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Six Minutes in Caracas: How US Special Forces Grabbed Nicolas Maduro

“Operation Absolute Resolve,” the codename for the United States’ snatching of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, was a triumph of planning,...

yesterday 20

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

The Chinese Military’s Rotten Core

On December 19, 2025, when the Chinese Central Military Commission’s (CMC) Equipment Development Department (EDD) released a new set of guidelines...

yesterday 10

The National Interest

Anushka Saxena

 The Lesson of Europe’s Belated Strategic Awakening

For decades, American foreign policy elites have complained about European free-riding on US security guarantees. Europeans, we were told, enjoyed...

yesterday 10

The National Interest

Leon Hadar

Nuclear Energy Now – Legislation Introduced to Establish the Office of Fusion

Nuclear Energy Now tracks the latest nuclear energy developments across technology, diplomacy, industry trends, and geopolitics. South Korea Will...

yesterday 10

The National Interest

Emily Day

The Next Evolution in Ukraine’s Drone Defense

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine approaches its fifth year, the character of the war continues to evolve into a technical struggle shaped by drones,...

yesterday 20

The National Interest

David Kirichenko

Nicolas Maduro Is Gone. Now What?

In the early dawn hours of January 3, the US military struck a decisive blow against the Chavista regime in Venezuela. Under the cover of darkness,...

yesterday 10

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

How Russia’s MiG-29 Fighter Jet Fell from Grace

America’s unveiling of fourth-generation aircraft such as the F-16 and the F/A-18 in the late Cold War inspired a Soviet response, which included...

yesterday 10

The National Interest

Harrison Kass

Peace Through Strength in Venezuela—and the World

The international system is confronting a profound moral and strategic crisis. For decades, the principle of state sovereignty—originally conceived...

yesterday 20

The National Interest

Ahmed Charai

Watt’s Happening: Russia Feels the Oil-Related Pain

Watt’s Happening aims to provide breaking news, sharp analysis, and thoughtful commentary from the cutting edge of the energy sector as this...

yesterday 10

The National Interest

Toni Mikec

How the US Can Fight Foreign Malign Influence

Never before has a US National Security Strategy (NSS) taken foreign malign influence as seriously as the one released last week. But strategy...

yesterday 10

The National Interest

Maria Riofrio

Are France and Germany Repeating the Same Energy Mistakes of the Past with Putin?

The EU should consider Africa as a strategic alternative to Russia to avoid repeating past energy-dependence mistakes amid hybrid warfare and...

yesterday 10

The National Interest

Maurizio Geri

Tunisia’s Underdevelopment Problem

Strategically located on the Mediterranean coast, with access to resource-rich Africa and the Middle East as well as Europe, Tunisia has long...

25.12.2025 2

The National Interest

Sabina Henneberg

How to Keep China-Japan Relations on an Even Keel

In recent weeks, Japan and China have been engaged in a nasty row over Taiwan. Many observers are worried about Washington’s refusal to side with...

25.12.2025 1

The National Interest

Thomas Cavanna

The Pentagon Just Reversed Its Landmine Policy—Again

According to a report from The Washington Post on Saturday, the Trump administration is reversing course on a Biden-era policy that “prohibited the...

24.12.2025 1

The National Interest

Peter Suciu

Can a New Engine Make the World Love Russia’s Su-57?

Russia has long touted its Sukhoi Su-57 (NATO reporting name “Felon”) fifth-generation stealth fighter, and the aircraft continues to draw...

24.12.2025 1

The National Interest

Peter Suciu

Two of China’s Aircraft Carriers Are Now Docked Together

Last week, the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN’s) newest and most advanced aircraft carrier, the Type 003 CNS Fujian, transited the Taiwan...

24.12.2025 3

The National Interest

Peter Suciu

The French Navy Just Greenlit Its Newest Aircraft Carrier

After years of discussions, the Maritime Nationale (French Navy) received a formal green light on Sunday for the building of a 78,000-tonne...

