SSI Live Podcast

Satellites and anti-satellite capabilities have come to play a major role in modern warfare and strategic competition. How are they being used today in the context of the Russia-Ukraine War? What role are government-owned systems and commercial systems playing, and how are Russia and Ukraine leveraging each? How has the war reinforced or created new norms regarding escalation? SSI Live host Dr. Jo...

Reconceptualizing Homeland Defense in the Indo-Pacific – Homeland defense does not begin at the water’s edge, at least not on the east and west coasts of the United States. How do we think about, plan for, and operationalize defense of far-flung American territories? In their latest publication, Dr. Mike Lynch and Major Brennan Deveraux argue the definition of homeland defense must now extend well...

Paraguay as a Linchpin Both Literally and Figuratively – Paraguay sits at the crossroads of both illicit and licit activities in South America, with implications stretching from arms trafficking to the drug trade to Hezbollah’s fundraising to China-Taiwan issues. How is the relatively new government of President Santiago Peña dealing with Paraguay’s many challenges, including significant corruptio...

SSI Live 110 – Proxy War Ethics: The Norms of Partnering in Great Power Competition – Given the unfolding wars in Ukraine and Gaza – both of which have seen proxy activity or something that looks a lot like proxy activity – what kind of ethical concerns should policymakers focus on? Have proxy wars become more common over time, and are ethical challenges inherent in them? How can we strengthen the...

SSI Live 109 – Putin’s Reelection, Russia’s Trajectory, and the War in Ukraine – Vladimir Putin was recently reelected to an unprecedented fifth term. He faced no serious challenges, thanks to a strict crackdown on opposition and free speech. Relatedly, last month marked two years since Russia began its second and far more brutal invasion of Ukraine. As that war enters its third year, and as Putin...

SSI Live 108 – Latin America and Caribbean Outlook for 2024 – What is the outlook for security, defense, politics, and economics across Latin America and the Caribbean in 2024? How do far-away conflicts in Ukraine or Gaza impact the region? And what’s on the agenda(s) of extraterritorial actors like China, Russia, and Iran in Central America, the Caribbean, and South America? SSI Live host John R....

SSI Live 107 – SSI Launches China Landpower Studies Center – The Strategic Studies Institute has just launched a new initiative, the China Landpower Studies Center (CLSC). SSI Live host John Deni invited its Research Director, Josh Arostegui, to discuss the new Center, its research priorities, and how China’s actions across the Indo-Pacific make this an ideal – even vital – time to launch this imp...

Clear, Hold, [and don’t] Build? The Study of Internal Conflict – Although strategic competition has placed China and Russia at the center of American security policy, internal conflicts in places like Iraq, Kosovo, Syria, and Yemen continue to demand the attention of policymakers. SSI’s Dr. Chris Mason has examined these and dozens of others through his multi-year Study of Internal Conflict. What...

SSI Live 105 – The Dragon and the Bear in Africa – Much is made of the ‘axis of authoritarianism’ emerging between Moscow and Beijing, and it’s clear the PRC is playing an important if only implicit role in supporting Russia’s war on Ukraine. But how do these two strategic actors collaborate in other regions? SSI’s Dr. Bob Hamilton spoke to SSI Live host Dr. John R. Deni to discuss his latest rese...

SSI Live 104 – Implications of Milei’s Election in Argentina – Libertarian Javier Milei recently won a landslide victory in Argentina’s presidential election on a platform of radical reform designed to solve the country’s major economic challenges. How did Milei pull it off? What came out of his post-election trip to the United States? How likely is he to achieve his policy aims at home and abroad...

Terrestrial Responses to Space Aggression – Russia and China have both tested ground-based anti-satellite missiles as well as on-orbit anti-satellite weapons. The latter include projectiles launched from one satellite to another and satellites that can grapple and move other satellites. How should or can the United States respond to an attack on its own satellites? Why does attacking an adversary’...

Implications of Elections in Argentina, Ecuador, and Venezuela – It’s election season in South America, and the outcomes in three key countries have somewhat surprised observers. The implications for Argentina’s flailing economy, the narcotics-fueled violence in Ecuador, and the flow of oil from Venezuela are numerous, but what do they mean for the United States and the Pentagon? Dr. Evan Ellis jo...

The Helsinki summit meeting between Presidents Trump and Putin may be the first step in a rapprochement between the United States and Russia. If so, what are the strategic and policy implications in Europe, with specific regard to the security of U.S. allies in Eastern Europe, with regard to the conflict in Syria, vis-à-vis U.S. partners in the Middle East, or in other regards? SSI Live host Dr. J...

