American Foreign Policy Council

DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY MONITOR NO. 116 DTM No. 116 explores a laser-based communications system at sea, China's underwater data centers, the Pentagon's simulated cyberattacks on satellites as a test for real-world conditions, as well as new weapons jamming systems, and finally, the novel ability to remotely control the Black Hawk as if it were a large drone. #DefensePolicy #China #UnitedStates #GlobalSecurity #BlackHawk

RUSSIA POLICY MONITOR NO. 2720 RPM No. 2720 explores Moscow’s Arctic calculations, the troubling rise of teen labor in drone production, newly revealed human costs of the war, and the decline of Russia’s arms trade. #Ukraine #Russia #Moscow #Arctic #War #Drones

🚨 NEW ARTICLE 🚨 Don’t miss AFPC Senior VP Ilan Berman's latest piece, "Through Iran, Trump Is Testing The Authoritarian Axis." 🔗 Read here: buff.ly/SChueUC #Iran #Trump #Authoritarianism #ForeignPolicy #DefensePolicy

🇺🇦 UKRAINE REFORM MONITOR NO. 21 URM No. 21 explores how Kyiv is navigating corruption concerns, expanding into European defense markets, and reducing reliance on China in critical tech sectors. #Ukraine #Russia #Kyiv #DefensePolicy #GlobalSecurity

🚨 NEW ARTICLE 🚨 A wiser Europe would recognise the benefits it stands to gain – and stop picking unnecessary fights with Washington over a campaign it cannot possibly influence and that ultimately advances its own security. Don’t miss AFPC Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy Lawrence J. Haas's latest piece, "Europe's Iran stance is a strategic error that hurts its US alliance." 🔗 Read here: buff.ly/qwjTwvj #Iran #Washington #foreignpolicy #Europe

"The Pentagon is reportedly now in talks to purchase Ukrainian-made interceptor drones to deter Iranian drone strikes. And Ukraine is uniquely primed to assist the U.S. in the air defense mission...Beyond simply purchasing systems, Washington needs to tap into Ukraine’s expertise to train U.S. warfighters in counter-drone methods. Ukrainian soldiers have learned difficult lessons over the past four years of war – lessons that have allowed them to husband resources and save on more expensive air defense systems. They also have unique and intimate knowledge of combating different variants of Iran’s drone systems – something that the U.S. and its allies desperately need now. Read AFPC research fellow and program officer Anna Harvey's latest for @RCDefense. buff.ly/DCvzQHv

⏰ Deadline Approaching: Summer 2026 Internship Applications Applications for our Summer 2026 Internship Program are due March 15 at 11:59 PM. We are currently seeking applicants for two roles: - Research Interns - Communications & Digital Media Interns If you’re interested in foreign affairs and want hands-on experience researching, writing, and contributing to the work of a foreign policy think tank, we encourage you to apply. Learn more about the positions and application process on our website. Don’t miss the deadline—submit your application by March 15 at 11:59 PM. buff.ly/pVNljI4.

We also want to extend a special thanks to all our speakers and panelists who made the conference possible! We couldn't do this without you — thank you so much. 1️⃣ Panel I: Assessing Ukraine’s Land Force Capabilities and Needs From left to right: Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt (USA, Ret.); George Barros (Institute for the Study of War); Luke Coffey (Hudson Institute) *Not pictured: General Wesley Clark (USA, Ret.) 2️⃣ Panel II: Assessing Ukraine’s Maritime & Coastal Defense Capabilities and Needs From left to right: Debra Cagan (Atlantic Council); Captain Andrij Ryzhenko (Deputy Chief of Staff, Ukrainian Navy / EA Integration 2012–2020); Glen Howard (Saratoga Foundation); Steven Wills (Center for Maritime Strategy/Navy League) 3️⃣ Panel III: Evaluating Ukraine’s Air & Air Defense Capabilities and Needs From left to right: Ambassador William Courtney (RAND Corporation); Kateryna Stepanenko (Institute for the Study of War); (American Foreign Policy Council) *Not pictured: Phillip Breedlove (SACEUR 2013–2016) 4️⃣ Panel IV: Evaluating Ukraine’s Special Operations & Cyber-Warfare/Informational Warfare Capabilities & Needs [With a Glance at the Energy Infrastructure Wars] From left to right: (American Foreign Policy Council); Ariel Cohen (International Tax and Investment Center); Mark Thomas (Lasalle University); Kateryna Sedova (Atlantic Council/Georgetown U) *Not pictured: Special Commentator Roman Popadiuk (US Envoy to UA 1992-1993) 5️⃣ Panel V: In Lieu of a Drone Summit — A Question: Are Ukraine’s Drone Technology Innovations Leading to a Shift in the Fundamentals of Warfare (Land, Sea, or Air)? From left to right: Kateryna Shynkaruk (Bush School of Government/Texas A&M); (Foreign Policy Research Institute) *Not pictured: Andrij Zagorodnyuk (Minister of Defense of Ukraine 2019–2020); Zenovy Wowczuk (Civil-Military Innovation Institute); Reuben Johnson (National Security Journal); Special Commentator Greg Melcher (CEO/Center for New Generation Warfare)

🎥 Watch the opening session of the conference: buff.ly/OfgHtq0 ▶️ Full conference playlist: buff.ly/MMkG9rM 📄 Program & speaker bios: bit.ly/USUASD2026 ℹ️ Read about the Security Dialogue Series: buff.ly/HrM4CiJ ⏪ Watch previous dialogues (2020–2025): buff.ly/nTJKckm

"US-Ukraine Security Dialogue XVIII: Taking Measure of Ukraine’s Defense Capabilities & Needs After a Fourth Year of War" took place on February 25, 2026, at the University Club of Washington, DC, and convened senior military leaders, policymakers, and analysts. Five panels examined Ukraine’s capabilities across land, maritime, air, special operations/cyber, and emerging drone warfare. Finally, three focus sessions addressed why Ukraine’s security remains vital to regional and global stability.

