On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomic Aeronautical Systems, Dr. Evelyn Farkas, a former Pentagon Europe and Russia chief during the Obama administration who is now the executive director of McCain Institute at Arizona State University, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss President Trump’s drive to end the Ukraine war without Ukrainian or European participation, rehabilitate Vladimir Putin and sharply criticize allies; why “grand bargains” to mollify adversaries like Russia and China won’t stop their territorial or global power aspirations; how the strategy of appeasement will impact US relationships worldwide, especially in the Indo-Pacific; the reality that reverting from a rules-based order based on common values to one of spheres of influence and reciprocal tariffs will make the world poorer and increase the prospect of conflict; whether lawmakers will push back on Trump’s moves and rhetoric; and what to expect from the HFX Taipei forum 20-21 Feb. in the Taiwanese capital. The McCain Institute is partnered with HFX, annually awarding the John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service at the Halifax International Security Forum. Awarded by Sen. McCain’s son, Jack McCain, the 2024 prize went to Russian democracy and rights advocate Vladimir Kara Murza who was jailed in Russia for two years, and the 2020 prize to former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing Wen.

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomic Aeronautical Systems, Dr. Richard Andres, a professor at the national defense university and the former adviser to the secretary of the Air Force and commander of US Cyber Command, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the report for the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies he cowrote with former Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Buzz Mosley, USAF Ret., and Mitchell’s Maj. Gen. Larry Stutzriem, USAF Ret.; why jointness has prioritized today’s readiness over strategic planning and the need to return more authority to the military services to accelerate innovation and program execution.

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomic Aeronautical Systems, Sam Bendett of the Center for Naval Analyses and Dr. Eugene Rumer, the director of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the status of the Ukraine war as Kyiv launches another offensive in Kursk and Russia takes another Ukrainian town; Russia introduces wire-guided drones that are impervious to jamming, a design Ukraine adopts; as President Trump hints at talksto end the war, all eyes are on Vice President JD Vance’s address at the upcoming Munich Security Conference; Vladimir Putin’s hold on power after three years of war; whether the assassination of Putin ally Armen Sarkisian changes the war; takeaways from Rumer’s recent meetings in Ankara, Baku and Yerevan as Azerbaijan prepares a military operation to cut a transit corridor through Armenia’s Zangezur region to connect Nakhichevan to Azerbaijan; and unrest in Georgia as protests mount against the Georgian Dream Party.

On this episode of the Defense & Aerospace Report Strategy Series, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Jim Jones, a retired US Marine Corps general who is now the president of Jones Group International after having served as the nation’s 22nd National Security Advisor, 14th Supreme Allied Commander Europe and 32nd commandant of the Marine Corps, joins Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss the stability of Iran’s leadership after Israel — backed by the United States — targeted Tehran’s Shia proxies Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis; why the international community must exert concerted pressure on the regime and assistance to democracy minded Iranian groups; the argument for change given the current regime is committed to fostering regional instability; the role of military force in the change equation; lessons from Syria; whether President Trump’s acerbic rhetoric will alienate allies and partners; and the key role a new generation of small nuclear reactors could play in improving US deterrence and warfighting capabilities in the Indo-Pacific (defaeroreport.com/2025/02/03/why-m…ific-and-

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomic Aeronautical Systems, Sam Bendett of the Center for Naval Analyses and Dr. Eugene Rumer, the director of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss Ukraine’s latest offensive as Kyiv and Moscow jockey for position as the second Trump administration prepares to take office, whether Ukrainian forces can hold off Russian attacks, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s efforts to curry favor with Trump as he increasingly denigrates the President Biden as Kyiv and its allies work determine the incoming administration’s approach to the Ukraine war and Russia, the latest technological developments and more.

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomic Aeronautical Systems, Sam Bendett of the Center for Naval Analyses and Dr. Eugene Rumer, the director of the Russia and Eurasia program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss key moments in Russia’s war on Ukraine during 2024; whether the end of the war in the coming months will come as a reprieve just as Moscow is feeling economic pressure and growing casualties, allowing it to recharge for its next confrontation with NATO; how the outgoing and incoming administrations are playing the roles of good cop-bad cop to end the war; implications of the ouster of Bashar al-Assad on Russia; the assassination of Russia’s nuclear and chemical forces chief Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov by Ukraine’s secret service; and what to expect from Moscow over the coming weeks as the prospect of the war’s end approaches.

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Barbara Matthews, a US Treasury Department veteran and first Treasury attache to the European Union who is the founder of BCM Strategy, discusses why the US dollar is the world’s reserve currency and the power that status confers, how the reliance on the dollar subjects the world to US laws and oversight, why allies and adversaries are interested in alternatives to the dollar that Washington has increasingly “weaponized” to influences friends and foes especially during the first Trump presidency, how the advent of new digital currencies and alternatives could undermine the power of the dollar and US influence, whether President-elect Trump’s threat to impose 100 percent tariffs on any nation that participates in a dollar alternative will stop such moves, what circumstances could drive allies to break from the dollar, and how the growing US debt and threats of default threaten the dollar with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Mark Montgomery, a retired US Navy rear admiral who is now the senior director of the Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the executive director of the Cyber Solarium 2.0 project, discusses President Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to fire US-made precision missiles into Russia, Vladimir Putin’s escalating nuclear threats and increasing Russian sabotage operations including suspected cutting of undersea cable between Finland and Germany, recommendations for the new administration on cyber as well as AI and science investment, the need for a stand-alone Cyber Force, the wisdom of Taiwan’s recent statement it would buy US destroyers and F-35 Lighting II fighters to curry favor with President-Elect Trump, and the problematic nature of the incoming administration’s reported plans against senior military officers.

On today’s Strategy Series program, sponsored by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Peter Van Praagh, the president of HFX — the organizer of the annual Halifax International Security Forum that brings to better government, diplomatic, military, economic and civil society leaders each weekend before Thanksgiving in Halifax, Nova Scotia — discusses the implications of the re-election of former President Trump; the importance of US leadership and the case against isolationism; why it’s vital the international community continue to support Ukraine in its fight for survival; why a loss for Kyiv would be globally destabilizing including encouraging China to attack Taiwan; the importance of allies and partners and whether tariffs and caustic rhetoric could undermine key relationships; the power of disinformation to mobilize voters and citizens; the need for US leaders to make the case why democracy, internationalism and importance of allies; and a look at the agenda of the upcoming forum with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.

Michael Bayer, a former chairman of the National Defense Industrial Association, and Arnold Punaro, another former NDIA chairman and Senate Armed Services Committee staff director, join Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian to discuss how to ensure a smooth transition from the Biden administration to a second Trump administration, how to get the mechanics right, budget process to keep government running, how Elon Musk could play an instrumental role in revamping government contracting processes to better and more quickly deliver needed capabilities at scale, and the prospect the incoming president may choose to sack senior military leaders and replace them with new ones better suited to executing the new administration’s agenda.