Through its publications, INSS aims to provide expert insights, cutting-edge research, and innovative solutions that contribute to shaping the national security discourse and preparing the next generation of leaders in the field.
Sept. 29, 2023
The Future of Security in the Black Sea Region
19 September 2023 — Please join the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program for an online-only event discussing the future of defense and security in the broader Black Sea region.Max Bergmann will be joined by Jeffrey Mankoff and Lisa Aronsson to explore the major strategic issues facing the various powers operating in this theater, particularly in the context of the
Sept. 5, 2023
Constructing Russia's Strategic Space: Empire, Identity, and Geopolitics
The war in Ukraine may be Russia’s most blatant attempt to undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a neighboring state, but it is in keeping with a long history of Russian attempts to dominate its smaller neighbors.
July 11, 2023
Priorities for NATO Partnerships in an Era of Strategic Competition
Since 2014, NATO has paid relatively little strategic attention to partnerships with nonmember states around the world. This study evaluates how select NATO partner states in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region see the strategic value of cooperating with NATO as the Alliance adapts for strategic competition, and it assesses the prospects for future cooperation.
Proxy Wars and Strategic Competition
Routledge — This chapter of the Routledge Handbook of Proxy Wars (Eds. Assaf Moghadam, Vladimir Rauta, Michael Wyss) explores the character of proxy wars through the lens of great power competition, where conventional warfare remains a major concern given its potentially catastrophic consequences.
April 5, 2023
Game-changers: Implications of the Russo-Ukraine War for the Future of Ground Warfare
What does the record of combat in the year since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine herald about the future character of ground war?
March 1, 2023
For Xi and China, Putin's War is a Geopolitical Minefield
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 upended international politics and scrambled the strategic calculations of many states, few more seriously than China. Beijing is now scrambling to limit the fallout of the conflict on its core strategic and economic interests.
Feb. 2, 2023
The Inhospitable Sea: Toward a New U.S. Strategy for the Black Sea Region
The Black Sea region (BSR) has become a central fault line in the strategic competition between Russia and the West. The war in Ukraine is forcing the United States and NATO to devote more attention to the region, one which NATO secretary general Jens Stoltenberg recognized has “vital strategic importance” to the alliance.
Jan. 31, 2023
China's Indo-Pacific Folly
Beijing’s ambition to isolate Washington from its Asian allies has been derailed in large part by its desire to redress more immediate grievances—namely, to reclaim what it sees as lost territory and punish countries that offend its sensibilities.
Jan. 25, 2023
The Realist Case for Ukraine
January 25, 2023 — Despite US support and Ukrainian valor, the war is now approaching a second year, and several observers in the United States and in Europe have become increasingly alarmed at the consequence of a longer war. None of these concerns should be dismissed out of hand. Each, however, rests on problematic assumptions. The realist case for aiding Ukraine accepts Mearsheimer’s insight about the tragic structural nature of international politics, particularly the danger of a sustained period of great-power competition with both Russia and China—as well as the continued threat that Vladimir Putin’s Russia poses to peace and stability in Europe. It acknowledges that Ukraine’s resilience and ingenuity provide an opportunity to, as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin put it “weaken Russia” and reshape the global balance of power in favor of the United States and its allies.
Jan. 9, 2023
Let's Make a Deal? Ukraine and the Poor Prospects for Negotiations with Putin
Ukraine has defied expectations and admirably defended its sovereignty. It still has quite a way to go to eject Vladimir Putin’s armed forces and hirelings. A bitter frozen conflict could last for some time despite the tenacious and creative defense of Ukraine’s determined military. But it is time to start thinking about the end game. Sketching out the compromises and hard choices for Russia’s termination of its “Special Military Operation” is not an exercise in optimism or wishful thinking. Understanding what the West desires out of this conflict and what is the objective in terms of relations with a defeated Russia is a clear strategic question for US policymakers at this point in time.