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James Stavridis
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends an official welcoming ceremony with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang on June 19. Some 10,000 Korean soldiers are headed to the battlefields of Ukraine to assist Russia in its illegal invasion.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 1, 2024
North Korea troop deal exposes Putin's weakness
Many North Korean soldiers will die and some will desert despite the consequences, but their military impact will likely be insignificant.
An Israeli aerial assault on Iran’s nuclear sites and other targets would be a very complex operation, involving dozens of F-15s, in-flight refueling and the targeting of numerous known and undisclosed facilities.
COMMENTARY / Japan
Oct 6, 2024
An Israel-Iran war could turn into a deadly nightmare
Israel is fully justified in wanting to hit back at Iran. Yet hating your enemies too much can cloud your judgment.
A German Navy frigate takes part in the BALTOPS 22 exercise in Baltic Sea in June 2022. Russia will push back against NATO's Baltic drills, although the correlation of forces at sea is now weighted heavily against it. 
COMMENTARY / World
May 10, 2024
Putin’s next target may be the ‘NATO lake’
Some say the argument that Putin would invade the Baltic states is overblown; but just three years ago, no one believed he would invade Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin knows that if NATO member states are dragged back into policing a restive Balkans, they will be distracted from their focus on supporting Ukraine.
COMMENTARY / World
Apr 2, 2024
Putin’s new front in the Ukraine war is in the Balkans
The Russian leader is pushing propaganda and religious strife in Kosovo and Bosnia to distract NATO from his illegal invasion.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have conducted an escalating series of attacks against merchant shipping in the region using drones, ballistic missiles and commandos on helicopters and speedboats. 
COMMENTARY
Dec 20, 2023
U.S.-led naval force might not end Houthi ship attacks
U.S. Navy commands Operation Prosperity Guardian, a global coalition formed to counter the Iranian-backed Houthis.
Israeli troops gather on the border with the Gaza Strip on Thursday, the 7th day of a truce with Hamas.
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 1, 2023
The Gaza cease-fire is a major military victory for Hamas
Military cease-fires and delays such as between Israel and Hamas always favor weaker defenders in a conflict.
South Korean and U.S. soldiers stand guard next to the United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission building on the South Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone at Panmunjom in July 2017.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 28, 2023
South Korea’s lessons for Ukraine’s reconstruction
Ukraine needs ironclad security guarantees, specifically NATO membership and the collective security that ensures.
Iran has conducted numerous proxy attacks against the Israelis, as well as U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, seeking to determine what a response might look like.
COMMENTARY / World
Nov 6, 2023
What the U.S. should do about Iran
Iran has conducting attacks against against Israeli and U.S. forces, seeking to determine what a response will look like.
A disturbing factor that may ultimately defeat the all-volunteer military force is the growing political division across the U.S., which is diminishing the young people's faith in America.
COMMENTARY / World
Jul 24, 2023
U.S. military’s recruiting woes are a national-security crisis
The U.S. military's struggle to entice even the most surefire candidates — the children of veterans — puts the future of the all-volunteer force in doubt.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 1, 2023
Ukraine war may become a proving ground for AI
AI and quantum computing could revolutionize offensive operations and, perhaps more important, logistics.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 3, 2023
Ukraine is running out of ammo. So is the U.S.
America’s industrial base is struggling with supply chains and a shortage of workers while the Pentagon contracts are piling up.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jan 24, 2023
If Erdogan blocks Sweden and Finland, will NATO boot Turkey?
Turkey has been one of NATO's most steadfast members, but no one wants to force the alliance to make a tough choice over Finland and Sweden.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 6, 2022
Drone strikes show Putin his homeland isn’t safe
Ukrainians aren't openly taking credit for the attacks on Russian air bases, but the message was clear: They are mad as hell and not going to take it anymore.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Sep 19, 2022
A Ukrainian victory may make the Russian war more dangerous
Kyiv should be proud of the astounding success of its recent offensive, but defeat may push Vladimir Putin to reach for deadlier tactics.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Aug 26, 2022
U.S.-South Korea war games have a global audience
Given tensions with China over Taiwan and the war in Ukraine, the military exercises with South Korea, one of the largest drills the U.S. stages, will have ripple effects on all its allies and opponents.u2002
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Jun 17, 2022
Climate change is a military problem for the U.S.
The U.S. military needs concrete plans to address every looming danger from sea-level rises to an opening Arctic.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
May 3, 2022
Russia’s sunken warship is a warning to all navies
Poor design and a lack of experienced sailors likely doomed the Moskva, but the incident exposed the vulnerabilities of U.S. ships as well.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 27, 2022
The West’s cyberattack appeasement helped give Putin a green light
A failure to respond in-kind on hacking since 2014 sent a signal of weakness on Ukraine. But it's not too late to fight back.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Feb 11, 2022
Putin faces insurgency nightmare if Ukraine is invaded
The Ukrainians suffered greatly and at the hands of Russians over the past century. They can and will fight, and the Western democracies can help.
Japan Times
COMMENTARY / World
Dec 17, 2021
Four ways the U.S. can keep Putin from invading Ukraine
The U.S. should consider disconnecting Russia from the Swift international payment system used by banks around the world, a penalty that helped devastate Iran's economy a decade ago.

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