SSI Live 101 – What’s the Real State of the Russia-China Relationship? – The debate over the nature of the Russia-China relationship remains unsettled. One side believes the two are strategic partners, while the other believes their ties are merely an “axis of convenience”. Understanding the nature of their relationship is of vital importance to U.S. national security, so how can we gain a deeper,...

SSI Live 100 – Panama’s Evolving Relationship with China – Panama is a relatively small country but one of pivotal strategic importance in our hemisphere, especially given the role of the Panama canal and the related financial services industry. Dr. Evan Ellis had the opportunity to travel there recently to engage Panamanian officials and academics, to get a sense of what’s ahead as the country fa...

SSI Live 099 – AI in Today’s (and Tomorrow’s) Military – What are the implications of the U.S. military incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into what it does during peacetime, in conflict, and everything in between? How does trust figure into the use of AI, both up and down the chain of command? To employ AI successfully, will we need all troops to be AI experts, and if so, what are the imp...

SSI Live 098 – One Year On: Russia’s War on Ukraine – With the Russian war in Ukraine having just reached its one-year mark, how can we assess outlook for Ukraine? Is there reason for Kyiv – or Moscow – to be optimistic, given the current trajectory? And what can we make of potential Chinese involvement? In this third (of three) SSI Live podcast marking one year of Russia’s war against Ukraine, Dr...

SSI Live 097 – One Year On: Russia’s War on Ukraine and the Role of the EU – With the Russian war in Ukraine having just reached its one-year mark, how can we assess the role of the European Union (EU)? Have its diplomatic, political, economic, and military responses to the war met expectations? What remains to be done and what impediments stand in the way? What can be expected of Europe in the ev...

SSI Live 096 – One Year On: Russia’s War on Ukraine and the Role of Latin America – With the Russian war in Ukraine having just reached its one-year mark, it’s clear that economic sanctions against Russia as well as the provision of military equipment and other materiel have formed the centerpieces of the Western response to Russia’s unprovoked, illegal invasion. Yet the global south, including La...

SSI Live 095 – Putin Mobilizes as Ukraine Advances – Ukraine’s recent battlefield successes, Putin’s partial mobilization, Moscow’s annexation announcement, and the Kremlin’s nuclear saber rattling all add up to a shifting outlook for Russia’s war of aggression. What do these events tell us about Russia’s strategy and the trajectory of the conflict? Do they signal instability within Russia? SSI’s...

SSI Live 094 – Gorbachev’s Passing and Legacy – Earlier this week, the last leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, passed. To discuss his leadership of the Soviet Union’s last years and his legacy today, SSI’s own Dr. Bob Hamilton, former SSI research professor Dr. Steve Blank, and former USAWC professor Dr. Craig Nation sat down with SSI Live host John Deni. How did Gorbachev differ from...

SSI Live 093 – The Grand Strategy of Gertrude Bell and Implications for US Policy Today – British strategist and diplomat Gertrude Bell shaped the modern Middle East and played a leading role in crafting London’s policies at a time of shifting great power dynamics. In this podcast, Dr. Heather Gregg discusses her monograph on Bell’s life and legacy and the implications for managing strategic compe...

SSI Live 092 – China, Europe, and the Pandemic Recession: Chinese Investment in European Infrastructure – This is the fifth podcast in a short series to launch a recently published multi-author study on China, Europe, and the Pandemic Recession: Beijing’s Investments and Transatlantic Security. In this podcast, Dr. John R. Deni discusses Chinese investment in militarily relevant infrastructure in...

SSI Live 091 – China, Europe, and the Pandemic Recession: Europe’s Evolving Policies Toward China – This is the fourth podcast in a short series to launch a recently published multi-author study on China, Europe, and the Pandemic Recession: Beijing’s Investments and Transatlantic Security. In this podcast, Dr. John R. Deni discusses Europe’s evolving policies toward Chinese economic statecraft. Wh...

SSI Live 090 – China, Europe, and the Pandemic Recession: Europe’s Evolving Attitude Toward China – This is the third podcast in a short series to launch a recently published multi-author study on China, Europe, and the Pandemic Recession: Beijing’s Investments and Transatlantic Security. In this podcast, contributing author Erik Brattberg joins Dr. John R. Deni to discuss Europe’s evolving attitu...