FOCUS
June 27, 2022. By Sean Monaghan, CSIS. As NATO’s leaders gather in Madrid this month to unveil the alliance’s eighth strategic concept at a crucial time for European security, they should take inspiration from earlier concepts. In 2014, NATO launched its Framework Nations Concept at the Wales summit to enhance collective defense through multinational cooperation. The idea is built on the basic principles established in NATO’s first strategic concept in 1949. Indispensable: NATO’s Framework Nations Concept beyond Madrid
AROUND THE WORLD
Canada
- June 27, 2022. By The Honourable Marco Mendicino, Mai Mavinkurve, Aaron Shull, CIGI. The world is changing and becoming a more challenging place for Canada and Canadians. We are still living through the world’s worst pandemic; we are experiencing increasing security impacts from climate change, especially around emergencies caused by extreme weather events; our political fabric is being tested by those who espouse extremist views and are prepared to protest in ways that harm our economy and democracy; the rules-based international order is being threatened by the Russian invasion of Ukraine; international actors are increasingly threatening our security through disinformation, influence campaigns and cyberattacks. The need for a coordinated approach within Canada is more important than ever before. Canada’s National Security: A Discussion with The Honourable Marco Mendicino
- June 27, 2022. By Robert Fay, David Dodge, CIGI. Buried in Canada’s recent federal budget is a brief section entitled “Addressing the Digitalization of Money.” The passage notes that “a safe and secure financial system is a cornerstone of our economy.”. Canada Can Have a Digital Currency, but Leadership Is Needed
Europe
- June 28, 2022. By Ivana Bartoletti, Lucia Lucchini, Agenda Digitale. Dall’AI Act alla Platform Workers Directive, la privacy è il filo conduttore di tutto il pacchetto di norme con cui l’Ue vuole disciplinare l’ecosistema digitale. Il Gdpr resta il faro ogni qual volta un sistema IA viene nutrito con dati personali, ma le battaglie più complesse si giocheranno sugli standard. Privacy: ecco perché è cruciale per un’AI etica e responsabile
Georgia
- June 28, 2022. By Beka Chedia, The Jamestown Foundation. As expected, at the European Union summit in Brussels, on June 23, the European Council decided not to award membership candidate status to Georgia. The EU’s top agenda-setting body, composed of the bloc’s heads of state and government, only conceded its readiness to grant the status of a candidate country to Georgia once Tbilisi addressed all of the reservations specified in the European Commission’s opinion on the Georgian membership application. Pro-Kremlin media outlets cynically panned the EU decision: “Europe Betrayed Georgia,” RIA Novosti thundered on its pages (RIA Novosti, June 23). In the days leading up to the EU summit, many European leaders, including the president of the European Council, Charles Michel, called on Europe’s leaders to officially grant candidate status to all three aspiring countries—Georgia as well as Ukraine and Moldova (Twitter.com/CharlesMichel, June 20). The United States Congressional Helsinki Commission made a similar appeal (Csce.gov, June 22). But this did not help Georgia’s case. Georgia Is Europe but Faces Growing Risk of Losing Its Euro-Atlantic Future
India
- June 28, 2022. By HRW. The Indian authorities should immediately release the prominent human rights activist Teesta Setalvad, drop all charges against her, and stop their relentless attacks against her, Human Rights Watch said today. The police said they are investigating Setalvad, and two former senior police officers who turned whistleblowers, for criminal conspiracy and forgery for their activities while pursuing accountability for the 2002 mob violence targeting Muslims in Gujarat state. India: Free, Drop Charges Against Teesta Setalvad
Iran
- June 27, 2022. By Tamir Hayman, INSS. Among the recent changes in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards intelligence system and special operations, the appointment of Javad Ghaffari caught my eye. Ghaffari was moved from his post as head of the Quds Force in Syria (the unit that advances the Iranian entrenchment in Syria) to command the Revolutionary Guards Special Operations (Unit 4000). Javad Ghaffari’s New Appointment in the Revolutionary Guards
Iran – Israel
- June 27, 2022. By Yoram Schweitzer, INSS. Iran’s intensive and focused activity to hit Israeli targets aims to avenge the attacks on its people on Iranian soil, which it attributes to Israel, and moreover, to create an equation of deterrence against Israel through the use of terrorism in the international arena. The Iranian Desire to Hit Israel Back Does Not End in Turkey
