Geopolitics & Defense
Geopolitics, conflicts and defense: Ukraine and Russia, the Middle East, China and Taiwan, NATO, military industry, sanctions, trade and energy security.
About this list
This reading list brings together items from the sources selected for Geopolitics & Defense. Open each item at its original source for the complete article, episode or video. This is a selection of current coverage, not a complete archive.
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What Happens When India's Water Runs Out? || Peter Zeihan
While the fallout from the Ogallala Aquifer running dry will be rough, it's nothing in comparison to what will happen in the Punjab region of northern India. Join the Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/PeterZeihan Full Newsletter: https://bit.ly/4hGM643 Where to find more? Join the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PeterZeihan Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3NyQu4l Subscribe to the YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3Ny9UXb Listen to the Podcast: https://spoti.fi/3iJyNEe Zeihan on Geopolitics website: https://zeihan.com/ Purchase the Webinars Here: https://zeihan-on-geopolitics.myshopify.com/collections/all Where to find me on Social Media? Patreon: https://bit.ly/3ZKMm9D Twitter: https://bit.ly/3E1E95D LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3zJAW8b Instagram: http://bit.ly/3IW2mgp Facebook: http://bit.ly/3ZIAjHk #india #water #h20 #foodstorage #aquifer #drilling #geopolitics #peterzeihan
A Conversation with General Xavier T. Brunson | Strategic Landpower Dialogue
Please join the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) for a Strategic Landpower Dialogue event featuring General Xavier T. Brunson, Commander of United Nations Command (UNC), Combined Forces Command (CFC), and United States Forces Korea (USFK). The discussion will explore the impact of the U.S. Army's military alliance with South Korea, interoperability with the Joint Force, and landpower across the Indo-Pacific region. General (ret.) Joseph F. Dunford Jr., Chief Executive Officer of CSIS will provide introductory remarks. The event will be moderated by Dr. Tom Karako, Director of the CSIS Missile Defense Project, and Senior Fellow with the CSIS Defense and Security Department. The Strategic Landpower Dialogue is an event series that serves as a distinctive source of data and insight into the evolving perspectives and emerging challenges shaping the U.S. and allied landpower. The series convenes senior leaders from across the U.S. Army, allied and partner nations, and the Joint Force to discuss the most critical landpower issues. This event series is made possible through the generous support of General Dynamics. --------------------------------------------- A nonpartisan institution, CSIS is the top national security think tank in the world. Visit https://www.csis.org to find more of our work as we bring bipartisan solutions to the world's greatest challenges. Want to see more videos and virtual events? Subscribe to this channel and turn on notifications: https://cs.is/2dCfTve Follow CSIS on: • Twitter: https://twitter.com/csis • Facebook: https://facebook.com/CSIS.org • Instagram: https://instagram.com/csis/
Sovereignty is not solitude: Canada’s strategy for democratic technology leadership
Hear from Canada’s Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, Evan Solomon, on how trust, opportunity and sovereign control are shaping Canada’s approach to artificial intelligence, economic growth and international partnership. This event will explore how Canada is translating its AI strengths into greater productivity, prosperity and better public services, and how deeper cooperation with partners such as the UK can strengthen AI safety, resilience and shared economic opportunity. This event discusses: What does sovereign control mean in an interconnected AI economy? And why does sovereignty not mean isolation? What are Canada’s strengths as AI transforms economies, public services and national security? How can countries build trust in AI while accelerating innovation and adoption? How can investment in talent, literacy, research and key industries create new economic opportunities and better public services? How can Canada and the UK work together work together to strengthen AI safety, resilience and democratic technology leadership?
What a Slow Acela Says About the Decline of U.S. Engineering
“I feel like the United States used to be an engineering state—when I’m walking around cities like New York, you know, it really feels like we’re walking through the ruins of a formerly great industrial civilization that our grandparents’ generation built. And so this is where I hope that we can do a little bit more thinking about how do we build better, a little bit more like the Chinese,” says Dan Wang, research fellow at the Hoover Institution. Subscribe to our channel: https://goo.gl/WCYsH7 This work represents the views and opinions solely of the author. The Council on Foreign Relations is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher, and takes no institutional positions on matters of policy. Visit the CFR website: http://www.cfr.org Follow CFR on X: http://www.twitter.com/cfr_org Follow CFR on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/councilonforeignrelations/
Do Higher Taxes Really Kill Innovation?
“The idea that Mark Zuckerberg was sitting in his Harvard dorm room and would have been deterred from starting Meta if the capital gains tax rate was slightly closer to the ordinary income tax rate strikes me as categorically absurd,” argues Natasha Sarin, professor of law at Yale Law School. Subscribe to our channel: https://goo.gl/WCYsH7 This work represents the views and opinions solely of the author. The Council on Foreign Relations is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher, and takes no institutional positions on matters of policy. Visit the CFR website: http://www.cfr.org Follow CFR on X: http://www.twitter.com/cfr_org Follow CFR on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/councilonforeignrelations/
Is the U.S. AI Lead Built on Chinese and Russian Talent?
