The Origins of the War in Ukraine
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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Emerging Military Technologies: Putting Policy Before Profit
Speakers: Dr. Michael Brenes, William Hartung (Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft) Date: 25 September 2024 Speaker Session Summary There is growing concern among some scholars that the pursuit of economic incentives may push US military technology advancements ahead of the establishment of proper policies and security measures, prioritizing profits over policy. Mr. Hartung added that […]
Continue ReadingUkrainian Resistance to Russian Disinformation: Lessons for Future Conflict
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 […]
Continue ReadingFuture Scenarios for Sino-Russian Military Cooperation Possibilities, Limitations, and Consequences
Speakers: Mark Cozad, Cooper Cortez III, and David Woodworth (RAND) Date: 12 September 2024 Speaker Session Summary The level of integration and cooperation between China and Russia in the event of a significant military conflict is often speculated upon, particularly given the rising political tensions in the Korean Peninsula and the South China Sea. A […]
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The Defender’s Dilemma: Why countering grayzone aggression is so difficult (and what options Western governments do have)
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 […]
Continue ReadingPublic Support for Self-Defence in Taiwan: The Current State of Research
Speakers: Dr. Charles K.S. Wu, Fang-Yu Chen, and Yao-Yuan Yeh (University of Southern Alabama) Date: 14 August 2024 Speaker Session Summary Chinese President Xi Jinping has indicated that an invasion of Taiwan by 2027 is a distinct possibility, if not imminent. The concern of a Chinese invasion from the international community intensified following the Russian […]
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Integrated Deterrence Reachback Study
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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Climate, Peace, and Security in Latin America and the Caribbean – A Perspective from UNDP
Speaker: Adam Forbes (United Nations Development Programme) Date: 18 July 2024 Speaker Session Summary SMA hosted a speaker session with Adam Forbes (United Nations Development Programme) as part of its SMA AFOE Phase III Climate Effects Speaker Series. Since 2008, the discourse on the relationship between climate change effects, conflict, and security has significantly evolved. […]
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Shades of Grim: Scenarios for Ukraine and Global Order
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 […]
Continue ReadingAccess Denied?: Assessing Options for Projecting Airpower into a Contested East Asia
Speakers: Dr. Nicholas Anderson (George Washington University) and Dr. Daryl Press (Dartmouth College) Date: 25 June 2024 Speaker Session Summary China is striving to limit US military power projection in its home region of East Asia by enhancing its own ability to project air and missile power. To ensure that China cannot restrict US power […]
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