Israel – Palestine
- June 27, 2022. By Anne Bayefsky, JCPA. The UN has started a dangerous process that its creators hope will conclude with the end of the Jewish state. But events over the past two weeks indicate that arriving at that ignominious result will also ravage the bedrock rules upon which the system of international law and justice depends. The Latest UN Commission of Inquiry on “Occupied Palestinian Territory” Is an Inquisition
Japan – NATO
- June 28, 2022. By Wrenn Yennie Lindgren and Colonel (Ret’d) Per Erik Solli, RUSI. In response to growing security concerns in East Asia, Japan has increased its engagement with NATO at both the organisational and individual member-state level. Evolving Japan–NATO Relations in the Leadup to the Madrid Summit
Latin America
- June 27, 2022. By Ryan C. Berg, Alexandra Winkler, CSIS. A wave of leftist political leaders is cresting in Latin America and the map is turning red. The region has taken another leftward turn, as Colombia’s Gustavo Petro recently won the country’s presidential election. With Brazil slated to hold presidential elections in October—where polls show a lead for former president Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva over incumbent Jair Bolsonaro—the panorama closing out 2022 could be decisively left-leaning. In a sign of just how far the electoral pendulum has swung to the left, Lula’s return to the presidency in Brazil would mean that the seven most populous countries in Latin America would be led by either leftist or leftist-populist presidents or, worse, characterized by dictatorships. Maduro’s Fortune: Petro in Colombia and a Left-Leaning Latin America
Mexico
- June 27, 2022. By World Nuclear News. An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) team of experts has completed a follow-up Safety Aspects of Long-Term Operation (SALTO) mission to units 1 and 2 of the Laguna Verde nuclear power plant in Mexico. The team reviewed the plant’s response to recommendations and suggestions made during a SALTO mission in 2019. Long-term safety of Mexican plant reviewed by IAEA : Regulation & Safety
NATO
- June 28, 2022. By Kelly A. Grieco, Defense News. This week President Joe Biden will meet with other NATO leaders in Madrid for what Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg promises will be a “transformative” summit, coming four months into the war in Ukraine. NATO, for the first time since 2010, will adopt and release a new Strategic Concept — a document that will set the alliance’s strategic objectives and security tasks for the next decade. The cornerstone of NATO’s approach will be a massive military buildup, increasing its high-readiness forces from 40,000 to over 300,000 troops, to protect its eastern flank. The NATO summit is chance to wean Europe off US military might
- June 28, 2022. By Bill Hayton, Chatham House. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is adopting a new ‘Strategic Concept’ that will, for the first time, include direct reference to China, and its Madrid summit will also see another first with the participation of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea. NATO knows Asia is vital to protecting global security
- June 27, 2022. By Anum Farhan, Armida van Rij, Signe Kossmann, Chatham House. The Russian invasion of Ukraine and ongoing debates about how to strengthen defence and deterrence on NATO’s eastern flank will rightly dominate discussions and drive the Strategic Concept at the NATO summit in Madrid. NATO must prioritize climate change as a security issue
- June 27, 2022. By Vivienne Machi, Defense News. NATO plans to approve increased readiness objectives and provide more support to Ukraine, as well as formalize a key strategic document at its annual summit this week, alliance Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday. NATO to boost readiness numbers, approve new Ukraine aid at Madrid summit
Russia
- June 27, 2022. By Pavel K. Baev, The Jamestown Foundation. The post-Soviet transformation took Russia from a fledgling democracy to a corrupt autocracy, but, since the start of the war against Ukraine, the Kremlin has taken a new turn, which amounts to a resolute top-down effort at reversing what progress has been achieved in modernizing the state system, economy and society. This experiment is unique not only in scale but also in content, as the Russian Federation—unlike the Soviet Union—had gained access to most high-tech products and services and still remains deeply involved in global supply chains. Russian Experiment With De-Modernization Yields Negative Results