“When I’m walking around in the AI labs in San Francisco, maybe like a third, maybe even half the folks have Chinese heritage. Many of them are Chinese nationals...” says Dan Wang, research fellow at the Hoover Institution. “There’s something that China and Russia [have] that fewer American students are interested in,” Wang continues, “and that is math.” Subscribe to our channel: https://goo.gl/WCYsH7 This work represents the views and opinions solely of the author. The Council on Foreign Relations is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher, and takes no institutional positions on matters of policy. Visit the CFR website: http://www.cfr.org Follow CFR on X: http://www.twitter.com/cfr_org Follow CFR on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/councilonforeignrelations/
Russian Soldiers Are Suddenly Surrendering En Masse In Lyman | VisualPolitik EN
🔐 Learn about finance with us in a simple, free, and straight-to-the-point way: https://www.visualfaktory.com/free-gift/ In August 2023, Russian captain Maxim Kuzminov flew a Mi-8 helicopter across the border and defected to Ukraine. Six months later he was found shot dead in a garage in Villajoyosa, Spain. His case is only the most spectacular example of a much bigger problem: according to an estimate by Frontelligence Insight, around 70,000 Russian soldiers abandoned their posts in 2025, roughly 10% of the troops Russia has deployed in Ukraine. In this video we analyze the morale of Putin's army through the three pillars described by British general William Slim. Operation Vivaldi has pushed Russian troops near Lyman back to the Zherebets River and wrecked Moscow's plan to encircle the fortress belt in the Donbas. We also compare it with Ukraine, which according to the same estimate recorded almost 100,000 desertions in 2025, and explain why the two figures can't be read the same way. And we look at what could happen if the mobilization of 300,000 people that Emmanuel Macron is warning about goes ahead, and how the Kremlin is trying to stop the bleeding with executions, prison sentences and detention camps. Join the VisualPolitik community and support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/VisualPolitik
Europe’s Trade Defense Push, Diesel Pressure, and South Korea’s U.S. Investment
Bill and Scott discuss France and Germany’s push to strengthen Europe’s trade defenses against China, examine the Trump administration’s pressure on allies over emergency diesel supplies, and unpack the status of major foreign investment pledges, including South Korea’s plans to invest in the United States.
Why Japan’s Aid Strategy Focuses on Trust | The Opportunity Horizon
As the global system confronts compounding shocks—from health emergencies, to climate events, to geopolitical conflicts—international cooperation mechanisms are undergoing a fundamental shift. Amid shrinking official development assistance (ODA) allocations and a growing demand for innovative financing, development institutions must rethink how they balance immediate responsiveness with lasting impact. Please join the Global Development Department on October 13 at 9:00 AM ET for the next episode of The Opportunity Horizon for a discussion on modernizing aid delivery and cooperation. In this episode, host Enoh T. Ebong is joined by Dr. TANAKA Akihiko, president of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), to explore how strategic partnerships, concessional lending, and country-led ownership are reshaping the future of global development. The conversation examines innovative approaches to private sector engagement and how practical, patient, and persistent strategies build enduring resilience worldwide. This event is made possible through general support to CSIS. --------------------------------------------- A nonpartisan institution, CSIS is the top national security think tank in the world. Visit https://www.csis.org to find more of our work as we bring bipartisan solutions to the world's greatest challenges. Want to see more videos and virtual events? Subscribe to this channel and turn on notifications: https://cs.is/2dCfTve Follow CSIS on: • Twitter: https://twitter.com/csis • Facebook: https://facebook.com/CSIS.org • Instagram: https://instagram.com/csis/
Why the Arab World never united
👉 Grab your free seat to the GPT 6 Astra Crash Course: https://links.outskill.com/CASREPOCT4 🔐 100% Discount for the first 1000 people 💥 Master GPT 6 Astra, Build Powerful AI Agent Workflows & Unlock the Astra Power Playbook - All for Free! 🎁 Bonuses worth $5100+ if you join and attend If you want to support CaspianReport, the best way is simple: watch, like, and share the videos. For direct support, you can join as a member or contribute; every bit helps keep the channel independent and improves the quality of the work. Keep tabs on what’s happening around the world and see where a situation is heading before it becomes obvious. Try Pulse with a free DeltaSweep trial: https://www.deltasweep.com ✔ YouTube membership ► https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwnKziETDbHJtx78nIkfYug/join ✔ Patreon ► https://www.patreon.com/CaspianReport ✔ PayPal ► https://www.paypal.me/caspianreport ✔ Merchandise ►https://teespring.com/stores/caspianreport ✔ My bookshelf ► https://www.amazon.com/shop/caspianreport?ccs_id=e65acfa2-5ddf-4ace-8d86-26532abf4175 Crypto endorsement ✔ Bitcoin ► 1MwRNXWWqzbmsHova7FMW11zPftVZVUfbU ✔ Ether ► 0xfE4c310ccb6f52f9D220F25Ce76Dec0493dF9aA0 ✔ Bitcoin Cash ► 1BKLti4Wq4EK9fsBnYWC91caK7NZfUhNw9 #ad #sponsored
Defending the Homefront from Cheap Drones || Peter Zeihan
