National Security and Defense

Two F-35B combat aircraft from the United States Marine Corp depart after re-fueling from an RAF Voyager aircraft over the North Sea on October 08, 2020 in flight, above Scotland.
A flag-raising ceremony is held during the launching ceremony to unveil China's first Type 076 new-generation amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, at Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding, a Shanghai-based subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corp, on December 27, 2024 in Shanghai, China. Named after southwest China's Sichuan Province, the independently-developed new vessel was put into the water at a launch and naming ceremony. (Photo by Pu Haiyang/VCG via Getty Images)
Caption
A flag-raising ceremony is held during the launching ceremony of China's first Type 076 new-generation amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, on December 27, 2024, in Shanghai, China. (Pu Haiyang/VCG via Getty Images)
Commentary
miles_yu
miles_yu
Senior Fellow and Director, China Center
5 Min Read
A Taliban security personnel stands guard outside the Shah-Do Shamshira Mosque during Eid al-Fitr prayers, which marks the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Kabul on March 30, 2025. (Photo by Ahmad SAHEL ARMAN / AFP) (Photo by AHMAD SAHEL ARMAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Caption
A Taliban security personnel stands guard outside the Shah-Do Shamshira Mosque during Eid al-Fitr prayers in Kabul on March 30, 2025. (Ahmad Sahel Arman/AFP via Getty Images)
Commentary
luke_coffey
luke_coffey
Senior Fellow, Center on Europe and Eurasia
4 Min Read