This is the most critical point in this excellent piece from J.D. Vance:

'Ukraine’s challenge is not the G.O.P.; it’s math. Ukraine needs more soldiers than it can field, even with draconian conscription policies. And it needs more matériel than the United States can provide.'💯

Japan is well on its way to translating its latent power into hard power, Daniel DePetris writes. 👇

Proof positive that U.S. troops in #Iraq and #Syria exist today only as punching bags and leverage for #Iran to escalate.

The fact we didn’t adjust our force posture when we had the chance in 2019 may come back to bite us as the tripwire for U.S. entry into massive regional war.

It's official: Russian forces have now entered Niger. Things are about to get much worse, unfortunately, and U.S. troops will get caught in the crossfire. Time to drawdown and find new ways to help beleaguered Nigeriens. bbc.com/news/world-afr…

For more on what to do now on Niger, see my latest:
The United States needs to get troops out of Niger thehill.com/opinion/457079…

See Sabreena Croteau's latest on doing away with the Cold War rhetoric around U.S.-China relations:

Critics may scoff at Trump's reported 'plan' all they want—but when it comes down to it, a diplomatic agreement that is 'good enough' for both sides is one of the more realistic avenues to pursue.

Read Daniel DePetris's latest for MSNBC: msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-…

Are there problems with Trump's reported land-for-peace idea? No question. But as the war goes on, the realistic alternatives are becoming more difficult to spot.

NEW from DEFP Fellow Daniel DePetris for MSNBC: msnbc.com/msnbc/amp/rcna…

This week's newsletter highlights newly relevant arguments from DEFP's archive of explainers, distinguishing priorities in anti-terrorism, NATO spending strategy, and more.

Reporting by Noah Robertson, Mike Cherney, Ellen Nakashima, Simone McCarthy, Austin Ramzy, Ann M. Simmons, and…

The war on terror framework was such poor terminology because terrorism itself is an enemy that can't be defeated in the traditional sense of the term, Daniel DePetris writes in a letter to The New York Times. nytimes.com/2024/04/05/opi…

As deficient as Trump's purported plan may be, it's increasingly likely that some kind of diplomatic settlement will need to occur to end the war, DEFP Fellow Daniel DePetris writes for MSNBC. msnbc.com/msnbc/amp/rcna…

Trump’s alleged peace plan for Ukraine is riddled with problems. But let’s get real: the war will likely end in a settlement of some kind. There won’t be a World War II-style victory for either Kyiv or Moscow. It’s time we acknowledge that. For MSNBC. msnbc.com/msnbc/amp/rcna…

NEW @NYtimes letter by Daniel DePetris:

A big part of managing the terrorism problem is keeping our ambitions realistic and prioritizing among terrorist threats lest the system gets overloaded or pulled in too many directions at once. nytimes.com/2024/04/05/opi…

Are there problems with Trump's reported land-for-peace idea? No question. But as the war goes on, the realistic alternatives are becoming more difficult to spot.

NEW from DEFP Fellow Daniel DePetris for MSNBC: msnbc.com/msnbc/amp/rcna…

Today's situation in Iraq and Syria risks another incident like the 1983 terrorist attack in Beirut, writes Will Walldorf for The Conversation U.S.. The danger of 'strategic regret' looms, unless the President removes U.S. troops from the region immediately.
theconversation.com/from-reagan-to…

Great to hear my Stand Together colleague and Defense Priorities Policy Advisor making sense about strategic tradeoffs and the constraints on US Military munitions production as part of this article in reason !

'By extending security guarantees to Ukraine, Washington would preserve a grievance that helped spark the war. And that would make the war harder to end.” - Ben Friedman defensepriorities.org/explainers/neu…

While all terrorism is tragic, not all terrorist groups are created equal. Groups with local objectives aren't as important as groups that have transnational aims and the capabilities to strike U.S. targets.

Daniel DePetris in a letter to The New York Times: nytimes.com/2024/04/05/opi…