Summers Foreign Policy

The current situation in Eastern Ukraine. The situation is dire to say the least.

this heatmap shows the scale of destruction putin is inflicting on ukraine

the entire frontline is burning

Putin’s war of choice is starting to decimate the Russian military. The Ukrainian resistance has proved far more resilient than Putin and the Russian military anticipated. There is even the possibility of a full Ukrainian military victory over the Russian military in Ukraine. This only increases the fear that Putin may resort to using chemical or nuclear weapons against the Ukrainians.

Russian troop fatalities in Ukraine nearing losses over 10 years in Afghanistan Despite sending over 150,000 troops into Ukraine, Russia has made limited progress with its ground forces in recent weeks.

Is the Russian military about to invade Ukraine?
The likelihood of this happening appears far more likely despite the strategic consequences for the Russian military.
If the Russian military invades, they will face stiff resistance from the Ukrainian military, a deeply nationalistic Ukraine, and they will have great difficulty securing the country.
It will all come down to one main question.
Are the imperial ambitions of Russian President Putin worth the strategic, economic, and geopolitical fallout?
Unfortunately, only President Putin knows the answer to this question.

The U.S. Is Naive About Russia. Ukraine Can't Afford to Be. The Atlantic

Are China and the United States engaged in a new Cold War?
The short answer is yes. The long answer is much more complicated than that.

Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States has enjoyed its tenure as the sole superpower in the entire world. It was inevitable that the rise of China(or any other major competitor) would be seen as a threat to U.S power and global influence.
Through China’s exponential economic growth, rise in global influence, and speed of its military modernization in this decade, China seeks a greater seat at the table of world affairs.

While the potential of this Cold War turning hot
is far more likely than the original Cold War, it is not inevitable. Though there are many areas where the U.S and China differ greatly, there are also many areas where cooperation can prosper. Issues like Climate Change, international trade, and creating a military dialogue in the Indo-Pacific region are good areas to start. The U.S and China must learn to create a relationship of cooperative competition, much like what the U.S and Soviets had in the 1980s.

The U.S and China are entering a pivotal moment in their countries legacies. The decisions of U.S President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping could very well set the rules of this new Cold War for the next few decades.

Are China and the United States engaged in a new cold war? In the November/December issue of Foreign Affairs, four essays consider how the history of the U.S.-Soviet Cold War should inform our understanding of the competition unfolding today.

Explore the issue: https://on.cfr.org/3DYxHJD

Update: A 13th U.S service member has been confirmed dead at Kabul International airport.

Update: Death toll from Afghan Airport bombings has increased.
11 Marines Dead
1 Navy Corpsman Dead
unknown number of Afghans killed as casualty numbers keep rising.

The pentagon just confirmed that 4 U.S Marines were among those killed in a string of explosions near the main international airport in Kabul. It has also been reported that at least 60 Afghans were almost killed with an unknown number of wounded. For the past few days, there were threats of an imminent attack on the airport and U.S service members protecting the evacuation. Though no group has claimed responsibility yet, it is believed that the Islamic State was behind the 2 explosions.

Despite all of the chaos with the fall of Kabul to the Taliban 2 weeks ago , the mission to evacuate Americans from Afghanistan had been (mostly) successful up to this point. The security situation on the ground has only gotten worse.

The security situation in Afghanistan is deteriorating a lot faster than what many government officials and foreign policy experts expected. Violence against civilians, particularly women and young girls, is on the rise and a looming humanitarian disaster is imminent. The majority of the Afghan National Security Forces have shown that they are not capable of holding back the advance of the Taliban.

If nothing is done soon, the Afghan government could collapse in 1-2 years and we may seen the resurgence of harsh Taliban rule over Afghanistan once again.

Pentagon sending troops to Kabul to help evacuation of U.S. embassy A U.S. official says Kandahar "is in the process of falling."

Contrary to what many believe, the United States still has a mission to do in Afghanistan. The recent attacks on young girls at their school only highlights the continuing struggle that Afghan women face.

America’s Longest War Why President Biden’s decision on Afghanistan could have dire consequences for women’s rights and counterterrorism strategy in South Asia. On April 14th, President Joe Biden announced t…

A New Administration to a Changing World.
Please take a moment to read the first article from my new writing project everyone!
I hope to publish more articles more frequently and to provide a healthy dialogue for respectful and well-informed debate.

A New Administration to a Changing World President Biden’s greatest Foreign Policy challenges Drawing from his experience as a high ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and from his time as Vice-President of the …