- June 27, 2022. By Roger N. McDermott, The Jamestown Foundation. As Russian electronic warfare (EW) officers assert, depending on the nature of the specific operations and armed conflict, the main aims of EW are: “to degrade an adversary’s C2 [command and control] of forces and weapons; reduce the effectiveness of an adversary’s intelligence gathering and use of weapons; [and] to maintain resilience in command and control of own forces and weapons.”. Electronic Warfare in Contemporary Russian Military Thought
Russia – Belarus
- June 27, 2022. By Jaroslaw Adamowski, Defense News. Russia will provide nuclear-capable Iskander-M missiles to Belarus and upgrade the country’s fighter jets to allow them to carry tactical atomic weapons, President Vladimir Putin said over the weekend. Russia to provide nuclear-capable missiles and fighter jets to Belarus
Russia – Ukraine
- June 27, 2022. By Valery Dzutsati, The Jamestown Foundation. One after another, authorities in the North Caucasus republics are announcing the creation of volunteer units for fighting Ukraine. The Russian military command proposed the establishment of a Dagestani rifle company on the basis of the 136th Separate Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade, stationed in Buinaksk, Dagestan. On June 16, Colonel Sergei Pavlenko, the head of the topographic service of the Southern Military District staff met the leader of Buinaksk, Islamudin Nurgudayev. Pavlenko stated that all Russian regions are expected to form such units. According to Pavlenko, contracts with regular Russian military benefits are signed for three months with the possibility of renewal. Men up to age 50 are invited to join the unit. After brief training in Buinaksk, the company will be dispatched to the training grounds in the Russian-occupied part of Ukrainian Donetsk region (Chernovik, June 16). A typical motorized rifle company in the Russian military is comprised of 100–120 soldiers. Russia Pushes for Republican Units in the North Caucasus to Fight in Ukraine
- June 27, 2022. By World Nuclear News. The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU) says it has terminated international agreements concerning cooperation between the country and Russia in the field of nuclear safety. Ukraine terminates Russia nuclear agreements : Regulation & Safety
- June 27, 2022. By Tara Copp, Defense One. The Pentagon is looking at what kind of air defenses it can give to help Ukraine ward off Russian cruise missile attacks, a senior defense official said Monday. Pentagon Sourcing Air Defense Options For Ukraine
- June 27, 2022. By Mark F. Cancian, CSIS. The recently announced 13th aid package to Ukraine ($450 million in total) continues to strengthen Ukrainian artillery since artillery has become the dominant combat arm in the recent fighting and provides 18 coastal and riverine patrol boats to start rebuilding the devastated Ukrainian navy. This package builds on the 12th aid package announced just a week ago. However, the patrol boats’ limited capabilities and a lack of conventional munitions for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) reduce the package’s impact. Also interesting is what is missing: drones, fighter jets, and tanks. Latest Ukraine Package: More Artillery and the Beginnings of a New Navy
- June 27, 2022. By Mary Blankenship and Aloysius Uche Ordu, Brookings. Through social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and YouTube, many around the world have been following the unfolding havoc wreaked on Ukraine by Russia. Ukrainians have been able to effectively utilize these platforms to show the atrocities of war in real time, raise funds, and rally support from the international community, but face challenges posed by Russia’s attempts to obscure facts through disinformation, misinformation, and propaganda. Russia’s narratives about its invasion of Ukraine are lingering in Africa
South Korea
- June 28, 2022. By Noah Yarrow, World Bank blogs. The alarming levels of learning loss from school closures during COVID are higher for poorer countries than for rich ones. The same pattern is true also at the country level—the wealthier do better, the poor fall behind. In Korea, we find that there were low levels of learning loss overall, while students in the middle and bottom of the distribution were more vulnerable to the negative effects of school closure. Online learning in Korea: Moving ahead and falling behind during COVID
Sudan
