It’s the logical next step since Putin’s quest for victory in Ukraine has stalled.

Development on Russia announcing drills for the possible use of tactical nukes ahead of Putin’s inauguration

Ukraine needs more help. Are Washington and Brussels ready for it?

Washington and its allies must position Kyiv and themselves for what promises to be a long confrontation with a powerful, dangerous adversary.

As Russian President Vladimir Putin looks toward the second anniversary of his all-out assault on Ukraine, his self-confidence is hard to miss.

Russia still holds considerable sway over countries in Central Asia and the South Caucasus, but the net effect of its war against Ukraine has been a loss of regional influence and the rebalancing of its relationships with them.

The Prigozhin rebellion was the biggest stress test for the Putin regime since its inception. The Kremlin passed, not with flying colors, but well enough. Those wishing for the demise of Putin’s regime might think about what could have happened had it not passed the test.

How to deal with this Russia will be a headache for the United States and its allies for years, possibly decades, to come. As to whether Putin’s heirs will be able or willing to fundamentally change course and begin to atone for his crimes—it is, at best, an open question.

Russia continues to defy the backlash against its invasion of Ukraine—and under pressure, Moscow’s foreign policy is only growing more aggressive.

Russia’s decision to abandon the treaty is not so much bowing to the inevitable as trying to get ahead of it.