It's one thing for high-tech, expensive strike systems to break through defenses, but when cheap and simple drones can inflict widespread damage...that's a whole other can of worms. Join the Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/PeterZeihan Where to find more? Join the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PeterZeihan Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3NyQu4l Subscribe to the YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3Ny9UXb Listen to the Podcast: https://spoti.fi/3iJyNEe Zeihan on Geopolitics website: https://zeihan.com/ Purchase the Webinars Here: https://zeihan-on-geopolitics.myshopify.com/collections/all Where to find me on Social Media? Patreon: https://bit.ly/3ZKMm9D Twitter: https://bit.ly/3E1E95D LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3zJAW8b Instagram: http://bit.ly/3IW2mgp Facebook: http://bit.ly/3ZIAjHk #drone #drones #dronewarfare #russia #ukraine #ukrainewar #russiaukrainewar #geopolitics #peterzeihan
U.S. Industrial Base
35th U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, Kathleen Hicks, discusses how the U.S. needs a strong industrial base regardless of any future military conflict between the U.S. and China. --------------------------------------------- A nonpartisan institution, CSIS is the top national security think tank in the world. Visit https://www.csis.org to find more of our work as we bring bipartisan solutions to the world's greatest challenges. Want to see more videos and virtual events? Subscribe to this channel and turn on notifications: https://cs.is/2dCfTve Follow CSIS on: • Twitter: https://twitter.com/csis • Facebook: https://facebook.com/CSIS.org • Instagram: https://instagram.com/csis/
China Outpaced the U.S. on Drones and EVs. Robots Could Be Next
“We’re in the early stages of building out a humanoid robot industrial base, and we want that here, rather than waiting five or ten years where we’re going to have to pay tens of billions of dollars to replicate something that the Chinese have already done,” says CFR expert Peter Harrell while testifying before the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. Subscribe to our channel: https://goo.gl/WCYsH7 This work represents the views and opinions solely of the author. The Council on Foreign Relations is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher, and takes no institutional positions on matters of policy. Visit the CFR website: http://www.cfr.org Follow CFR on X: http://www.twitter.com/cfr_org Follow CFR on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/councilonforeignrelations/
So Long, Sebastian Mallaby: Funniest Spillover Moments
Sebastian Mallaby is departing The Spillover to write a new book on Dario Amodei and Anthropic. To celebrate his time cohosting the show, here’s a look at some of his funniest moments over the past nine months. But fear not! The Spillover will continue with Rebecca Patterson as host, and Mallaby is likely to return as an expert guest. Watch The Spillover here or wherever you get your podcasts: https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/spillover Subscribe to our channel: https://goo.gl/WCYsH7 This work represents the views and opinions solely of the author. The Council on Foreign Relations is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher, and takes no institutional positions on matters of policy. Visit the CFR website: http://www.cfr.org Follow CFR on X: http://www.twitter.com/cfr_org Follow CFR on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/councilonforeignrelations/
How China ‘Cheats’ U.S. Import Restrictions
“When Congress or an agency restricts a Chinese product from the U.S. market, how often do the Chinese sellers cheat their way through hubs like India?” asks Rep. André Carson (D-IN) during a hearing on import controls before the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. “We have seen over the last 5–6 years what I think of as two different kinds of Chinese cheating—one of which is illegal and one of which is legal—and they’re both quite common,” responds CFR expert Peter Harrell in his testimony. Subscribe to our channel: https://goo.gl/WCYsH7 This work represents the views and opinions solely of the author. The Council on Foreign Relations is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher, and takes no institutional positions on matters of policy. Visit the CFR website: http://www.cfr.org Follow CFR on X: http://www.twitter.com/cfr_org Follow CFR on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/councilonforeignrelations/
Why the US-Russia Diesel Deal Is Working Exactly How the Kremlin Wants It to
Last week, the United States and Russia agreed to a deal involving Russian diesel fuel. The outrage in the West has been palpable, but that fury hides some subtlety. The agreement provides virtually no economic benefit to the Kremlin and in fact causes some small domestic political problems in Russia. The deal is designed to troll the Transatlantic partnership, and it is working. 0:00 Russia Trolls the West 0:47 The Current Controversy 2:00 The Diesel Crunch 4:30 Trump's Bad Options 5:33 Ukraine's Strikes on Russia 7:33 Performative Politics 10:49 Russia's Financial Impact 13:07 Why Is Russia Doing This? 14:47 The Bigger Picture of the Problem The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), EU, and NATO visual information does not imply or constitute an endorsement. Media licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/): By Kremlin.ru: http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/58879 http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/68366 http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/70054 http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/70159 http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/70674 http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/71496 http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/73200 