Home : Research & Commentary : SSI Worldwide
From the Archives
Ukraine has invaded Russia, what happens next?
Ukraine has invaded Russia, what happens next?
Dr. John R. Deni
 
Background image of the roadsign at the semi-destroyed entry-exit checkpoint ‘Sudzha’ on the Ukraine-Russia border from ABC.net.au (https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/saturdayextra/ukraine-kursk/104260482)
Aug. 26, 2024 - Ukraine shocked Russia and its allies by launching a surprise attack on the Kursk region and has now seized over 1200 square kilometres of enemy territory. Will this operation prove pivotal for the war or could it turn into a...

The NATO Strategic Concept on Its Seventy-Fifth Anniversary
The NATO Strategic Concept on its Seventy-Fifth Anniversary
Dr. John R. Deni
Dr. Sten Rynning
 
https://www.armyupress.army.mil/Journals/Military-Review/English-Edition-Archives/July-August-2024/NATO-Strategic-Concept/
 
The 2022 Brussels summit in Belgium, a meeting of the heads of state and government of NATO, took place 24 March 2022 at NATO’s headquarters just one month after the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Following the summit, leaders released a joint statement condemning the attacks on civilians and calling on Russia to immediately suspend military operations in Ukraine. (Photo courtesy of NATO)
Aug. 14, 2024 - | Published by Army University Press Military Review, July-August 2024 |  The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will celebrate its seventy-fifth anniversary at its 2024 summit in Washington, D.C. NATO’s age tells a...

Venezuela’s Elections: Hoping for the Best, Preparing for the Worst
Venezuela's Elections: Hoping for the Best, Preparing for the Worst - R. Evan Ellis
As Venezuela moves toward promised national elections on July 28, my heart is with the hopes of Venezuelans for a miracle that will translate their courageous act of voting, into a restoration of democracy. Everything I have seen unfold in the country over the past 25 years of my career in government and the private sector following Venezuela leads me to expect the worst. 

https://www.indrastra.com/2024/07/venezuelas-elections-hoping-for-best.html
July 25, 2024 - As Venezuela moves toward promised national elections on July 28, my heart is with the hopes of Venezuelans for a miracle that will translate their courageous act of voting, into a restoration of democracy. Everything I have...

China, the Illiberal Counter-Order, and the Role of Values in the Strategic Response
China, the Illiberal Counter-Order, and the Role of Values in the Strategic Response

R. Evan Ellis

https://gordoninstitute.fiu.edu/news-events/the-policy-spotlight/2024/china-the-illiberal-counter-order-and-the-role-of-values-in-the-strategic-response.html
July 22, 2024 - The dynamics of the international order in the third decade of the 21st Century are changing profoundly.  The magnitude and complexity of the change are illustrated by Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine, in both its initial...

Engagement with China has had a Multifaceted Impact on Latin American Democracy
R. Evan Ellis
Background photo by AP Ng Han Guan, Pool, reposted from article (https://thediplomat.com/2024/07/engagement-with-china-has-had-a-multifaceted-impact-on-latin-american-democracy)
July 15, 2024 - While Beijing may not deliberately promote authoritarian regimes in Latin America, implicit risks to the dynamics of democracies arise out of engagement with China.In its public discourse, unlike the Soviet Union during the...

NATO’s in Denial about Deterrence by Denial
NATO’s in Denial about Deterrence by Denial
John R. Deni
Published by POLITICO 
https://www.politico.eu/article/nato-us-army-chinese-government-defense-war-europe-allies-cold-war-russia-poland/
July 8, 2024 - Taking the necessary steps to fully operationalize deterrence by denial is critical — especially before a possible change in America’s relationship with NATO.Recent revelations that the Chinese government has been...

Paraguay’s Security Challenges and the Government Response
Paraguay’s Security Challenges and the Government Response

R. Evan Ellis

https://gordoninstitute.fiu.edu/news-events/the-policy-spotlight/2024/paraguays-security-challenges-and-the-government-response.html
July 8, 2024 - The land-locked South American country of Paraguay receives little attention in Washington D.C. relative to its strategic importance for the region and the U.S. It is larger than Germany, and like Germany, its impact, and the...

Russian Warships, Venezuelan Elections, and a Fabricated Crisis with Guyana in the Caribbean?
Russian Warships, Venezuelan Elections, and a Fabricated Crisis with Guyana in the Caribbean?

R. Evan Ellis

Published by Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy at Florida International University
https://gordoninstitute.fiu.edu/news-events/the-policy-spotlight/2024/russian-warships-venezuelan-elections-and-a-fabricated-crisis-with-guyana-in-the-caribbean.html

Background photo of Russian warship in the Caribbean from FIU article link, originally sourced from The New York Times, June 6, 2024  (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/12/world/americas/russia-cuba-navy-exercies.html)
June 17, 2024 - The deployment of Russian warships to the Caribbean is Kabuki theater.  For 15 years, a Russia whose international power projection capabilities have deteriorated significantly since the end of the Cold War has periodically...

Playing Both Sides of the U.S.-Chinese Rivalry
On a visit to Budapest in late February, China’s minister of public security, Wang Xiaohong, secured a face-to-face meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to establish a new bilateral security arrangement. China and Hungary agreed to cooperate on law enforcement, policing, and counterterrorism, putting security ties at the center of their relationship.
 
In many ways, it was a puzzling agreement, since Hungary is already a member of a security alliance—NATO—that protects it from armed attack. But Budapest’s pursuit of security relationships with both Beijing and Washington is a notable example of a global trend. 
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/playing-both-sides-us-chinese-rivalry
 
Composite images from Unsplash (USA Flag: https://unsplash.com/photos/flag-of-america-E4hWWoTTtxw, China flag: https://unsplash.com/photos/red-national-flag-jL0tMFYOdBM, Storm: https://unsplash.com/photos/black-and-white-clouds-during-daytime-qcpAMjzX4BI)
May 29, 2024 - Why Countries Get External Security from Washington—and Internal Security from BeijingOn a visit to Budapest in late February, China’s minister of public security, Wang Xiaohong, secured a face-to-face meeting with Hungarian...