- June 28, 2022. By Mohamed Osman, HRW. Sudan’s tenacious street protesters and other supporters of the social movement have continued to take to the streets and find ways to express their resistance to the country’s October 2021 military coup. They’ve faced the military’s organized repression, including the use of lethal force, and widespread unlawful detentions. For over seven months Sudanese have lived under a military-imposed state of emergency, which, in addition to the existing impunity for the security forces, was used to justify abuses. Sudan: Voices of Protesters Should Be Heard, Not Sidelined
Turkey – NATO
- June 27, 2022. By Kemal Kirişci, Brookings. In a historic summit this week, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization will adopt a new Strategic Concept, its first in 12 years, to guide the alliance’s policies in an increasingly uncertain European security environment. However, looming over it is Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s objection to membership for Sweden and Finland. Early expectations that Erdoğan would allow himself “to be cajoled, persuaded, and eventually rewarded for his cooperation” have not materialized. A last minute effort to negotiate a breakthrough last week also failed, leaving NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to pin his hopes for a “soon as possible” post-summit resolution of the deadlock. Erdoğan’s problem is not with Sweden and Finland but with Turkey’s Western vocation
UK
- June 28, 2022. By Major Alistair Beard and Dr Sarah Ashbridge, RUSI. An ambitious strategy promises a net-zero RAF by 2040, 10 years ahead of the rest of Defence. But with no viable carbon-free fuel currently available, the service will need to rely on a close relationship with the commercial aviation industry to achieve a technological breakthrough. In the interim, a pilot scheme to turn RAF Leeming into a ‘living laboratory’ to experiment with greener infrastructure and energy is proving fruitful and promises much. Greening Defence: RAF Ambitions in Search of Jet Zero
- June 28, 2022. By Benjamin David, Info Security. A report published yesterday by EY revealed a significant number (97%) of UK business leaders expect quantum computing to disrupt their sectors to a high or moderate extent. 97% Of UK Business Leaders Expect Quantum Computing to Disrupt Their Sectors
- June 28, 2022. By James Coker, Info Security. UK critical national infrastructure (CNI) organizations could face an exodus of cybersecurity leaders over the next 12 months due to stress and burnout, according to new research from Bridewell Consulting. Stress and Burnout Could Lead to Exodus of CNI Cybersecurity Leaders
USA
- June 28, 2022. By Patrick Tucker, Defense One. Google is creating a division to help win more federal and state government contracts, including work for the Defense Department’s battle networks, company officials announced Tuesday. New Google Division Will Take Aim at Pentagon Battle-Network Contracts
- June 28, 2022. By James R. Clapper, Defense One. One of the major lessons I learned serving as the Director of National Intelligence for over six years was that cybersecurity must be a team effort. Whether it’s protecting intellectual property, personal data, critical infrastructure, trade secrets, or any other valuable cyber-dependent activity, the government and private sector must share, collaborate, and coordinate. Proposed Tech-Industry Legislation Would Hurt National Security
- June 28, 2022. By
- June 28, 2022. By
- June 27, 2022. By Mariam Baksh, Nextgov. The U.S. advanced efforts to outrun China in supplying the market for emerging technologies across the globe with a presidential memo on agencies coordinating with those of the world’s leading economies, including to establish criteria for distributing hundreds of billions of development dollars. Some officials are worried about the implications for cybersecurity. Key State Official Warns of ‘Peril’ as US Pursues Cybersecurity Goals at G7
- June 27, 2022. By Frank Konkel, Nextgov. The Government Accountability Office is recommending the Department of Health and Human Services establish a feedback mechanism to improve the effectiveness of its data breach reporting process. GAO: HHS Needs Improved Data Breach Reporting
- June 27, 2022. By Mira Ricardel, Nextgov. By now, most Americans know that chips exist in every electronic item used in America today — cars, refrigerators, airplanes, medical devices and smartphones. While the U.S. remains the leader in advanced semiconductor design and development, actual production of chips has shifted dramatically overseas. This geographic imbalance has evolved over the past two decades, and while it is a public inconvenience, it also poses a genuine national security risk and impedes America’s ability to maintain global leadership in critical advanced technologies essential to future growth and security. Wrap Up the CHIPS Act
