Hal Brands

Author Archive

  • Jan 30, 2026
    Poor Europe. That continent embodied the loftiest visions of peace and integration in the post-Cold War period. It has become the poster child for weakness in the rougher age that...
  • Jan 22, 2026
    There are moments when you can feel the geopolitical tectonics shifting below your feet. Such a moment is upon us as the second year of Donald Trump’s presidency begins. The...
  • Jan 21, 2026
  • Jan 13, 2026
    President Donald Trump faces a presidency-defining decision as he contemplates and threatens new military action against Iran. 
  • Jan 12, 2026
    A superpower is zapping drug boats, on shaky legal premises, and snatching foreign leaders in the dead of night. 
  • Jan 7, 2026
    Last year was a coming-out party for Chinese military power, from the lethal performance of Chinese-made weapons during the India-Pakistan clash in May, to the...
  • Jan 5, 2026
    The daring raid that snagged Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was an awesome display of the capabilities that make the US military the world’s best by far. It serves...