24.12.2025 3

The National Interest

Peter Suciu

Russia Declines Christmas Truce in Ukraine—Again

Earlier this month, the Kremlin rejected calls for a Christmas truce, even as peace talks continue. It is just the most recent case of one side...

24.12.2025 2

The National Interest

Peter Suciu

Why Does NORAD Track Santa Claus?

The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is a binational command, jointly run by both the United States and Canada, designed to detect,...

24.12.2025 1

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

Christmas Eve, 1944: The Tank Duel That Broke Nazi Germany for Good

The Battle of the Bulge was the largest and bloodiest engagement the United States Army fought during World War II. Across the Ardennes Forest,...

24.12.2025 2

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

China Rejects Christmas Eve to Celebrate the Battle of Chosin Reservoir

Christmas in the United States, Canada, and Europe is marked by celebration, gift-giving, and, for Christians, commemoration of the birth of Jesus...

24.12.2025 2

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

The Quiet Omani Port Reshaping India’s Regional Strategy

India’s expanding presence along Oman’s coastline has unfolded without announcements, declarations, or diplomatic spectacle. Indian naval vessels...

24.12.2025 2

The National Interest

Fatemeh Aman

What Would Mahan Think About Trump’s Venezuela Strategy?

What would Captain Alfred Thayer Mahan, America’s fin de siècle evangelist of sea power, say about the US blockade on Venezuelan tankers, and about...

24.12.2025 6

The National Interest

James Holmes

Why Prosecuting Oil Traders Matters More Than Sinking Tankers

Russia’s oil trade survives through legal loopholes, shell companies, and intermediaries, not tankers alone—   making courtrooms a more effective...

24.12.2025 1

The National Interest

Joseph Hammond

Friedrich Merz Vindicates Trump’s Approach to Europe

“The decades of the ‘Pax Americana’ are largely over for us in Europe, and also for us in Germany. It no longer exists as we knew it and...

24.12.2025 4

The National Interest

James Diddams

Is Donald Trump Taking the China Threat Seriously?

Secretary of the Air Force Troy E. Meink and Air Force Chief of Staff General Kenneth S. Wilsbach have engaged in a massive bureaucratic...

23.12.2025 3

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

Thailand Just Lost an Armored Vehicle in Combat with Cambodia

Ukraine has become an arms exporter globally, despite being a nation invaded and under siege. Going back to the year 2007, the BTR-3E1 was an...

23.12.2025 2

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

The Marines Just Tested a New Landing Zone-Clearing Amphibious Drone

The United States Marine Corps (USMC) strives to be at the forefront of America’s ongoing revolution in military affairs. Toward that end, they are...

23.12.2025 1

The National Interest

Brandon J. Weichert

Ukraine’s Underwater Drone Cripples a Russian Submarine

Last week, the Ukrainian security services landed a major victory when an underwater suicide drone hit a Russian attack submarine at port.   Now,...

23.12.2025 2

The National Interest

Stavros Atlamazoglou

US Military’s Southern Command Gets a Special Ops Boss

The Department of Defense has nominated a distinguished Marine special operator to lead the US military’s largest organization in South America.  ...

23.12.2025 1

The National Interest

Stavros Atlamazoglou

Finland Arms Its F-35s With America’s Deadliest Air Missile

The Finnish Air Force decided to equip its new F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter jets with the AIM-120D3 air-to-air missile.   Faced with the...

23.12.2025 2

The National Interest

Stavros Atlamazoglou

Kadena: This Is the ISR Network China Fears Most

When one thinks of major military clashes, fighter jets, large warships, missiles, main battle tanks, and other weapon systems that can dish out...

23.12.2025 1

The National Interest

Stavros Atlamazoglou

How Rule of Law Erosion in the Western Balkans Threatens Energy Security

Without a credible rule of law, US and European energy investment in the Western Balkans becomes harder to insure, finance, and defend from...

23.12.2025 5

The National Interest

Joelvin Villarreal

How Italy Reasserted Its Global Role

In recent years, Italy has reasserted itself as a significant power player on the international stage, revitalizing its foreign policy with renewed...

