Nuclear

US Air Force fighter aircraft F-35 performs aerobatic maneuvers on the second day of the Aero India 2023 at Yelahanka air base in Bengaluru, India, Feb. 14, 2023.

Military spending around the world reached record highs last year, new data shows

New research shows that military spending grew for an eighth consecutive year in 2022 to an all-time high of $2,240 billion. Europe saw a sharp increase over the war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, China has expanded its reach, while the US wants to maintain its military superiority as the world's largest military.

Military spending around the world reached record highs last year, new data shows
Buildings on Central Street in Borodyanka, a Kyiv suburb, were directly struck by Russian missiles.

‘I did it with my own two hands’: Ukrainians rebuild even as war continues

‘I did it with my own two hands’: Ukrainians rebuild even as war continues
people at beach

Ukrainians reflect on life a year into war 

Ukrainians reflect on life a year into war 
soldiers on field

A year of war in Ukraine: A timeline of key moments

A year of war in Ukraine: A timeline of key moments
Yevdokia, 65, hugs her son Alexander in front of their house, which was heavily damaged by Russia attack, in the retaken area of Izium, Ukraine, on Sept. 14, 2022.

VIDEO: Ukraine’s year of war, displacement and no end in sight

VIDEO: Ukraine’s year of war, displacement and no end in sight
missile explosion

Ukraine calls on Western countries to provide air defense systems as Russian barrage continues

Ukraine’s military has been gaining ground against Russian forces, winning back territory for weeks now. But the Russian military appears to have adjusted its strategy. It’s been hitting Ukrainian cities and civilian infrastructure with missiles and drones. That presents a challenge for Ukraine’s air defense system.

Ukraine calls on Western countries to provide air defense systems as Russian barrage continues
Image of a rocket being fired by a defense system

A game of numbers: How air defense systems work and why Ukraine is eager for more protection

What will it take for Ukraine to defend against the ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and explosive drones raining down on the country? The question is not so much what as how many.

A game of numbers: How air defense systems work and why Ukraine is eager for more protection
An F/A-18 E launches from the deck during flight training ops aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022, off the Virginia Coast.

Left unresolved: Part II

Critical State, a foreign policy newsletter by Inkstick Media, takes a deep dive into the beliefs of citizens of Germany and the Netherlands on the use of US nuclear weapons — especially as informed by partisan belief.

Left unresolved: Part II
A couple kisses through a fence as she boards a train toward Kyiv at Przemysl train station on Oct. 6, 2022, Przemysl, Poland.

Polish border town of Przemyśl is a revolving door for Ukrainian migrants 

The town Przemyśl which lies on Poland's border with Ukraine, has seen a revolving door of migrants fleeing the war in Ukraine, and then returning home. At the train station in Przemyśl, many Ukrainians are facing difficult decisions about returning home amid a brutal war.

Polish border town of Przemyśl is a revolving door for Ukrainian migrants 
In this handout photo released by The State Duma, The Federal Assembly of The Russian Federation Press Service, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, foreground center, addresses deputies during a session at the State Duma, the Lower House of the Russia

The US should not ‘overestimate the divisions inside of Russia,’ former ambassador says

Even some of the Russian leader's closest advisers don't know what Vladimir Putin is thinking, according to former US Ambassador to Russia John Tefft. He has spent plenty of time in the room with Putin himself.

The US should not ‘overestimate the divisions inside of Russia,’ former ambassador says
In this photo released by the official website of the office of the Iranian Presidency, President Ebrahim Raisi speaks during his press conference in Tehran, Iran, Monday, Aug. 29, 2022.

No contradiction in supporting protesters while pursuing nuclear deal with Iran, US special envoy says

Robert Malley, the US special envoy for Iran, joined The World's host Marco Werman from Washington to discuss how the Biden administration views the current protests and what this could all mean for efforts to secure a nuclear deal with Iran.

No contradiction in supporting protesters while pursuing nuclear deal with Iran, US special envoy says
US President Joe Biden and Israel's Prime Minister Yair Lapid, sign a security pledge at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Jerusalem

US and Israel sign joint declaration on Iran's nuclear program during Biden's visit

During President Joe Biden's trip to the Middle East, he's signed a joint declaration with Israel to counter Iran's nuclear program. The World's host Marco Werman speaks with Sina Azodi, a nonresident fellow with the Atlantic Council in Washington, about what the move means.

US and Israel sign joint declaration on Iran's nuclear program during Biden's visit
President Joe Biden walks to board Air Force One, April 21, 2022, at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, en route to Portland, Oregon.

Are sanctions against Russia working? An expert weighs in.

Bill Browder, CEO and co-founder of Hermitage Capital Management and author of "Freezing Order: A True Story of Money Laundering, Murder, and Surviving Vladimir Putin's Wrath," was once a big investor in Russia. He spoke to The World's host Marco Werman about whether sanctions against Russia are working as intended.

Are sanctions against Russia working? An expert weighs in.
A pair of soldiers stand guard outside a train station

In 2014, the ‘decrepit’ Ukrainian army hit the refresh button. Eight years later, it’s paying off.

Though the Russian army dwarfs the strength of the Ukrainian army, the underdog has managed to resist during the early days of the Russian invasion. Military reforms are part of the reason.

In 2014, the ‘decrepit’ Ukrainian army hit the refresh button. Eight years later, it’s paying off.
Three women displaced by the Russian invasion of Ukraine check their mobile phones at a refugee centre in Hungary.

The Russian invasion shows how digital technologies have become involved in all aspects of war

Internet infrastructure disruption, targeted cyberattacks and the manipulation of disinformation during the Russian invasion of Ukraine all show that warfare now includes cyberwar strategies.

The Russian invasion shows how digital technologies have become involved in all aspects of war