Russian Leadership Values and Regional Goals in the Arctic

January 2025 No Comments

Author: Dr. Tomas Ries (National Defence College, Stockholm, Sweden) This publication was released as part of the SMA project “21st Century Strategic Deterrence Frameworks.” (SDF) For more information regarding this project, please click here. Publication Preview Table 1 (see next page) outlines seven areas in which the Russian leadership holds key values in the Arctic and […]

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The Origins of the War in Ukraine

October 2024 No Comments

Speaker: Michael Kimmage (Catholic University of America) Speaker Session Summary Russia seeks to dominate both Ukraine’s territory and its political future. Dr. Kimmage analyzed Russia’s motivations for initiating the war, as well as the failures of the United States, Europe, and Ukraine in deterring the invasion. He argued that Russia’s goals extend beyond Ukraine’s sovereign […]

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Ukrainian Resistance to Russian Disinformation: Lessons for Future Conflict

September 2024 No Comments

Speaker: Todd Helmus and Khrystyna Holynska (RAND) Date: 19 September 2024 Speaker Session Summary A key element of Ukrainian resistance to the Russian invasion has been its ability to counter Russian disinformation. In their recent report for RAND, Dr. Helmus and Dr. Holynska discuss Ukraine’s approach to combating disinformation and the lessons that the United […]

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The Defender’s Dilemma: Why countering grayzone aggression is so difficult (and what options Western governments do have)

August 2024 No Comments

Speaker: Elisabeth Braw (Atlantic Council) Date: 5 September 2024 Speaker Session Summary: Western governments, including the United States, face significant challenges in identifying gray zone aggression. This form of aggression is often difficult to detect before the attack is fully underway, as it can originate from any source at any time. A key characteristic of […]

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Integrated Deterrence Reachback Study

July 2024 No Comments

Author: Dr. Sabrina Polansky (NSI, Inc.) This publication was released as part of the SMA project “21st Century Strategic Deterrence Frameworks.” (SDF) For more information regarding this project, please click here. Publication Preview: This work was situated within the broader Strategic Multilayer Assessment Strategic Deterrence Frameworks (SDF) study, which incorporated four lines of effort (LOEs) […]

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Shades of Grim: Scenarios for Ukraine and Global Order

July 2024 No Comments

Speakers: Prof. Luis Simón & Ms. Lotje Boswinkel (Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy at the Brussels School of Governance, Vrije Universiteit Brussel) Date: 16 July 2024 Speaker Session Summary The ongoing war in Ukraine remains unresolved, and its outcome is widely debated among politicians, researchers, and military practitioners. In their recent CSDS paper “Shades […]

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Rebuilding Ukraine with Mr. Pavlo Kukhta

June 2024 No Comments

Speakers: Pavlo Kukhta (Center for Economic Solutions) and Guest Host Jack Gaines (One CA Podcast) Date: 20 June 2024 Speaker Session Summary The ongoing Russian invasion has dramatically affected Ukraine’s industry and economy, forcing Ukraine to reimagine and rebuild its industrial base and market structure. Mr. Kukhta discussed how Ukraine can rebuild its economy through foreign […]

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Some of the Analysis Behind RAND’s “Inflection Point” Report

May 2024 No Comments

Speaker: David Ochmanek (RAND) Date: 22 May 2024 Speaker Session Summary Modern threats from developed nations like China are beginning to exceed US capabilities, partly because the US military was predominantly focused on regional adversaries such as Iraq during Desert Storm. Mr. Ochmanek categorized the US approach to military power projection during this period as […]

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Critical Minerals Geopolitics and Security

May 2024 No Comments

Speakers: Dr. Morgan Bazilian (Colorado School of Mines) & Gregory Wischer (Dei Gratia Minerals) Date: 16 May 2024 Speaker Session Summary Minerals are crucial components of advanced weapons systems, playing a pivotal role in military capability and power projection. They are increasingly integrated into new attack platforms, including Virginia-class attack submarines and long-range missiles. Militaries […]

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The Sanctions Response to Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine

April 2024 No Comments

Speaker: Christine Abely (New England Law | Boston) Date: 9 April 2024 Speaker Session Summary The sanctions imposed on Russia in response to its past aggressive actions, such as the annexation of Crimea, targeted actors directly involved in its aggression. However, the current sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine have a much […]

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