23.12.2025 4

The National Interest

Valbona Zeneli

How China Turned the Arab Spring to Its Advantage

The 2025 US National Security Strategy signals the most significant shift in Middle East policy since the Iraq War. The new framework aims to...

23.12.2025 4

The National Interest

Zineb Riboua

The National Security Strategy’s Fatal Flaw

President Donald Trump’s National Security Strategy (NSS) appears to cement a radically different US approach to international relations. “The...

23.12.2025 2

The National Interest

M. Reece Breaux

Defining Success in the Second Phase of Gaza’s Ceasefire

As January 2026 nears, global attention has shifted to the next phase of the ceasefire. Building on the US-brokered 20-point peace plan endorsed by...

23.12.2025 7

The National Interest

Eric Alter

After Months of Labor Unrest, F-15EX Eagle II Deliveries Are Back on Track

The F-15E is the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle variant dubbed the “Strike Eagle,” but the Boeing-made F-15EX was struck at the aerospace firm’s St....

23.12.2025 1

The National Interest

Peter Suciu

Trump Announces New Class of Battleships—Named for Himself

On Monday afternoon, President Donald Trump unveiled a new proposed class of warships for the United States Navy, which he said would be necessary...

23.12.2025 1

The National Interest

Peter Suciu

Making Sense of Donald Trump’s Venezuela Blockade

On December 10, the United States Coast Guard seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela for its alleged role in transporting Venezuelan oil...

23.12.2025 2

The National Interest

Matthew Reisener

How Cash Flights to Kabul Help Iran and the Taliban

The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan as the United States withdrew its forces under the Doha Agreement, which was initially billed as a...

23.12.2025 1

The National Interest

Natiq Malikzada

US Warship Fires First Kamikaze Drone at Sea

The US Navy successfully launched a suicide drone from a warship.  On Tuesday, the Navy conducted the first successful launch of a one-way attack...

22.12.2025 1

The National Interest

Stavros Atlamazoglou

From Delta Force to Digital War: A Commando Takes Over the NSA

The White House has nominated a Delta Force officer to lead the National Security Agency (NSA) and Cyber Command.   The two organizations are some...

22.12.2025 1

The National Interest

Stavros Atlamazoglou

MH-65 Dolphin: The Coolest Helicopter You’ve Never Heard Of

The MH-65 Dolphin is the US Coast Guard’s workhorse helicopter, the most recognizable platform in the service. Seen constantly in search and rescue...

22.12.2025 1

The National Interest

Harrison Kass

Why Wasn’t the US Air Force Interested in the YF-23 Fifth-Gen Fighter Prototype?

The YF-23 Black Widow II is a case study in what might have been the future of the US Air Force. The sleek, stealthy aircraft was designed for the...

22.12.2025 1

The National Interest

Harrison Kass

Why the U-2 Dragon Lady Spy Plane Is an Astonishing Feat of Engineering

The Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady routinely operates above 70,000 feet, an altitude few aircraft can reach or sustain. At those heights the air is thin,...

22.12.2025 3

The National Interest

Harrison Kass

Russia Says Kupiansk Is Surrounded. Ukraine’s President Just Visited the Front

In recent weeks, senior Russian officials have claimed significant progress on the battlefield in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has...

22.12.2025 1

The National Interest

Stavros Atlamazoglou

How to Revive US Air Power Dominance

Rebuilding America’s industrial base is a major theme of the Trump administration—and China’s ability to deliver more than 200 fighter aircraft...

22.12.2025 1

The National Interest

John Venable

How the NDAA Boosts Burdensharing with Allies

Tucked inside the 3,000-plus pages of the National Defense Authorization Act that recently passed both houses of Congress is a provision creating an...

22.12.2025 1

The National Interest

Stephen Tankel

Azerbaijan’s Landmine Crisis Demands Global Attention

Even after a conflict ends, war leaves its mark. In some cases, the scars of war are found not only in ruined cities and shattered infrastructure...

22.12.2025 9

The National Interest

Sebastian Stodolak