Putin Is Pivoting East--and NATO is Looking the Wrong Way
The Russian leader’s unprecedented visit to the disputed Kuril Islands offers a clue about where Moscow’s strategic attention may turn after Ukraine
The Weichert Brief
Strategic intelligence for a world in disorder. Geopolitics, national security, military affairs, technology, energy, and American politics—without slogans, sacred cows, or conventional wisdom.
Live Last read · last published · next check
Latest posts
Calling Virginia-Class Submarines SSGNs Will Not Save the Navy
America cannot redesignate its way out of a submarine shortage.
America Supercharged the Rise of the Islamic Republic of Iran
The great irony of America's war with Iran is that Washington has strengthened the very regime it meant to destroy.
The Battle That Could Decide the Ukraine War Has Begun
Russian forces are closing in on Slovyansk and Kramatorsk, Ukraine's last major fortress cities in Donetsk.
Did MBS Force Trump to Back Down on Iran Strikes?
Saudi Arabia fears Iranian retaliation against its energy sector, prompting MbS to press Trump for another pause in the war.
India's Quiet Strategy to Challenge China at the Strait of Malacca
Rather than matching Beijing base for base, New Delhi is building a network of strategic access points designed to increase its leverage over one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints.
Israel's Dolphin-Class Submarine Changes the Iran War
Israel is positioning their nuclear-armed subs for potential strikes against Iranian targets.
China Escaped the First Oil Shock. It May Trigger the Next One
Beijing escaped the first energy shock by drawing down its enormous petroleum reserves. Its return to the global oil market could unleash the crisis China was trying to avoid.
America Can Bomb Pickaxe Mountain—But Can Any US Weapon Actually Destroy It?
THE WEEKENDER REPORTS: The GBU-57, JASSM-ER, Tomahawk—and even nuclear weapons—all have limits against Iran's deepest underground fortress.
Israel's Southern Lebanon Withdrawal Masks a Dangerous New Phase of the Middle East War
Israel's consolidation in Southern Lebanon may be preparing the battlefield for a Syrian-led assault on Hezbollah—and a wider regional war.
Houthis Ready to Close the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb
Hormuz is closed. Bab el-Mandeb and the Red Sea could be next. The consequences would be global.