The Torch
Illuminating Security and Defence Issues
Russia
Flamingos even things up a bit for Ukraine
13 October 2025
Last February, U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance launched a televised frontal attack on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House, telling him Ukraine had “no cards.” Zelensky should let Russia keep the conquered territories (about 20 per cent of Ukraine) in return for peace. Yet ...
The Scale of Russian Sabotage Operations Against Europe’s Critical Infrastructure
5 September 2025
This IISS paper assesses Russia’s unconventional war on Europe, focusing on sabotage of critical infrastructure, from military sites and energy grids to communications and undersea cables, testing the resilience of European governments and societies and challenging NATO/EU deterrence.
European Council on Foreign Relations
The bear beneath the ice: Russia’s ambitions in the Arctic
27 July 2025 -
The Kremlin’s Arctic ambitions have grown further this year, partly in response to signals from Washington. US president Donald Trump’s sights on Greenland were interpreted in Moscow as a sign of growing geopolitical competition in the region. America’s position validated the long-held idea that the Arctic is “the next frontier for great power competition”, reinforcing Russia’s self-perception as a key player on the world stage.
The Limits of Putin’s Ambitions
27 July 2025 -
Putin’s war in Ukraine is not just about territory—it’s a calculated move rooted in history to reclaim Russia's global influence and potentially redraw Europe’s borders. To safeguard European security, the West needs to revive its proven strategy: build a strong deterrent while pursuing dialogue to ensure long-term stability.
Russian nuclear weapons, 2025
10 June 2025 -
Russia is in the late stages of a multi-decade-long modernization program to replace all of its Soviet-era nuclear-capable systems with newer versions. However, this program is facing significant challenges that will further delay the entry into force of these newer systems. In this issue of the Nuclear Notebook, we estimate that Russia now possesses approximately 4,309 nuclear warheads for its strategic and non-strategic nuclear forces.
War Room / U.S. Army War College
FROM HYPERSONICS TO ALLIANCES: RUSSIA’S EMERGING THREATS TO U.S. AND NATO SECURITY
20 May 2025
As the conflict in Ukraine continues into its fourth full year of full-scale war and with the entrance of a new U.S. presidential administration, the security environment for the United States vis-à-vis Russia has changed rapidly. Russian lessons learned, strategic innovations, and battlefield successes and failures have generated new challenges that will threaten U.S. national security in the near term.
Trump and Putin race to control the world’s next strategic outpost
26 March 2025
Russia’s icebreakers embark on a mission to carve an economic lifeline for the Kremlin.