense and is struggling to prevent fresh Russian advances. This task is being further complicated by delays in Western

Lebanon is using Hezbollah to blackmail Israel on border talks 

War once again looms between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah. After the last conflict between the two adversaries, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted Resolution 1701, which installed figurative guardrails to prevent renewed war. It demanded that Lebanon—which promised to send fifteen thousand of its soldiers to its frontier with Israel—control its territory and disarm