Recent Publications

SSI Live 106 – Dr. Chris Mason on the Study of Internal Conflict
January 10, 2024 — Clear, Hold, [and don’t] Build? The Study of Internal Conflict – Although strategic competition has placed China and Russia at the center of American security policy, internal conflicts in places like Iraq, Kosovo, Syria, and Yemen continue to demand the attention of policymakers. SSI’s Dr. Chris Mason has examined these and dozens of others through his multi-year Study of Internal Conflict... MORE

SSI Live 105 – The Dragon and the Bear in Africa
December 14, 2023 — Much is made of the ‘axis of authoritarianism’ emerging between Moscow and Beijing, and it’s clear the PRC is playing an important if only implicit role in supporting Russia’s war on Ukraine. But how do these two strategic actors collaborate in other regions? SSI’s Dr. Bob Hamilton spoke to SSI Live host Dr. John R. Deni to discuss his latest research on whether and how China and Russia interact... MORE

SSI Live 103 – Terrestrial Responses to Space Aggression
November 20, 2023 — Terrestrial Responses to Space Aggression – Russia and China have both tested ground-based anti-satellite missiles as well as on-orbit anti-satellite weapons. The latter include projectiles launched from one satellite to another and satellites that can grapple and move other satellites. How should or can the United States respond to an attack on its own satellites? Why does attacking an adversary’s satellite in retaliation make for an unappealing option?... MORE

SSI Live 102 – Ellis on Elections in Argentina Ecuador Venezuela
October 30, 2023 — Implications of Elections in Argentina, Ecuador, and Venezuela – It’s election season in South America, and the outcomes in three key countries have somewhat surprised observers. The implications for Argentina’s flailing economy, the narcotics-fueled violence in Ecuador, and the flow of oil from Venezuela are numerous, but what do they mean for the United States and the Pentagon?... MORE

SSI Live 101 – What’s the Real State of the Russia-China Relationship
June 15, 2023 — What’s the Real State of the Russia-China Relationship? – The debate over the nature of the Russia-China relationship remains unsettled. One side believes the two are strategic partners, while the other believes their ties are merely an “axis of convenience”. Understanding the nature of their relationship is of vital importance to U.S. national security, so how can we gain a deeper, more nuanced understanding of Russian-Chinese relations?... MORE

SSI Live 99 – AI in Today’s (and Tomorrow’s) Military
April 11, 2023 — AI in Today’s (and Tomorrow’s) Military – What are the implications of the U.S. military incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into what it does during peacetime, in conflict, and everything in between? How does trust figure into the use of AI, both up and down the chain of command? To employ AI successfully, will we need all troops to be AI experts, and if so, what are the implications for DoD?... MORE

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

America Needs a Permanent Military Presence in the Baltics, and Here’s Why
September 21, 2021 — Dr. John R. Deni, 2021 in Defense NewsWith the Defense Department weighing whether and how to change the U.S. military footprint overseas, it’s time to make the American military presence in the Baltic states durable. Maintaining merely periodic American boots on the ground, sometimes there and sometimes not — especially while a more permanent U.S... MORE

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Rollback redux: A new (old) framework for dealing with Russia
October 15, 2020 — Dr. John R. Deni, 2020 in the HillWith ongoing Russian efforts to interfere in an election just weeks away, not to mention Moscow’s efforts to militarily provoke the West and assassinate political rivals at home and abroad, it’s never been more clear that the United States needs a new approach to Russia. Despite releasing in 2017 what was widely... MORE

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China’s Economic Statecraft in Europe during the Pandemic
October 9, 2020 — Dr. John R. Deni and Jake Shatzer, Oct 2020 in War on the RocksThe novel coronavirus pandemic has unleashed an immense shock to the global economy. In Europe, the gross domestic product among the countries that use the euro has dropped by over 12 percent while unemployment rates have risen to nearly 8 percent. Many countries are unlikely to reach... MORE

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Security Threats, American Pressure, and the Role of Key Personnel: How NATO’s Defence Planning Process is Alleviating the Burden-Sharing Dilemma
October 9, 2020 — Dr. John R. Deni, 2020In 2017, for the first time since the end of the Cold War, none of the capability targets identified in NATO’s quadrennial NATO Defence Planning Process (NDPP) were left on the negotiating table. Previously, capability targets were identified by the alliance’s secretariat, but they remained unfilled as allies failed to assume... MORE

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