🚨 NEW IN FORBES 🚨 Are we headed toward a new war with Iran? The possibility looks increasingly likely. Don’t miss AFPC Senior VP Ilan Berman's latest piece, "The Dollars And Cents Of Military Action Against Iran." 🔗 Read here: buff.ly/bXSX4TD #Iran #Washington #ForeignPolicy

🚨 NEW ARTICLE OUT NOW 🚨 Russia’s war in Ukraine has produced a paradox for US strategy: it has significantly reduced Russia’s strategic long-term power while hardening Moscow into a more dangerous, risk-tolerant adversary for the United States and its allies and partners in Europe, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia. 🔗 On our website: buff.ly/QfLD8in #Ukraine #Eurasia #Russia

🚨 NEW ARTICLE OUT NOW 🚨 “Today, the situation has fundamentally changed,” the Trump administration’s special envoy for Syria, Tom Barrack, said of the U.S.'s relationship with the SDF. 🔗 On our website: buff.ly/jUz08Ik #SDF #kurds #syria

🚨 NEW ARTICLE OUT NOW 🚨 The January 2026 internet blackout in Iran, following protests that erupted on December 28, has exposed the deep failures of the National Information Network (NIN). 🔗 On our website: buff.ly/QLKXaOu #starlink #islamicrepublic #iran

🚨 NEW IN THE NATIONAL INTEREST 🚨 A change in Russia’s government is more likely to take place than conventional wisdom allows. Read AFPC Chairman of the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute S. Frederick Starr's latest piece for The National Interest. 🔗 On our website now! #russia #foreignaffairs #ukraine

🪐 Recap from Wednesday's (01/28) space strategy briefing on Capitol Hill! ✨ We brought together some serious expertise to talk about something that doesn't get enough attention: America's position in the new space race with China. THE PANEL: 🎖️ Lt Gen Steve Kwast - Top Gun pilot, former Air Force general, early Space Force advocate 🎓 Dr. Namrata Goswami - Johns Hopkins professor, leading expert on China's space program 📚 Dr. Peter Garretson - Retired Air Force strategist, co-author of "Space Shock" Key insights from our expert panel: 💰 Space economy: $600B → $10 TRILLION by 2050 🇨🇳 China has a unified 2045 space strategy. The U.S. has fragmented responses. 🌙 First-mover advantages in space are PERMANENT ⚡ Tech is ready. Policy is lagging. THE BOTTOM LINE: If we keep reacting instead of leading, we'll wake up one day and realize China is setting the terms for humanity's future in space. And by then, catching up will be way more expensive—if it's even possible. 📚 Worth reading: "Space Shock: 18 Threats That Will Define Space Power" by Peter Garretson and Richard Harrison: it lays out exactly what could go wrong and what we should do about it. Special thanks to our incredible interns for their dedication and support! 🙌 #SpaceStrategy #Space #ForeignPolicy #NationalSecurity #SpacePolicy #China #GreatPowerCompetition #SpaceEconomy #CapitolHill #DefensePolicy #SpaceForce #NASA #SpaceRace #CongressionalBriefing

🚨 NEW IN FORBES 🚨 The "electronic curtain" over Iran is thickening. Read AFPC Senior VP Ilan Berman's latest op-ed for @forbes. 🔗 On our website now! #iran #foreignaffairs #protests #khamenei #tehran

🚨 NEW IN NATIONAL INTEREST 🚨 Despite many US inducements, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has turned away from normalization with Israel and broader US alignment in the Middle East. Read AFPC senior fellow for U.S. foreign policy Lawrence Haas' latest op-ed for @TheNatlInterest. 🔗 On our website now! #saudiarabia #foreignaffairs #riyadh #MohammedbinSalman #binSalman #israel #saudiarabia #normalization

Less than a month away... register now for the Annual Summit: U.S.–Ukraine Security Dialogue XVIII 🇺🇦🇺🇸 📅 February 25 | 🕘 9:00 AM–5:00 PM 📍 University Club of Washington 🔗 Register here: buff.ly/OfWW0aU 📧 Registration required | events@afpc.org UCCA — Ukrainian Congress Committee of America

🚨 NEW IN THE NATIONAL INTEREST 🚨 Canadian prime minister Mark Carney has charted a realist course for Canada. Can he put it to use and help strike a US-Denmark deal over Greenland? Don’t miss AFPC Visiting Fellow Damjan Krnjevic-Miskovic's latest piece, "A Canadian Solution to the Greenland Problem." 🔗 Read on our website now! #canada #greenland #denmark