Defense

Amid The Strikes: A Blueprint To Protect American Interests

Putin Near America’s Shores: A Look at Russia’s Shadow Fleet

On January 7th, 2026, the U.S. Coast Guard, with British support, seized a Russian-flagged vessel in the North Atlantic, bringing attention to Russia’s growing “Shadow Fleet”—a global naval operation to evade U.S. sanctions and maintain the flow of Russian oil and revenue. Unlike other vessels, no crude oil was found on board. Moreover, the circumstances surrounding the seizure—Russian military assets en route to protect the vessel and the raising of the Russian flag—call into question the methods used by a sanctioned fleet and the complicity of the Russian government.

Project Vault: Locking in America’s Strategic Supply

On February 2, 2026, President Trump, along with Chairman of the Export-Import Bank (EXIM) John Jovanovic, announced a new initiative to move U.S. critical mineral supply chains away from reliance on China. Project Vault establishes the U.S. Strategic Critical Minerals Reserve intended to store critical minerals essential to America’s defense and industrial supply chains in facilities across the United States.

Northern Lights Flashing: The Case for U.S. Security Governance of Greenland

The U.S. is in desperate need of an Arctic security strategy, and the media noise over the details of a Greenland “annexation” is disingenuous to the real security concerns facing not only the U.S. but also the wider Western Hemisphere and the transatlantic relationship. Greenland is more than an island of ice, polar winds, and rocks; it is a vital link in Arctic security for friends and foes alike. Security governance for Greenland—particularly that which is planned, overseen, and implemented by the U.S.—is integral to American missile radar awareness, the defense of the North Atlantic, and the holding of the line for the Western Hemisphere. Securing Greenland, in other words, is the first step toward blocking our adversaries’ ambitions in our northern neighborhood, parallel to the U.S. focus to the south.

American Arms Sales Can Support the American Worker

Executive Order 14383, signed into law on February 6, 2025, establishes the first-ever America First Arms Transfer Strategy, signifying a fundamental shift in how the United States manages arms sales. For decades, arms sales were primarily seen as a tool for security assistance or diplomatic leverage.