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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International Collaboration in U.S. Integrated Deterrence: A Partner Perspective

November 2024 No Comments

Authors: LTG (Ret), Dr. Dennis Gyllensporre (Swedish Defence University); MG (Ret) Bengt Svensson, Swedish Defence University 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 non-paper, prepared at the Swedish Defence University (SEDU), investigates the dynamics […]

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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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CONCESSIONS TO THE LIMITED POWERS: Considerations of Low-Yield Nuclear Weapons, Asymmetrical Capability, and Extended Deterrence

September 2024 No Comments

Authors: Bob Williams (Georgetown University) & Dr. James Giordano (Georgetown University Medical Center) 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 Quite recently, nuclear strategy scholars Kier Lieber and Daryl Press posited that arms’ tables have […]

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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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Future Scenarios for Sino-Russian Military Cooperation Possibilities, Limitations, and Consequences

September 2024 No Comments

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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Statelet of Survivors: The Making of a Semi-Autonomous Region in Northeast Syria: US Options in the New Phase of the Syrian Conflict

August 2024 No Comments

Speaker: Dr. Amy Austin Holmes (George Washington University) Date: 28 August 2024 Speaker Session Summary The political overtures made by Turkish President Erdogan to normalize relations with the Assad regime are reshaping the dynamics of the Syrian civil war. These overtures have more closely aligned Turkish, Russian, and Iranian interests in the region. As evidence, […]

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Russia’s Cyber Power Base: From Cybercriminals to Private Contractors

July 2024 No Comments

Speaker: Justin Sherman (Global Cyber Strategies) Date: 7 August 2024 Speaker Session Summary Justin Sherman spoke to the SMA audience about Russia’s cyber power base—not just the state and intelligence actors, but also the private contractors and private sector companies that play an important role in Russia’s cyber power. To begin, Mr. Sherman emphasized that […]

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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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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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