Ben Wolfgang
Articles by Ben Wolfgang
A growing U.S. footprint in Europe brings hard questions for Pentagon
The U.S. military footprint in Europe has vastly expanded in the two months since Russia invaded Ukraine, with more than 100,000 troops now on the ground on a continent where the talk until recently was on how and where to cut back. Published April 25, 2022
Mariupol on the brink as Russians seek breakthrough
Defenders in Mariupol are desperately short on supplies and may lose control of the city within days or less, Ukrainian military officials said Wednesday, as their Russian foes ramped up a non-stop bombardment of the strategically vital port city and inched closer to what would be the first major prize so far in Moscow's two-month war. Published April 20, 2022
‘Think twice’: Putin threatens West as Russia tests new ICBM
Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened the West on Wednesday just hours after his military tested a new intercontinental ballistic missile system, warning that any nation opposing the Kremlin should "think twice" about its actions. Published April 20, 2022
Russia captures first major city in eastern Ukraine as world grapples with war’s fallout
Russia marched ahead Tuesday with the "new phase" of its war in Ukraine, capturing the eastern city of Kreminna and launching missile strikes across the disputed Donbas region even as new evidence emerged of the devastating toll the war is having on the global economy. Published April 19, 2022
Frozen fallout: Ukraine invasion scrambles Arctic rush
The fallout from Russia's attack on Ukraine has already reached the top of the world. Published April 16, 2022
Backfire: Sweden, Finland eye NATO in reaction to Russian invasion
Finland and Sweden signaled Wednesday that they may announce plans to apply to join NATO within a matter of weeks, dealing a major blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin's hopes of weakening the Western military alliance and offering further evidence that the alleged atrocities committed by Mr. Putin's troops in Ukraine have only hardened anti-Russian sentiment across the West. Published April 13, 2022
Finland, Sweden edge closer to joining NATO, draw Moscow’s fury
Finnish government officials said Wednesday they will decide within weeks whether to join NATO, while Sweden initiated a comprehensive review of security options that could also result in NATO membership. Published April 13, 2022
Defiant Putin vows victory in Ukraine, denies atrocities
Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed Tuesday to press on with his military campaign in Ukraine, casting it as a "noble" mission that will end in victory and setting the stage for what is likely to be the bloodiest fighting so far as regrouping Russian troops mount a concentrated assault on the disputed Donbas region. Published April 12, 2022
Putin vows Russia’s ‘noble’ operation in Ukraine will end in victory
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday pledged victory in Ukraine, brushing off his military's embarrassing battlefield missteps and casting the invasion as a "noble" fight. Published April 12, 2022
Ukraine braces for Donbas battle as Moscow’s war effort faces new questions
Ukraine braced itself Monday for a massive Russian assault on the country's eastern Donbas region, which is set to become ground zero in a bloody conflict that shows no sign of stopping despite growing questions about whether Moscow can secure anything resembling the original victory it sought. Published April 11, 2022
Rethinking Russia: Failures in Ukraine dent military’s reputation but stoke fears of escalation
ANALYSIS: Russia may have proven itself to be less of a great power and more of a loose cannon. Six weeks into Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and on the heels of a stunning loss in the battle for Kyiv, the overall competency of Russia's military is suddenly in doubt and its perceived spot near the top of the 21st-century global pecking order is being reassessed. Published April 10, 2022
White House, Republicans clash on U.S. endgame in Ukraine-Russia war
Deep differences over the U.S. endgame in Ukraine came into sharp focus Sunday morning between Biden administration officials and top congressional Republicans. Published April 10, 2022
Russia shakes up military leadership, calls back veterans ahead of eastern Ukraine offensive
Russia shook up its military leadership over the weekend and began recalling discharged veterans ahead of a major offensive in eastern Ukraine, as Washington grappled with how far to go in aiding Ukrainian troops while still avoiding a direct confrontation with Moscow. Published April 10, 2022
Kyiv failure reverberates for Putin’s shaken regime
Russia's push to capture Kyiv has failed and all of its troops have retreated from the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital, Pentagon officials said Wednesday, marking a crushing defeat for the Kremlin and dealing a blow to the country's perceived status as a global military power. Published April 6, 2022
Putin loses battle for Kyiv; Russian forces withdrawn from around Ukrainian capital, Pentagon says
All Russian troops have withdrawn from Kyiv and the surrounding area, Pentagon officials said Wednesday, capping a stunning defeat for the Russian military as it abandons its goal of capturing the Ukrainian capital and overthrowing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Published April 6, 2022
Ukraine battles, fallout far from over, Pentagon brass warn
Moscow's military campaign in Ukraine is far from over, and the West must prepare for a yearslong commitment to support the government in Kyiv, guard NATO's eastern border and gird for the revival of an era of great-power conflict, top Pentagon leaders said Tuesday. Published April 5, 2022
‘You’re embarrassed by your country’: Pentagon’s Austin, Rep. Gaetz in fiery hearing clash
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin accused Rep. Matt Gaetz of being "embarrassed by your country" at a House hearing Tuesday, while the outspoken Florida Republican shot back that Mr. Austin and other Pentagon leaders have compromised U.S. military superiority by embracing socialist policies. Published April 5, 2022
World ‘trending toward greater instability,’ Pentagon leaders say
Russia's invasion of Ukraine is the latest indication that the world is rapidly becoming more unstable, top Pentagon leaders said Tuesday, as they warned that the prospects of major conflict between the U.S. and other great powers such as China and Russia are increasing. Published April 5, 2022
The tank isn’t dead, Pentagon leaders say, despite Russian debacle
Russia's mechanized forces have become relatively easy targets for Ukrainian troops armed with cutting-edge, anti-tank weaponry, sparking fresh questions about whether the tank has outlived its usefulness in 21st-century combat. Published April 5, 2022
U.S. can do more to help Ukraine, rattle Putin, former Moscow CIA chief says
The U.S. is missing a key opportunity to ramp up its military support to Ukraine and fuel the domestic pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, who could see his grip on power in the Kremlin evaporate if Russia's invasion fails and Ukraine emerges victorious, former CIA station chief in Moscow Daniel Hoffman said Monday. Published April 4, 2022