German authorities investigating a possible Russian-backed sabotage campaign. If confirmed, this would be consistent with the broader Kremlin strategy to influence 🇩🇪 and other European democracies through hybrid warfare. #Germany #Russia #HybridWarfare politico.eu/article/german…

Events over the past week have signaled the potential for tectonic shifts in the transatlantic relationship. My The Soufan Center colleague Nikkie Lyubarsky and I examined these changing dynamics in today's #IntelBrief. thesoufancenter.org/intelbrief-202…

Most notably, many of these inauthnetic accounts posting coordinated AI-generated content critical of Friedrich Merz ahead of Sunday's election are very keen for Germany to restore energy ties and close cooperation with Russia.

That's what I'd call a Zeitenwende “We need to have discussions with both the British and the French — the two European nuclear powers — about whether nuclear sharing, or at least nuclear security from the U.K. and France, could also apply to us” - Merz politico.eu/article/europe…

So much for a “meritocracy.” Last night at the Pentagon, President Trump and Secretary Hegseth dismantled a core principle of American democracy: the apolitical military. Let me explain what’s going on and why it is deeply dangerous for our country: 🧵

As the war enters its fourth year, President Zelensky’s gravest concern is not on the battlefield, but in Washington. In today's The Soufan Center #IntelBrief, I write about the trajectory of the war in #Ukraine three years on. thesoufancenter.org/intelbrief-202…

Comprehensive post-service support (physical & mental healthcare, employment, education, etc.) will be critical to incentivizing Ukrainian #veterans to remain in-country as the backbone of an effective reserve component. It's also very much the right thing to do.

This inexplicable policy shift will have far reaching effects on U.S. interests at home and abroad. Disrupting Russian cyber-based hybrid threat actions just became far more difficult for U.S. partners and allies. nytimes.com/2025/03/02/us/…

Tuareg rebels and al-Qaeda affiliate #JNIM are reportedly in negotiations to combine forces against the government and Wagner Potentially very significant development, given that the groups have strongly denied any coordination in the past. But recent JNIM calls to unite #sahel

Unlike halting delivery of military aid, cutting off intelligence will have an immediate impact on Ukraine’s ability to defend itself

US cuts off intel to Kyiv, hindering its long-range strikes, to build "confidence" (see Walz below). Meanwhile: "Ukraine's air force said Russia launched 181 strike drones and three missiles ... in the latest attack." abcnews.go.com/International/… US pressure on Moscow? Zilch.

On democracies turning towards authoritarianism: "One of the first moves is to change the civil service, the government workforce, to a loyalist workforce as opposed to a merit-driven workforce." npr.org/2025/03/06/nx-…

Former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte arrested in Manila after ICC warrant | Philippines | The Guardian theguardian.com/world/2025/mar…

“It’s a policy of ‘kill them all,’” said Wassim Nasr, a Sahel specialist and senior research fellow at The Soufan Center. “They are trying to terrorize the local population.” washingtonpost.com/world/2025/03/…

Germany's upper house has voted on an historic change to the country's debt borrowing rules, paving the way for billions of euros in defense and infrastructure spending. dw.com/en/germany-upp…

JUST IN 🔴 Multiple people were just rammed in Berlin’s Gesundbrunnen area after a car drove onto the sidewalk and struck pedestrians

Under Trump, NSC has stopped holding regular meetings with European officials on Russian sabotage, sources say reuters.com/world/us-suspe…

#IntelBrief: Amidst escalating geopolitical tensions in the Arctic, U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Greenland last week has intensified debates over sovereignty, security, and strategic competition. thesoufancenter.org/intelbrief-202…

📢 The Soufan Center will host the second annual Global Summit on Terrorism and Political Violence on September 9–10, 2025, in New York City #GSTPV2025 honors 9/11’s legacy & tackles today’s evolving global threats. For more details: thesoufancenter.org/events/global-…