- June 27, 2022. By Yang Liu, Brandon Vines, Lawfare. On May 20, a federal judge paused President Biden’s plans to resume permitting migrants and asylum-seekers to enter the United States by ending a Trump-era rule known as Title 42. Under the rule, noncitizens stopped at or near the border without proper travel documents are expelled pending a hearing on their case, often requiring them to wait in Mexico or Canada. The Title 42 rule has been enforced for two years, during which time more than 1.8 million people have been required to remain outside the U.S. Federal Judge Orders Biden Administration to Continue Title 42
- June 27, 2022. By Morgan Stevens, Center for Data Innovation. The New York Times has created a series of interactive visualizations showing how far patients have to drive to receive a legal abortion after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. The visualizations show how driving distances became longer for patients in states with trigger laws automatically banning abortion services. Viewers can then select options to see how driving distances change if states without a trigger ban, like Florida or Virginia, ban abortion services. According to the visualization, 27 states have trigger bans, existing bans from before Roe v. Wade, are likely to ban abortion services in the next legislative session, or have political environments conducive to banning abortions. In these states, women would have to travel more than 200 miles to obtain a legal abortion if policymakers ban all abortion services. Visualizing Driving Distances to Abortion Clinics
- June 27, 2022. By Shania Kennedy, Rutgers Center for State Health Policy has launched the New Jersey Integrated Population Health Data (iPHD) Project to help address some of the state’s major population health issues, such as the opioid crisis, COVID-19, and maternal and infant health. NJ Launches Statewide Population Health Data Project
- June 27, 2022. By Theresa Hitchens, Breaking Defense. A top-level agreement on how to begin the handover of responsibility for monitoring the heavens from Space Command to the Commerce Department (DoC) is expected to be finalized by the end of August, according to government officials. SPACECOM, Commerce wrapping up framework accord on space surveillance
- June 27, 2022. By Marcus Weisgerber, Defense One. In what could be its last purchase of Black Hawk helicopters, the U.S. Army on Monday placed a $2.3 billion order with Sikorsky for at least 120 aircraft. The US Army Just Placed What Might Be Its Last Order for Black Hawk Helicopters
- June 27, 2022. By Jen Judson, Defense News. Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky unit won its 10th five-year contract worth $2.3 billion for 120 H-60 Mike-model Black Hawk utility helicopters with options for an additional 135 aircraft for both the Army and other customers through Foreign Military Sales, the Pentagon said. Lockheed’s Sikorsky wins $2.3 billion Army Black Hawk multi-year contract
- June 27, 2022. By
- June 27, 2022. By Stephen Losey, Defense News. Two months into his new job as the Air Force’s acquisition chief, Andrew Hunter has no shortage of challenges on his plate. The COVID-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine have stretched vital supply chains to their breaking point. The Air Force is arguing with a key contractor over a program that continues to be delayed. And the service is facing tight timelines as it works to develop and field new capabilities in time for a potential major war. Air Force acquisition chief talks drone wingmen, supply chains, and the B-21
- June 27, 2022. By Nicol Turner Lee, Brookings. Earlier this month, Congress made an important step forward in finalizing comprehensive federal privacy legislation with the release of a draft of the American Data Privacy and Protection Act. Co-authored by U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss) and House members Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash), the Act is the result of bipartisan efforts. It calls for data minimization, limited target advertising, data portability, enhanced protections for children, and seeks to combat algorithmic discrimination. It also preempts state laws and provides a limited right of action. TechTank Podcast Episode 47: Will Americans finally see bipartisan federal privacy legislation?