http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/76073 http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/78660 http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/78802 http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/78998 http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/79630 http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/79772 http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/79789 http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/79802 http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/80017 http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/80222 http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/80346 http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/80355 http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/80572 http://kremlin.ru/events/president/news/80665 By Khamenei.ir: https://farsi.khamenei.ir/photo-album?id=39135 https://farsi.khamenei.ir/photo-album?id=40633
How the U.S. Could Forfeit Its AI Lead
“I think people vastly overestimate the extent to which current leads and cutting-edge AGI attempts will confer lasting competitive advantage on U.S. versus, say, Chinese or foreign producers,” says Adam Posen, president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics. “If the U.S. politically continues to ‘Galapagos-ize’ itself, like it’s doing with EVs, you may end up with a world where Chinese open models or European hybrid models get much more adopted around the world than whatever the U.S. firms are doing. . . . Do not underestimate the ability of people who are very scared in democratic societies to resist technological change.” Subscribe to our channel: https://goo.gl/WCYsH7 This work represents the views and opinions solely of the author. The Council on Foreign Relations is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher, and takes no institutional positions on matters of policy. Visit the CFR website: http://www.cfr.org Follow CFR on X: http://www.twitter.com/cfr_org Follow CFR on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/councilonforeignrelations/
We Just Got Back From... New York | United Nations General Assembly
Chatham House analysts Laurel Rapp and Dr Christopher Sabatini returned from New York saying they saw signs of optimism and the renewal of ‘shoe-leather diplomacy’ behind the scenes at the United Nations annual General Assembly. The UNGA meeting was held as US President Donald Trump heads towards midterm elections, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres nears the end of his term on 31 December 2026. Laurel Rapp, a former US State Department diplomat, is director of the US and North America Programme and Dr Christopher Sabatini is director of the Latin America Programme. They were talking to Head of News and Comment Stephen Farrell in the first of a new Chatham House video interview series. More from Laurel Rapp here: https://www.chathamhouse.org/about-us/our-people/laurel-rapp?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=comms More from Chris Sabatini here: https://www.chathamhouse.org/about-us/our-people/christopher-sabatini?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=comms #UNGA #UnitedNations #Diplomacy #ForeignPolicy #USForeignPolicy #AntonioGuterres #UNGA2026 #trump #newyork #chathamhouse --- Chatham House is a London-based international affairs think-tank. Its mission is to address geopolitical challenges and international problems, aiming to help governments and societies build a secure, sustainable, prosperous and just world. Find out more about our mission and values here: https://www.chathamhouse.org/about-us/our-mission-and-values?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=comms
How Diesel Could Shape the Ukraine War || Peter Zeihan
A U.S. diesel ban could have reverberating consequences for the Russian energy sector, following the sustained attacks by Ukraine. Russia is now relying on places like Kazakhstan, Belarus, and India to supplement its fuel supplies. Full Newsletter: https://bit.ly/47FFZXC Join the Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/PeterZeihan Where to find more? Join the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PeterZeihan Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3NyQu4l Subscribe to the YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3Ny9UXb Listen to the Podcast: https://spoti.fi/3iJyNEe Zeihan on Geopolitics website: https://zeihan.com/ Purchase the Webinars Here: https://zeihan-on-geopolitics.myshopify.com/collections/all Where to find me on Social Media? Patreon: https://bit.ly/3ZKMm9D Twitter: https://bit.ly/3E1E95D LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3zJAW8b Instagram: http://bit.ly/3IW2mgp Facebook: http://bit.ly/3ZIAjHk #diesel #fuel #fuelcrisis #russia #ukraine #ukrainewar #geopolitics #peterzeihan
Risk Calculus in Defense Spending
35th U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, Kathleen Hicks, discusses the importance of political choices about how much risk the country is willing accept and which risks are more important, such as deciding if cyber threats warrant more attention than threats to conventional forces. --------------------------------------------- A nonpartisan institution, CSIS is the top national security think tank in the world. Visit https://www.csis.org to find more of our work as we bring bipartisan solutions to the world's greatest challenges. Want to see more videos and virtual events? Subscribe to this channel and turn on notifications: https://cs.is/2dCfTve Follow CSIS on: • Twitter: https://twitter.com/csis • Facebook: https://facebook.com/CSIS.org • Instagram: https://instagram.com/csis/
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