Peter B. Doran

Jan 7, 2025 | fdd.org | Zachary Berman |Peter B. Doran

This week marked 25 years of Vladimir Putin’s rule, a milestone the Russian dictator celebrated in a televised address. Boasting of past achievements, he assured Russians, “We can be rightfully proud of what has already been done,” and confidently added, “We are sure that everything will be all right.”Reality reveals a darker forecast: Putin is now weaker than at any point in his tenure.

Oct 30, 2024 | fdd.org | Peter B. Doran

It seems the Kremlin’s finance wizards are running out of rabbits to pull out of the hat. The Russian government revealed this when it released its revised national budget for 2025, showing the spiraling costs of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine. Now it’s up to Europe and the U.S. to exploit this and increase the economic cost for Russia by plugging sanctions loopholes.

Oct 25, 2024 | fdd.org | Krystal Bermudez |Peter B. Doran

The war for Ukraine is widening. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed Wednesday that North Korea is dispatching thousands of troops to Russia, marking a significant escalation in its conflict with Kyiv. Vladimir Putin is pulling Kim Jong Un deeper into the war — yet he is also revealing a weakness: The Kremlin is running low on recruitable troops at home.

Sep 19, 2024 | fdd.org | Peter B. Doran |Ivana Stradner

‘Let me tell you about world leaders,” Donald Trump said at last week’s debate. “Viktor Orbán — one of the most respected men — they call him a strongman. He’s a tough person. Smart.” Trump is right — the Hungarian prime minister is both tough and smart. But Orbán is also turning Hungary into China’s economic backdoor into Europe. What’s more, while Trump has called on Europe to contribute more to the defense of Ukraine, Orbán is working hard to prevent Europe from picking up its share of the costs.

Sep 19, 2024 | nationalreview.com | Peter B. Doran |Ivana Stradner