CEPA’s online journal covering critical topics on the foreign policy docket across Europe and North America.
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October 7, 2026
China Needs Russia in the Fight
Russia is increasingly dependent on China, but that does not make the relationship one-sided. Moscow still brings assets to the partnership that Beijing cannot afford to lose.
October 7, 2026
Silence, Delusion and Robots: Ukraine’s Eastern Advances
A decisive victory for Ukraine in the Donbas has reset expectations of what can be achieved on the battlefield of 2026.
October 6, 2026
Key European Airports Need Permanent Drone Defenses
Europe is woefully unprepared for the realities of drone warfare, and a coordinated Russian attack would do very serious harm. It urgently needs a plan.
October 5, 2026
Russia Attacks – Would NATO Freeze?
The idea that NATO forces would hesitate if engaged by the Russians is misguided, says former alliance official and US Army Maj. Gen. (rtd.) Skip Davis.
October 5, 2026
The Czechs: 1938 and All That
The Czech Republic marks two milestones in the next few weeks. One celebratory, one somber.
October 5, 2026
Putin and His War Without End
The Russian leader has set out his demands: Europe must bend the knee, or the war will go on and on and on.
October 2, 2026
The US Bets Big on Eurasia
The US has strategic and economic reasons to be a key player in Eurasia, and the Trump administration is laying the groundwork to make it happen.
October 2, 2026
A Time to Reap: Ukraine’s Operation Vivaldi
Much of Europe still fails to see Ukraine as the continent’s first line of defense. Its strategic distance from Kyiv looks increasingly like betrayal.
October 1, 2026
Russia: A Menu of Death in Ukraine’s Small Towns
Russia’s abuse of civilians in occupied Ukraine is in the news, but it’s far more widespread than realized.
September 30, 2026
Russia’s Rage Fixes on the British
Russia’s increasingly fiery rhetoric over British support for Ukraine is about more than war damage. The Kremlin sees the UK as a Western first mover inspiring other European states.
September 30, 2026
FSB Focuses Crosshairs on Russian Exiles
The Kremlin’s campaign to harass, intimidate, and murder opponents takes another major step back to the days of Stalin.
September 30, 2026
NATO Drones: Swarm or Be Swarmed
Ukraine already uses drone swarm systems; NATO needs to follow, and swiftly.
September 30, 2026
Kyiv: When Night Phantoms Arrive in Daytime
For years, air attacks in Kyiv came mostly came at night. That has changed and daily life has changed with it.
September 28, 2026
NATO Needs a Drone-Interceptor Squadron
With NATO members now under almost-daily alert for Russian drone incursions, it’s time to find a new answer.
September 28, 2026
Russia’s 2027 Budget: Guns Now, Pay Later
Moscow’s new budget funds another year of war by squeezing everything else, and even that plan is unlikely to survive contact with reality.
September 28, 2026
The Russia-North Korea Partnership: Transactional Only
Ties between the two countries are based on self-interest. That opens a small window of opportunity for Ukraine and its allies.
September 25, 2026
How to Fight Putin’s War on Reality
If the West wants change in Moscow, it needs to stop undermining Russia’s opposition media as it reports the truth about the Kremlin’s disastrous war.
September 24, 2026
Choppy Waters: Caspian War Drones Proliferate
The spillover from wars in Europe and the Middle East has hit the Caspian region: Azerbaijan is now arming to deter.
September 24, 2026
Greenland’s New US Deal: A Bet on the High North
The headline-grabbing settlement on the Greenland dispute opens the way to better relations, but may face some significant hurdles in practice.
September 24, 2026
Dispersal: Saving Ukraine From Russia’s Winter Blitz
Russia plans to freeze Ukraine into submission this winter. There are ways to thwart it and protect the population.
September 22, 2026
Narrative Failure: Russia and the West have a Storytelling Problem
Persuasion is most effective when there’s a compelling story, but after four and a half years of full-scale war, neither Moscow nor the West has produced a clear narrative of the conflict or how it might end.
September 22, 2026
Russian Fertilizer: Nourishing the Roots of War
A lack of sanctions means the Russian fertilizer industry has had a very good war. That needs to change.
September 21, 2026
Ukraine’s War Widows Fight for Compensation
Disputes over whether soldiers died “defending the motherland” are preventing Ukrainian widows and other relatives from receiving vital compensation.
September 18, 2026
Russia’s Rigged Elections Still Serve a Purpose
Putin’s regime fixes election outcomes, but relies on the real numbers to assess resistance.
September 18, 2026
Russia’s Election Campaign Puts Governors on the Hook
The Kremlin devolves vote fixing and coerced turnout to the leaders of its regions. Expectations are high and failure is punished.
September 18, 2026
The Big Day Looms for Putin’s Election Fixers
Why does the Russian regime bother with elections? In part because it has become an imperative for a bureaucracy to maintain its influence and wealth.
September 18, 2026
Kremlin Vote-Fakers Crush the Liberals
The Yabloko party seemed suddenly popular as Duma elections approached. This rattled the Kremlin and brought a familiar despotic response.
September 18, 2026
How to Defeat Russia’s Shadow War
The Kremlin-directed attacks on Europe are a sign of weakness. Europe must craft a robust new response to raise the pressure on Russia.
September 16, 2026
Ukraine Advances: The Tank Isn’t Finished Yet
The death of the tank and its armored companions has been overstated. Ukraine is demonstrating they still have a part to play.
September 16, 2026
Russia’s Neighbors Battle Oil Addiction
Ukrainian strikes on Russia’s oil refineries have triggered shortages across neighboring countries which have depended on Moscow for decades.