Foreign Policy Research Institute

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⏰️ Thursday, October 15 | Iraq After the US Military Departure

Join Mohammed Salih for an upcoming virtual discussion addressing the effects of the US departure from Iraq. He will be joined by David Schenker and Ahmed Ali to examine Iraq’s increased capacity to manage security challenges and the future of US-Iraq relations.

Register here: https://t.co/5OP29k5qk9

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Latvia's Minister of Welfare Rinis Uzulnieks, also a candidate in the October elections, was ousted from his role after being caught drunk driving. https://t.co/zuFN5J6OZO

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In last month's #BalticRoundup, Indra Ekmanis highlights the following political updates from the Baltic states ⬇️

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The National Paying Agency in Lithuania was searched by an anti-fraud agency following accusations of corruption.

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When the founders discussed what made the United States unique, they focused not on the moral superiority of its people, but on its unique institutions and geography. They thought there was a relationship between the two.

A federal union that encompasses a continent is exceptional, and it is the product of a vision that was possible because of peculiar geographical circumstances. #OrbisJournal https://t.co/XeuVwM24SY

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Soviet military planners correctly argued that an orbital weapon would be able to strike targets simultaneously from two different directions and have an unlimited flight range, unpredictable trajectories, and faster flight times to targets.

These advantages would obviate any advantage a defender could gain from missile defense, ensuring the credibility of a retaliatory nuclear strike. https://t.co/KcZgObGdkk

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Raghvendra Kumar explains that the push for de-Westernization across countries in the Sahel differs from previous ones in that they are pursuing decoupling with tangible political and economic goals in mind. Check out his piece to learn what greater autonomy has already granted them: https://t.co/t3evwWxozh.

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Amid protests over rearmament plans, read Julian Pawlak's analysis of what Germany's Military Strategy contains.

Germany plans to formulate national capability goals that will feed back into NATO, its military alliance and anchor of collective defense, building on the new understanding that national strength is the foundation of European and Allied NATO defense. https://t.co/TQdMNjwWZB

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Check out Michael Duitsman and Sam Lair's photographic assessment of Belarus' nuclear exercise using Su-25 attack aircraft and nuclear gravity bombs. https://t.co/MtM9nhnazK

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In Nothing New Under the Golden Dome, FPRI researchers calculated the cost of deploying the required number of anti-missile satellite constellations to space based on current threats. Ultimately, they concluded that using such systems would not be sustainable, financially or logistically.

This raises a broader question: if the United States cannot afford space-based defense, how will it afford space-based offense? https://t.co/A1PydkNhdn

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Several regions in Russia have cut expenditures on social policy and public infrastructure, following growing leeway to relieve fiscal pressures:

🔷 Arkhangelsk region - cut more than 63 million rubles from foster and large-family support to support soldiers’ lump-sum payments; followed a similar move in Tula
🔷 Saratov region - cut “death payments," or one-time financial support to the families of killed servicemen, as was not alone in doing so
🔷 St. Petersburg (in Leningrad Oblast region) - introduced an amendment reducing spending on education and capital repair by around 70 million rubles

More in the #BearMarketBrief https://t.co/LBcZCBd3ep

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Phil Wasielewski wrote that while Ukraine targets Russian livelihoods by striking war-related economic infrastructure, Russia targets Ukrainian lives and aims to terrorize the population into surrender. This was evidenced once more by Russia's strikes on the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk. https://t.co/TVTilgzzzT

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You don't need much money to support civil society projects. One dollar goes a long way. But to marshal 20 million dollars to support Tunisia's first democratic elections, we had to take money that would have gone to other civil society groups elsewhere. In the policy space, everything comes at a cost.
Tune in to #ShiftingGround https://t.co/0DybFRTtlA

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Investment in Greenland is restricted to NATO allies, EU member states, and “NATO partner” states, with the latter undefined.

The question of what comprises a #NATO partner is especially relevant for states whose interests overlap on subjects like fisheries, polar/ice sheet science, high-latitude space access and communications, and deterring China and Russia. https://t.co/uPi4OpzRqz

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Bram Wells found that leaked GoLaxy documents revealed a significant shift in China’s information campaign strategy. AI technology has shifted China’s focus away from broadcasting a single message across an entire social platform toward tailoring content to smaller groups and individuals.

Taiwan does not just have to fact-check rumors and news articles. It must counter an entire AI-powered ecosystem of tailored disinformation. https://t.co/FFsRX51Wap

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Revisit FPRI's panel discussion on Japan's counterstrike capability, highlighting the legality of this process under Japan's Constitution, the necessary technical capability and regional coordination, and the foundational strategic thinking that needs to be addressed. https://t.co/szGPiJsRKF

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It's very important for Americans to understand that we are already influencing the lives of people all over the world. The question is: are we going to do it in a way that is designed to advance long-term peace and security for the rest of the world, or not? (34:40)

More from Tamara Cofman Wittes on #ShiftingGround https://t.co/0DybFRTtlA

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Read more in the latest Brief. https://t.co/fmeQCdZHIX

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🧵By the Numbers: Highlights from the latest #BearMarketBrief
1) 1 percent of GDP - the cost, for Russia, of Ukraine’s strikes on fuel infrastructure. Putin was forced to acknowledge that the prolonged war is hurting the Russian economy.

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2) 13 trillion rubles ($152.8 billion) - the combined profit of Russian companies in the first seven months of the year, the lowest since the 2020 lockdowns.