Analysis July 29, 2026 How France’s Fall Signals China’s Rise in the Sahel By: Raghvendra Kumar In a disturbing, though predictable, move, Burkina Faso severed diplomatic relations with France on June 26, 2026, accusing its former colonial ruler of pursuing “neo-colonial ambitions,” and maintaining “subversive networks,” and even supporting terrorist groups against the Burkinabè state.... Read more	Analysis July 16, 2026 Beyond the Supply Chain: South Africa’s China Dilemma By: Raghvendra Kumar At the Fourth China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing on June 22, 2026, South Africa’s deputy president Paul Mashatile signaled a renewed partnership with China amid a complex geopolitical global environment. Speaking at the event, he emphasized that... Read more	Expert Commentary July 9, 2026 FPRI Experts React \| NATO Summit in Ankara By: Emily Holland, Aaron Stein, Robert Beck, Hadas Aron, Jakub Romaniuk Emily Holland, Eurasia Program Director This year’s NATO Summit in Ankara was less about substance than Trump centered theatrical spectacle, but the central message on Russia and Ukraine is consequential. Over the course of less than two days, President... Read more
Analysis July 6, 2026 East Shield: Poland’s Role in Defending NATO’s Eastern Border By: Jakub Romaniuk Back in February 2025, when US Vice President JD Vance announced at the Munich Security Conference that US assistance would be scaled back and called on Europe to take greater responsibility for its own security, many European leaders reacted... Read more	Analysis July 2, 2026 The Hybrid Navy and the United Kingdom’s Defence Investment Plan By: Emma Salisbury This piece is part of Behind the Front, an FPRI project on the future of US and allied national defense. The United Kingdom’s Defence Investment Plan (DIP) has now finally been published after substantial delay and controversy, aiming to... Read more	Analysis June 24, 2026 The False Hope of AI for Warzone Language Needs By: Michal Rahimi “We’ve hooked up some machinery,” said Tommy, “that amounts to a mechanical translator… When you’re ready to talk to the skipper of the other ship, sir, I think we’re ready.” In First Contact, Murray Leinster described science fiction’s very... Read more
Analysis June 23, 2026 Just How Much is Too Much? The Defense Spending Dilemma By: Frank G. Hoffman This piece is part of Behind the Front, an FPRI project on the future of US and allied national defense. The president asked Congress to approve a Pentagon funding request of $1.5 trillion for next year’s defense budget. This... Read more	Podcasts June 16, 2026 Unlikely Alliance, Uncertain Future The Baltic states are stalwart NATO members today, but their membership was not assured from the moment they restored their independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union. They fought to overcome the reticence of other allies, then proved... Read more	Analysis June 12, 2026 Inside Rubicon: The Structure of Russia’s Elite Drone Center By: Rob Lee, Dmytro Putiata The following analysis was originally published on Two Marines, a newsletter on Russia’s war in Ukraine, defense technology, and modern warfare, on June 5, 2026. One of the Russian military’s most important developments in 2024-2025 was the establishment of the... Read more