Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
Iran will send ships to Panama Canal in military mission
Iran will dispatch warships to the Panama Canal this year, Iranian officials vowed Thursday in a sign that Tehran seeks to expand its military footprint far beyond the Middle East and into America's backyard. Published January 12, 2023
Threat Status: Biden fumbles into 2023 on foreign policy
Russia's unending war in Ukraine, North Korea's expanding nuclear weapons threats and China's increasing military moves toward Taiwan are among the complex global security challenges President Biden faces as he heads into the second half of his term in 2023. Published January 8, 2023
Putin’s proposed cease-fire gets frosty reception in Kyiv, Washington
If implemented, it would mark the first cease-fire since the war began more than 10 months ago. Published January 5, 2023
Pentagon warns of ‘next generation’ of extremist fighters as terror group ISIS plots 2023 comeback
It would be a remarkable resurgence for a terror group whose "caliphate" once controlled a broad swath of land in Iraq and Syria only to be routed by a U.S.-led counterterrorism campaign. Published January 5, 2023
Putin orders 36-hour cease-fire in Ukraine linked to Orthodox Christmas holiday
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday ordered Moscow's armed forces to hold a 36-hour cease-fire in Ukraine this weekend for the Russian Orthodox Christmas holiday, the Kremlin said. Published January 5, 2023
‘Diplomacy is dead’: U.S., allies pushed to devise new plan to address North Korea’s nukes
The Biden administration and America's Pacific allies fear that Mr. Kim may soon order another nuclear weapons test, which would be the country's first since 2017 and a move that would plunge the peninsula and the broader region into the unknown. Published January 3, 2023
Ukrainian missiles kill 63 Russian troops in one of war’s deadliest strikes: Kremlin
At least 63 Russian troops were killed by Ukrainian strikes in the Donetsk region on Monday, the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement confirming one of the deadliest, most effective attacks by Ukrainian forces since the war began in February. Published January 2, 2023
Biden stumbles into third year with looming global conflicts
Some analysts warn that the foreign policy establishment in Washington is dangerously underplaying the risk that the Ukraine war could take a turn for the worse in 2023. Published December 29, 2022
Concessions refusals block any hope for Russia-Ukraine peace talks
Russia announced a ban on oil exports to Western powers Wednesday even as Kremlin officials seemed to keep the door cracked open to ceasefire talks over Moscow's nearly yearlong military invasion of Ukraine. Published December 28, 2022
Threat Status: No end in sight
Washington is still abuzz about the pre-Christmas visit last week by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who traveled outside his country for the first time since Russia's February invasion and met with President Biden at the White House. Published December 28, 2022
Pentagon’s ‘woke’ policies in crosshairs of Republican-controlled House next Congress
Top officials at the Pentagon insist they've seen no impact from so-called woke social policies inside the military. Published December 27, 2022
Hero’s welcome: Biden promises Zelenskyy U.S. backing for ‘as long as it takes’
America will back Ukraine with military and financial aid until Russia's invasion ends in failure, President Biden told Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during their historic appearance together at the White House on Wednesday. Published December 21, 2022
Zelenskyy confident Republican House won’t cut back U.S. aid to Ukraine
U.S. military aid is, among other things, funding Ukraine's defenses against Russian rocket and drone attacks that are targeting energy infrastructure ahead of the winter season. Published December 21, 2022
Threat Status: It’s a dangerous moment for mankind
We're keeping a close eye on the Chinese Communist Party's concerted effort to spread its message and influence around the world, from Japan to the U.S. Published December 21, 2022
U.S. ‘waking up too slowly’ on China, House GOP point man on Beijing warns
The U.S. is "waking up, but we're waking up too slowly" to the growing threats posed by China, Rep. Mike Gallagher said this week, arguing that the Biden administration is failing to take the steps necessary to put America in a position to win its 21st-century showdown with the rising communist military and economic superpower.. Published December 20, 2022
Chinese Communists, Japanese allies seek to exploit Abe’s assassination, former officials say
China's Communist leaders believe they can exploit former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's assassination and use it as a tool to blunt anti-communist sentiment in Japan and marginalize Abe's allies, such as the Unification Church, according to a former high-level U.S. official and renowned China specialist. Published December 17, 2022
Threat Status: Russian war crisis amid ‘rapidly dwindling’ stockpile of weapons
The war in Ukraine grinds on in its 10th month, although U.S. military intelligence predicts that the Russian army can sustain its current rate of attack only through early next year. Published December 14, 2022
House GOP falls short in effort to get Pentagon info on ‘woke’ policies
A Republican-backed measure to pry loose Pentagon documents on "woke" policies in the U.S. military fell short Tuesday amid opposition from Democrats -- but the vote underscored how the GOP will zero in on the issue once it takes control of the House in January. Published December 13, 2022
Russia, Ukraine inch toward peace talks, but Moscow’s leverage vanishes as war drags on
Would Ukraine be willing to give Russia a piece of the divided Donbas region in exchange for a guaranteed fast track to full NATO membership? Published December 13, 2022
Russia’s ammo ‘rapidly dwindling,’ may begin to run out in early 2023: Pentagon
The Russian military is quickly running out of artillery and rocket ammunition, Pentagon officials said Monday, and the Russian army can only sustain its current rate of attack in Ukraine until early next year. Published December 12, 2022