Research Library

Russia is losing the war in Ukraine, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, faced with this truth, has decided to double down on his efforts. Fellow Joe Barnes explains how Putin has boxed himself into a corner — and why this makes him so dangerous.

Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador is about to achieve the quiet but full militarization of Mexican society by placing all armed government forces under Defense Secretariat command, writes nonresident fellow Gary Hale. If he is successful, this could lay the groundwork for his possible extended tenure, even if it creates a military junta by subterfuge.

Russia’s attack on Ukraine — the culmination of over a decade marked by growing Russian military interference in Georgia and then Ukraine — has refocused NATO’s attention on the threat posed by Moscow.

How can a U.S. response help Europe if Russian gas cuts off energy supplies of more countries following Poland and Bulgaria? The authors explain why currently, more drastic actions by the U.S. could prove counterproductive, unnecessary and harmful to U.S. trade policy. Read the post on the Baker Institute Blog.  This article originally appeared in the Forbes blog on May 2, 2022.

Joe Barnes considers the origins and implications of the ongoing crisis over Ukraine in a post for the Baker Institute Blog.

A lignite mine on the border of Poland and the Czech Republic is caught between global environmental and local economic concerns. For COP26 to make headway on climate action, the authors write, it must consider the local implications while proposing solutions.

Paris and Washington are past the immediate AUKUS crisis, but two major, related issues will remain high on Biden’s foreign policy agenda for the balance of his term, writes fellow Joe Barnes: China’s military expansion in the Pacific and the EU’s role in great power politics. Read more at the Baker Institute Blog.

Iron and steel production are necessary for modern infrastructure, and the sector is both energy intensive and difficult to decarbonize. The authors explore new, evolving processes that could change this and potentially provide both environmental and economic benefits.

The United States' exit from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty appears more like a gesture than part of a well-considered long-term plan. There are few signs that the Trump administration has given substantial thought to how the U.S. can best protect its interests in a new and challenging international environment.

The good news: we managed to get through June and July without war in the Persian Gulf. The bad news: the risk of conflict remains high. Read more at the Baker Institute Blog: https://bit.ly/2MKqWDS