Richard Weitz

Realizing Africa’s potential: A journey to prosperity | Brookings Join us for the public launch and discussion of "Realizing Africa's Potential" on November 10. The event will bring together experts from various sectors for a panel discussion on Africa’s economic tr...

Realizing Africa’s potential: A journey to prosperity www.brookings.edu/events/reali...

Korea On Point just published my piece on "how the Russia–Ukraine war’s ripple effect is reshaping Asia’s security.
As Moscow, Beijing, and Pyongyang tighten ties, Seoul and Washington face rising escalation risks on the Korean Peninsula."
Read more: koreaonpoint.org/articles/art...

Chances dwindle of quick Trump-Putin meeting in Budapest  Top Russian official says “no agreement” so far on meeting between top diplomats Sergey Lavrov and Marco Rubio.

Prospects for an imminent meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin in Budapest appear to be fading, judging by new signals from Moscow.

Middle East Crises Highlight Constrained Russia-China-India Cooperation - The Asan Forum Middle East Crises Highlight Constrained Russia-China-India Cooperation Richard Weitz, Hudson Institute1 The Middle East has experienced waves of conflicts since the Hamas terrorist organization attac...

theasanforum.org/middle-east-...

This article first reviews the reactions of the Russian, Chinese, and Indian governments. The next section evaluates the reasons for their modest response. The final section considers potential future developments.

For additional analysis please see: www.hudson.org/security-all...

2025 Outrider Nuclear Reporting Summit This fall, in a former nuclear missile silo, we'll convene journalists at the nexus of health, climate, artificial intelligence, outer space, and national security to discuss how these issues are inte...

Journalists: Please join us at the @outrider.org Nuclear Reporting Summit on October 9-10!

This free, two-day event will focus on how #nuclearweapons issues intersect with AI, community health, #climatechange, local economies, and the #environment.

🔗 APPLY NOW: outrider.org/conference/2...

Trump-Putin Alaska Summit: Shaping War and Peace At the end of last week, the diplomatic world was shocked to learn of a potential breakthrough regarding the Russian-Ukrainian war.

My analysis of the Trump-Putin summit: eagleintelreports.com/alaska-summi...

"Rather than a watershed moment in the Ukraine war and in US policy towards Russia, we should see the summit as contributing to a dynamic process that could eventually lead to a range of possible outcomes. "

Explaining China’s Reactive Response to the Iran War China declined an opportunity to join Iran in its June 2025 confrontation with the United States and Israel. Though Beijing enjoys good relations with the Iranian regime, competing alignments and othe...

Explaining China’s Reactive Response to the Iran War - Richard Weitz - CHINA US Focus www.chinausfocus.com/peace-securi...

Takeaways (cont.):
• A peace deal with Ukraine could allow Russia to devote more security resources to Central Asia while reducing Kazakhstan’s and Uzbekistan’s importance to sanctions circumvention.

Takeaways (cont.):
• Western sanctions have spurred Chinese, Kazakhstani, and Uzbekistani efforts to construct alternative transportation routes and pursue foreign markets outside Russian territory.

Takeaways (cont.):
• Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have constrained their security cooperation with Russia, but their economic ties with Russia and China have strengthened substantially.

Takeaways: (cont.)
• China has pursued a less assertive stance toward potential territorial conflicts in Central Asia than in other regions.
• The transformation of Eurasian energy markets promotes Sino-Russian cooperation and provides Moscow and Beijing with additional leverage over Central Asia.

Takeaways
• Central Asia has been a bellwether of the Sino-Russian relationship.
• Russia accounts for almost all of Kazakhstan’s imported weapons systems, while Uzbekistan buys most of its imported arms from Russia.

Sino-Russian Interactions Regarding Central Asia: Preliminary Summary View PDF Executive Summary

Our fourth RSI-funded report on Russian-Chinese relations in Central Asia, “Sino-Russian Interactions Regarding Central Asia: Preliminary Summary,” has been published at www.hudson.org/security-all...

Takeaways (cont.)
• Despite differences regarding the SCO and the organization’s declining relative importance to Russia and China, the two countries have sustained a robust security partnership within the organization and in Central Asia.