- June 27, 2022. By Darrell M. West, Brookings. I saw my first Trump 2024 yard sign in rural Ohio on the way to my 50th high school reunion last weekend. It was in a county that had cast 78% of its 2020 vote for Donald Trump and judging from the “Let’s Go Brandon” sign next to it, the homeowner was no fan of President Joe Biden. For someone like me, steeped in DC life, the visit to a deeply red area represented an invaluable opportunity to check the heartland’s political temperature and see how the landscape was faring during a volatile time. Based on a number of conversations there, I drew several observations and lessons about the current environment. Observations from Trumpland
- June 27, 2022. By Amy Liu, Brad McDearman, Xavier de Souza Briggs, Mark Muro, Anthony F. Pipa, Adie Tomer, and Jennifer S. Vey, Brookings. Congress has recently shown serious interest in reauthorizing the Economic Development Administration (EDA), a Department of Commerce agency last authorized in 2004. Congressional appropriators will also have their turn in adequately resourcing the agency, following the extraordinary demands of the pandemic and other impacts to local economies over the past two years. Making local economies prosperous and resilient: The case for a modern Economic Development Administration
USA – Romania
- June 27, 2022. By World Nuclear News. The US government, working with NuScale Power, is to provide USD14 million in support for the Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) study for Romania’s deployment of a first-of-its-kind small modular reactor (SMR) plant as part of a flagship project launched at the Group of Seven (G7) leaders’ summit in Germany. Biden pledges USD14 million for Romanian SMR project : New Nuclear
USA – UK
- June 27, 2022. By Alexandra Kelley, Nextgov. The White House announced new advancements under a technology collaboration between the U.S. and the U.K., focused on developing privacy-enhancing technologies to tackle digital financial crime. US-UK Privacy Tech Initiative Focuses on Halting Financial Crime
USA – Uyghur
- June 27, 2022. By Marti Flacks, Madeleine Songy, CSIS. In December 2021, Congress overwhelmingly adopted the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) with strong bipartisan support, passing the House 428–1 and adopted in the Senate by unanimous consent. It was signed into law by President Biden on December 23. The UFLPA requires the administration to take significant new action to prevent goods produced in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) of China, where state-sponsored forced labor is widespread, from entering U.S. markets. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act Goes into Effect
HORIZONS
- June 27, 2022. By Michito Tsuruoka, RUSI. The framing of the war in the West as a struggle between democracy and authoritarianism is misleading, as the invasion would be unacceptable even if Ukraine were not a democracy, and unhelpful when it comes to building a broader coalition against Russia’s behaviour. Why the War in Ukraine is not about Democracy versus Authoritarianism
- June 28, 2022. By Simona Romiti, Agenda Digitale. Nel presente del presente, lo sviluppo tecnologico è guidato da un approccio di empowerment dell’uomo nella collaborazione con algoritmi e ambiente della ricerca. Ma nel presente del futuro, algoritmi di auto-apprendimento e motori di calcolo predittivi prescinderanno dalla relazione con l’uomo. Servono regole efficaci. L’intelligenza artificiale sarà indipendente dall’uomo: quali sfide normative
- June 27, 2022. By Chris Jay Hoofnagle, Simson Garfinkel, Defense One. Much ink has been spilled about quantum computers, particularly in overblown claims that quantum cryptanalysis will someday shred today’s encryption techniques. But their simpler cousins—quantum sensors—are here now and improving at a rate that demands urgent attention. Quantum Sensors—Unlike Quantum Computers—Are Already Here
- June 27, 2022. By Alexander Kersten, Sujai Shivakumar, CSIS. There is growing evidence that incentives that reward short-term interests of corporate shareholders can skew management decisions away from long-term investments in research and development and worker training. Over time, this behavior can degrade the shared ecosystem for innovation and hamper the nation’s economic competitiveness and security. This analysis challenges the concept of the longer-term efficiency of “shareholder primacy”—a prevailing theory in corporate governance, which holds that shareholder interests should be prioritized relative to all other corporate stakeholders—because these interests are often realized by harvesting the current crop without sowing the seeds for the next season. This assessment also strengthens the view that corporate actors as well as the public have a shared interest in the long-term health of a robust innovation commons and that incentives facing corporations should be aligned with these goals. Rethinking Shareholder Primacy in the New Innovation Economy
- June 27, 2022. By Edward Fishman, Brian O’Toole, Mark Mozur, and Charles Lichfield, Atlantic Council. The uncertainty unleashed by the war in Ukraine has driven up energy prices and allowed Russia to rake in record revenue from its imports. Despite large discounts compared to Western benchmarks, export income has allowed the ruble to appreciate and may help Moscow mitigate against some of the medium- to long-term effects of Western sanctions, including export bans of key technologies. Can price caps on Russian oil tame the Kremlin? Our experts debate