Dispatches

Blog posts and other updates from Yorktown’s leadership, staff, and guest authors.

In this file photo, Russian President Vladimir Putin (right) holds talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Russky Island, Vladivostok

Will Russia Commit to North Korea Connections?

On May 9, Russia’s annual Victory Day celebration, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un praised Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war effort in Ukraine. This is the latest sign of the nations’ strengthening ties, following the White House’s March 30 announcement that the Kremlin is once again seeking to trade food and other supplies …

Will Russia Commit to North Korea Connections? Continue Reading >>

Kinzhal Missile

Russia’s Hypersonic Defeat. Or Was It?

The May 4 shootdown of a Russian hypersonic Kinzhal missile by a Ukrainian-manned, US-made, Patriot missile system might be seen to indicate that the new class of weaponry is neither invulnerable nor revolutionary, as Russia, US military officials, and many in the media have proclaimed. This lends credence to those who have argued that …

Russia’s Hypersonic Defeat. Or Was It? Continue Reading >>

Canadarm2 ISS

Apply International Law and Norms to Space

Space is so vast and distant for humans that until recently it has never been considered much of an economic resource or domain for competition among states. It has been largely viewed as a ‘global commons,’ much like international waters, for all nations to access for improved communications. However, space …

Apply International Law and Norms to Space Continue Reading >>

Seth Cropsey

Seth Cropsey quoted in WSJ Editorial

Yorktown Institute president Seth Cropsey was referenced in the Wall Street Journal’s January 29th editorial, Telling the Truth About Possible War Over Taiwan, concerning Gen. Michael Minihan’s belief that war will break out over Taiwan in 2025. “Former naval officer Seth Cropsey explained on these pages last week that America isn’t …

Seth Cropsey quoted in WSJ Editorial Continue Reading >>

USS Yorktown at sea

Defense and Inflation: From Roosevelt to 2023

The world is entering a year of increased defense spending as countries prepare their armed forces for spontaneous threats while developing long-term military doctrines that respond to new technologies and shifting alliances. Washington will need to develop a sustainable model for reinforcing its defenses in a domestic and international environment …

Defense and Inflation: From Roosevelt to 2023 Continue Reading >>

Ieva Ilves

The View from the Baltics: A Conversation with Ieva Ilves, Former First Lady of Estonia

  Ieva Ilves is a cybersecurity expert and diplomat who currently serves as a digital policy advisor to Latvian President Egils Levits. She was the First Lady of Estonia during the presidency of her husband, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, who served until 2016. A native of Latvia, she served as the …

The View from the Baltics: A Conversation with Ieva Ilves, Former First Lady of Estonia Continue Reading >>

Brezhnev Portrait

Purposeless Polls: How Soviet Citizens Rebelled Against a Regime that Rejected Open Communication

Leonid Brezhnev was no Joseph Stalin when it came to his ascendancy to power. Far less authoritative and more furtive in his gradual promotion of subordinates that had previously served under his rule, Brezhnev was regarded as a distant figure by the citizens of the Soviet Union. And while he …

Purposeless Polls: How Soviet Citizens Rebelled Against a Regime that Rejected Open Communication Continue Reading >>

The Final Struggle

The Real Meaning of Great Power Competition

Both sides of the aisle in Washington agree that the United States is in a momentous era of great power competition against China. This consensus has overshadowed recent developments, including Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan and Beijing’s subsequent military exercises, the signing of the Chips and Science Act, and the …

The Real Meaning of Great Power Competition Continue Reading >>

Scroll to Top