Takeaways (cont.)
• Participating in SCO exercises provided the Chinese military with some of its first opportunities to rehearse power projection capabilities.
• The SCO has ceased holding its large Peace Mission series of exercises; other drills occur but less regularly.

Takeaways
• Though not a mutual defense alliance, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) remains the most important multilateral security structure in Central Asia that includes both Russia and China.

Sino-Russian Interactions Regarding the Shanghai Cooperation Organization View PDF Takeaways

Our third RSI-funded report on Russian-Chinese relations in Central Asia, “Sino-Russian Interactions Regarding the Shanghai Cooperation Organization,” has been published at www.hudson.org/security-all...

Collateral Damage in Federal Work Force Cuts: Summer Interns

At the very beginning of their professional lives, some young people have had their summer internships derailed by the Department of Government Efficiency.

Scientists have released the closest images ever taken near the sun, captured by NASA’s Parker Solar Probe flying 3.8 million miles above the solar surface.

See more images of solar eruptions on the sun: wapo.st/3Irm3P3

Takeaways (cont)
• The new BRICS Plus format could provide another multilateral structure for deepening collaboration among Russia, China, and Uzbekistan.

Takeaways (cont)
• Uzbekistan is becoming a linchpin for Russia’s and China’s separate regional integration projects, which have not yet caused significant Sino-Russian friction.
• Uzbekistan could seek additional Russian and Chinese assistance to manage potential threats from Afghanistan.

Takeaways
• Russian-Uzbekistani defense ties have grown substantially during the past decade, while Uzbekistan’s military relations with China remain modest.
• Russia, China, and Uzbekistan cooperate best on counterterrorism, transportation, and energy issues.

Sino-Russian Interactions Regarding Uzbekistan View PDF Takeaways

Our second report on Russian-Chinese relations in Central Asia, “Sino-Russian Interactions Regarding Uzbekistan,” has been published at www.hudson.org/security-all...

YouTube video by Wikistrat China, Russia, and the Israel-Iran War: Cracks in the Axis?

My analysis of "China, Russia, and the Israel-Iran War: Cracks in the Axis?," is available at www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3aF...

Nuclear risks grow as new arms race looms—new SIPRI Yearbook out now (Stockholm, 16 June 2025) The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) today launches its annual assessment of the state of armaments, disarmament and international security. Key findi...

I am honored to contribute with @mattkorda.bsky.social the chapter on world nuclear forces in the 2025 SIPRI Yearbook that went public today: www.sipri.org/media/press-... A PDF of the chapter is here: www.sipri.org/sites/defaul... @sipri.org

Episode 1: The Hand Behind Unmanned – America’s Quest For Autonomous War What are unmanned weapons and where did America’s quest for autonomy begin?

Mine and Julia Macdonald's new podcast on autonomy--from mines to missiles to drones--is now available! Follow the people behind America's unmanned arsenal from the revolutionary war to Afghanistan, Ukraine, and looking to the future.
www.hoover.org/research/epi...

Ukraine launches major drone attack on Russian bombers, security official says Reported strikes on four airbases in Siberia mark escalation in cross-border incursions before planned peace talks

Audacious Ukrainian drone attack on Russian bomber bases. Several Tu-95 strategic and Tu-22 regional bombers destroyed or damaged. Both types are dual-capable and have been used to bomb Ukraine for years. Illustrates extraordinary vulnerability of bombers. www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

We're now within the 7-day moratorium on new public opinion polls ahead of the ROK presidential election. The last weekly poll from Gallup Korea has Lee (45%) with a clear lead over Kim (36%) and Lee June-seok (10%).

Mid-Career Cadre - Nuclear Network The Mid-Career Cadre is a select group of nuclear professionals that have been in the field for 7 or more years and demonstrate promise for moving into leadership positions or bringing new ideas and…

Don't miss the deadline to apply to PONI's Mid-Career Cadre! Participants advance their technical, policy and leadership skills in the nuclear field through a variety of professional development programming.

Applications close in two weeks on June 2nd.