On March 24, 2026, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un made it official that his country is now an unapologetic nuclear weapons power. In an address to the rubber stamp Supreme People’s Assembly of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Kim stated: "We will continue to firmly consolidate our status as a nuclear-armed state as an irreversible course, while aggressively stepping up our struggle against hostile forces." He added that "we will, in line with the mission entrusted by the Constitution of the Republic...further expand and advance our self-defensive nuclear deterrent." His...

The Trump administration has enlisted the support of Kurdish activists in Syria, Iraq, and Iran to join the U.S.-led war to unseat Iran’s clerical regime. CNN reports that the Central Intelligence Agency is already arming Iranian Kurds. CNN and other outlets also report that President Donald Trump spoke with Kurdish leaders in Iraq on March 8 about having their forces join the fight. Washington’s motives for this move are easy to discern. The Kurdish minority concentrated along Iran’s western border has long sought to break away from Tehran’s control. American and Israeli leaders understand...

Despite the widespread expectation that President Donald Trump would end Washington’s entanglement in NATO’s proxy war using Ukraine against Russia, it is increasingly evident that the fundamental features of U.S. policy remain unaltered. Trump personally has sent an array of mixed signals about his intentions. Although he has pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to accept the reality that Kiev must be willing to make territorial concessions to Moscow in any peace accord, he also has been receptive to Zelensky’s demand that Ukraine be given reliable “security guarantees” in such...

Since its creation in 1949, NATO has been the keystone of U.S. foreign policy in Europe. Indeed, the alliance has been the most important feature of Washington’s overall strategy of global primacy. America’s political and policy elites have embraced two key assumptions and continue to do so. One is that NATO is essential to the peace and security of the entire transatlantic region and will remain so for the indefinite future. The other sacred assumption is that the alliance is highly beneficial to America’s own core security and economic interests. Whatever validity those assumptions may...

President Donald Trump professed to be extremely pleased with the results of his recent summit meeting with Xi Jinping in South Korea.  Indeed, with his typical hyperbole, he rated it “a 12 out of 10.” Trump expressed special satisfaction with the conclusion of new trade agreements that significantly eased bilateral economic tensions between the United States and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). In what amounted to a casual comment, he also stated that he had received a pledge from Xi that the PRC would not take any military action to change Taiwan’s political status during the...

NATO’s proxy war against Russia in Ukraine is attracting growing attention as it threatens to spiral out of control. There is ample reason for concern. What began as a limited military assistance program to Kiev from the United States and its European allies following Moscow’s expanded invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has morphed into something much larger and more dangerous. NATO members are no longer just supplying Ukraine with weaponry that could arguably be described as purely defensive; they are equipping their Ukrainian proxy with far more destructive, long-range weapons capable of...

Moldova’s September 28, 2025 parliamentary elections are shaping up to be another highly contentious struggle between pro-Russia and anti-Russia factions. Both the European Union and Moscow are accusing each other of illicit election meddling to put their respective Moldovan clients in power. In many respects, the lead up to this election is reminiscent of the tense atmosphere and inflammatory accusations of the 2023 vote for parliament and the 2024 presidential election that resulted in a disputed victory for pro-Western incumbent President Maia Sandu. The situation also has the potential...