Recent Publications

Brazil and the Illiberal Anti-U.S. Alliance
June 20, 2023 — R. Evan EllisDuring World War II, Brazil contributed to the security of allied trans-Atlantic shipping routes and sent a division-sized expeditionary force to Italy to help liberate Europe from Hitler and Mussolini’s murderous dictatorships. In 1985, Brazilians rallied around Tancredo Neves and José Sarney to end undemocratic military rule... MORE

Brazil and the Illiberal Anti-U.S. Alliance
Jun 20, 2023 | China, R. Evan Ellis, South & Latin America, SSI Worldwide

Revisiting “Sino-Russian Relations and the War in Ukraine”
May 11, 2023 — In this podcast, Zenel Garcia and Kevin Modlin draw on recent visits of Chinese officials to Russia to support their contention that Sino-Russian relations are a narrow partnership centered on accelerating the emergence of a multipolar order to reduce American hegemony and illustrate this point by tracing the discursive and empirical foundations of the relationship. Additionally, they highlight how the war... MORE

Stress-Testing Chinese-Russian Relations
May 9, 2023 — Robert E. Hamilton A debate over the nature of the China-Russia relationship has raged for almost two decades. One side believes the two are strategic partners; the other believes their ties are an “axis of convenience” lacking depth.Understanding the true nature of their relationship is of vital importance to U.S. national security. A true... MORE

Stress-Testing Chinese-Russian Relations
Robert E. Hamilton

Old & New Battlespaces: Society, Military Power, and War
April 7, 2023 — Changing Character of War Old & New Battlespaces: Society, Military Power, and War by Jahara Matisek and Buddhika Jayamaha | Reviewed by Dr. Robert J. Bunker, director of research and analysis and managing partner, C/O Futures, LLC | In Old & New Battlespaces: Society, Military Power, and War, Drs. Jahara Matisek and Buddhika Jayamaha, examine the... MORE

Parameters Bookshelf – Changing Character of War
Old & New Battlespaces: Society, Military Power, and War
by Jahara Matisek and Buddhika Jayamaha

SSI Live 98 – One Year On: Russia’s War on Ukraine
March 17, 2023 — With the Russian war in Ukraine having just reached its one-year mark, how can we assess outlook for Ukraine? Is there reason for Kyiv – or Moscow – to be optimistic, given the current trajectory? And what can we make of potential Chinese involvement? In this third (of three) SSI Live podcast marking one year of Russia’s war against Ukraine, ... MORE

SSI Live 97 – One Year On: Russia’s War on Ukraine and the Role of the EU
March 9, 2023 — One Year On: Russia’s War on Ukraine and the Role of the EU – With the Russian war in Ukraine having just reached its one-year mark, how can we assess the role of the European Union (EU)? Have its diplomatic, political, economic, and military responses to the war met expectations? What remains to be done and what impediments stand in the way? ... MORE

SSI Live 96 – One Year On: Russia’s War on Ukraine and the Role of Latin America
March 8, 2023 — With the Russian war in Ukraine having just reached its one-year mark, it’s clear that economic sanctions against Russia as well as the provision of military equipment and other materiel have formed the centerpieces of the Western response to Russia’s unprovoked, illegal invasion. Yet the global south, including Latin America, remains conspicuously... MORE

What Ukraine Taught NATO about Hybrid Warfare
December 5, 2022 — The Russian invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the long-term energy dependencies on Moscow that Europe will neither be able to resolve quickly nor without great sacrifice. Russia’s hybrid warfare—a combination of kinetic strikes against key infrastructure, information manipulation, malign finance, economic coercion, and cyber operations—has used Ukraine to target the heart of Europe’s energy security. This war has forced the Continent to consider how to realize its economic, environmental, and geostrategic energy goals on its own. This study found systemic dependencies and cyber vulnerabilities in critical energy infrastructure throughout the European continent could impact the Alliance’s political stability and threaten military effectiveness. Forward mobility and troop readiness are affected directly by energy shortfalls and increasing cyber vulnerabilities across NATO. The main findings related to cyber and malign influence provide a sobering view of the challenges of hybrid warfare on energy security in NATO nations. ... MORE

Parameters | Winter 2022–23
November 18, 2022 — Parameters | Winter 2022–23From the Acting Editor in ChiefConrad C. CraneIn FocusPresent Danger: Nuclear Power Plants and Modern WarfareHenry D. SokolskiPutin Chooses between a Series of Bad OptionsJeffrey D. McCauslandIndo-PacificIndian Perspectives: Insights for Indo-American PartnershipTyrell O. MayfieldSecurity Force Assistance Brigades and US... MORE

Parameters Summer 2023 Issue US Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College Press

What Ukraine Taught NATO about Hybrid Warfare
November 9, 2022 — Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 forced the United States and its NATO partners to be confronted with the impact of hybrid warfare far beyond the battlefield. Targeting Europe’s energy security, Russia’s malign influence campaigns and malicious cyber intrusions are affecting global gas prices, driving up food costs, disrupting supply chains and... MORE

Religion and Resistance
November 1, 2022 — The Ukrainian Orthodox and Greek Catholic Churchesin Resistance Efforts in the War Against RussiaHeather S. Gregg, 2022, the Foreign Policy Research InstituteAs the Russian-instigated war in Ukraine nears its first-year anniversary, resistance—population-based efforts to frustrate and repel an occupying force—remains an important piece of the... MORE

Coercing Fluently: The Grammar of Coercion in the Twenty-first Century
October 31, 2022 — To illustrate the logic and grammar of coercion, this analysis relies on decision-theory methods, such as game theory, that examine the strategic decision-making process in interactions with adversaries and partners. The intent here is not to offer predictive models of rational-actor behavior. Rather, the intent is to use game theory and similar approaches to understand how coercion works better. This analysis considers competitive interactions between actors that have discrete and qualifiable, if not quantifiable, preferences and who behave rationally, though this analysis acknowledges the behavior that is considered rational is frequently informed by nonrational social, cultural, and psychological factors. Considering these competitive interactions allows one to identify “rules of thumb” that can orient and guide actors as they compete... MORE