Articles

Japan’s Shrinking Population Is Changing How It Fights

September 22, 2026 Ilan I. Berman Forbes

Last month, Japan released its latest annual defense white paper. The document has a great deal to say about the threats now confronting the island nation, ranging from an increasingly assertive China to a nuclear North Korea. But one of its most important themes concerns something else entirely: the changing nature of warfare itself.

Why Diplomacy with Russia Isn’t Working

September 21, 2026 Lawrence J. Haas The National Interest

"President Putin, thank you so much for having us,” U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff gushed recently in Moscow, where he and fellow U.S. Special Envoy Jared Kushner sought to coax Putin into making peace with Ukraine by offering more economic cooperation and the lifting of sanctions. “When we retire,” Witkoff added, “we’ll have all these incredible stories and memories, and yours will be right at the top of it all.”