War on the Rocks — page 6

Coverage, page 6

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Zelensky’s Political Storm Starts to Clear

Welcome to The Ukraine Compass, a weekly digest of Ukrainian commentary and analysis from across the political spectrum only for War on the Rocks members. Each Monday, we bring you a curated selection of articles from Ukrainian media offering insight into how Ukrainians themselves debate the issues shaping their country.American coverage often narrows the view to the battlefield — these pieces widen it, revealing the texture of daily life, politics, and public argument in a nation at war. The perspectives gathered here are varied, candid, and often surprising, together forming a more complete picture of Ukraine as it really is.Frontline and StrategyВисокий Замок

War on the Rocks•Nicole Wiley27 Jul

Taiwan’s Tech Hurdles Threaten Military Capability and Potential Coalition Defense

Taiwan produces the world’s most advanced semiconductors, yet the island’s own military is only in the opening stages of adopting artificial intelligence systems. This mismatch bears directly on Taiwan’s ability to deter Chinese aggression.Beijing is pushing to develop and field sophisticated AI-enabled military capabilities. Given China’s focus on “reuniting” with Taiwan, the Taiwanese military could be the first to contend with the People’s Liberation Army’s emerging defense technologies during a potential conflict. Should the United States, and possibly allied forces, come to the island’s defense, a coalition would benefit from having access to AI-enabled military systems that share data and

War on the Rocks•Sam Bresnick27 Jul

Why Norway and Finland Should Preserve Two of Europe’s Most Important Security Arrangements

Svalbard is a stark archipelago of glaciers and coal mines lying 650 kilometers (403 miles) north of Norway’s North Cape, roughly halfway between the Norwegian mainland and the North Pole. It belongs to Norway but is governed under a 1920 treaty that grants nationals of more than 40 signatory states sweeping economic rights while barring Oslo from constructing naval bases or using the archipelago for “warlike” purposes. Far to the south, in the Baltic Sea between the Finnish and Swedish coasts, lie the Åland Islands, which are composed of roughly 6,500 islands and reefs. They are also home to 30,000

War on the Rocks•Douglas Peifer27 Jul

Global Risks Heating Up

Welcome to The Adversarial. Every other week, we’ll provide you with expert analysis on America’s greatest challengers: China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and jihadists. Read more below.***IranThe U.S.-Iranian ceasefire agreed in April began deteriorating — and the Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 17 — ramping up to a near-constant exchange of hostilities in early July. On July 10, Trump declared that the ceasefire was over. The United States resumed its naval blockade and has been striking Iranian soil on a daily basis. Iran has targeted vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz while launching drones and missiles at Arab Gulf states

War on the Rocks•WOTR Staff24 Jul

Before a Cyber Force, Fix Cyber Governance

Let’s not start picking out uniforms just yet. The chorus calling for a Cyber Force continues to grow by the day, but the debate has its priorities backward. In June, an amendment from Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) calling for the creation of a cyber service within the Department of the Army failed in the Senate Armed Services Committee by a single vote. Support is popular on both sides of the aisle, with Rep. Pat Fallon (R-TX) quoted as saying that a “Cyber Force is inevitable.” The highly anticipated June 2026 Center for Strategic and International Studies report skips the question of whether the Department needs a Cyber Force and

War on the Rocks•Justin Hardy24 Jul

Chaotic Progress: European NATO’s Quest for Stronger Defense

In 2024, Max Bergmann wrote, “NATO Missed a Chance to Transform Itself,” where he argued NATO’s leadership needs to facilitate a strong European pillar of the alliance through structural reforms in European institutions. Two years later, we asked Max to revisit his arguments.Image: The White House via Wikimedia CommonsIn 2024, you argued NATO’s own leadership should facilitate a European pillar. Two years later, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told the European Parliament that anyone who thinks Europe can defend itself without the United States is dreaming, drawing public pushback from European leaders. Does that rift suggest NATO’s leadership is blocking progress on

War on the Rocks•Max Bergmann23 Jul

America Needs an Off-Ramp Between Doing Nothing and Shutting AI Down

For 18 days in June, two of America’s most capable AI models went dark worldwide, not for technical or business reasons, but because the U.S. government ordered it. On June 12, 2026, the Commerce Department informed Anthropic that its Fable 5 and Mythos 5 models could no longer be provided to any foreign person without a license, and the company concluded that compliance meant shutting the models down for everyone. Public access to Fable 5 was restored on June 30.The United States doesn’t have a trusted, standardized process for evaluating the security risks of frontier AI models or proportionate remedies

War on the Rocks•Martijn Rasser23 Jul

The King of Cool: Mobile Refrigeration and the Remaking of Global Logistics

Editor’s note: This is the fifth article in a limited series celebrating American defense technologies born from wartime and their effects on broader national security, politics, and society. This series will run for several weeks to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary, and winners will be selected by a reader vote undertaken through our newsletter later this summer. Prior installments can be found at the Arsenal of Innovation page.Have you ever wondered how the United States transitioned from only having local fresh produce to an abundance of perishable goods available year-round across the country, even during the off-season? Today, almost $3 trillion (roughly 2.7

War on the Rocks•Caitlan Fealing23 Jul