Great Power Competition Source Room
A curated collection of sources on great power competition, China, Russia, NATO, the United States and the Indo-Pacific.
Essential Sources
NATO and Emerging Technologies—The Alliance’s Shifting Approach to Military Innovation
NATO is adapting its approach to military innovation to address new threats from great-power competition with Russia and China, particularly concerning Emerging and Disruptive Technologies (EDTs). The...
Emerging Multipolarity: A Deeper Understanding Of NATO-China Relations
This paper analyzes how the emerging multipolar world order affects NATO-China relations. It argues that multipolarity complicates NATO's ability to form a coherent strategy towards China's rise, due ...
China’s Position on the Emerging Russia–North Korea Military Cooperation and Its Implications for the U.S.-ROK Alliance
This RAND report analyzes China's evolving stance on the deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, assessing its implications for the U.S.-Republic of Korea alliance. Beijing aims...
Geopolitics of the United States
This study examines the geopolitical strategies of the United States and Japan in response to the Russia-Ukraine war, analyzing how their historical doctrines manifest in the current global context. I...
AUTUMN 2024/ISSUE 111
This article analyzes Russia and China's policies in Central Asia from a realist perspective, highlighting their competition with the US-led West. Both powers seek to bind regional countries through e...
Conventional logics, nuclear fears: Inadvertent escalation risks between NATO and Russia
This report, commissioned by the UK Ministry of Defence, analyzes mechanisms through which conventional concepts and operations between NATO and Russia could unintentionally lead to nuclear escalation...
Latest Documents
Iran’s Nuclear Program and 2025 UN Sanctions Reimposition
The E3 (France, Germany, UK) successfully invoked the UN Security Council's snapback mechanism on August 28, 2025, leading to the reimposition of sanctions on Iran by September 27, 2025. This action f...
North Korea’s Nuclear Weapons and Missile Programs
North Korea continues to advance its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, posing a growing threat to the U.S. homeland and its allies. Pyongyang has rejected denuclearization talks and is e...
Iran and Nuclear Weapons Production
Iran's nuclear weapons program status is uncertain following U.S.-Israeli airstrikes in 2025 and 2026, which impacted its facilities. While Iran's enriched uranium stockpile could quickly yield weapon...
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October 10, 2026
Russian President Putin falsely blamed Ukraine for stalled peace talks during a call with US President Trump, reiterating Russia's maximalist war aims. The Russian MoD is using a new social media plat...
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October 9, 2026
The US decision to waive sanctions on Russian diesel is expected to fund Russia's war effort in Ukraine. Meanwhile, Montenegrin authorities detained Mikhail Zvinchuk, founder of the ultranationalist R...
China & Taiwan Update, October 9, 2026
US and Taiwanese authorities have indicted individuals for illegally reselling US-manufactured semiconductor chips to China, which seeks them for PLA modernization and AI development. Concurrently, Ch...
Iran Update, October 9, 2026
Yemeni government-aligned forces have recaptured strategic locations near the Bab al Mandeb Strait and stalled Houthi advances in Taiz Governorate. Meanwhile, Houthi forces continue to target Saudi cr...
Ms. Gemma Connell, Director, Crisis Response Division, OCHA, on behalf of Mr. Tom Fletcher, USG for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator – Briefing to the Security Council on the humanitarian situation i
This UN briefing highlights the escalating humanitarian crisis in Ukraine due to ongoing attacks on civilian infrastructure, particularly as winter approaches. It emphasizes the urgent need for protec...
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October 8, 2026
Ukrainian forces have made significant advances east of Slovyansk and Kramatorsk, leveraging evolved tactics and battlefield shaping efforts. Russia continues to target Ukrainian infrastructure, inclu...
Updated October 7, 2026
China remains the primary source of precursor chemicals for illicit fentanyl synthesized by transnational criminal organizations, mainly in Mexico, despite PRC controls on direct fentanyl shipments. T...
Iran Update, October 5, 2026
The Yemeni government, supported by Saudi and international forces, launched an offensive to secure the Bab al Mandeb Strait, likely to succeed in capturing Mokha city. Meanwhile, Iran is enhancing it...
U.S. Military Operations Against Iran: Munitions and Missile Defense
U.S. military operations against Iran have led to significant expenditure of munitions, causing strategic inventory shortfalls and revealing industrial base bottlenecks. The Congressional Budget Offic...
Highest Relevance
ENTANGLED DETERRENCE: DUAL-USE TECHNOLOGIES AND STRATEGIC STABILITY IN SOUTHERN ASIA
This paper introduces "Entangled Deterrence" to analyze how dual-use emerging technologies destabilize strategic stability in Southern Asia's tripolar nuclear environment. It argues that AI, cyber, an...
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October 5, 2026
Russian forces continue to adapt their drone capabilities, introducing new variants with enhanced navigation and specialized warheads to target Ukrainian infrastructure. A Russian drone strike injured...
Russian Inexpensive Quasi-Cruise Missiles: An Emerging Threat for Ukraine's Air Defenses
Russia is increasingly deploying inexpensive, highly maneuverable quasi-cruise missiles like Banderol and Dan-T in Ukraine, straining Ukrainian air defenses. These weapons bridge the gap between slow ...
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October 4, 2026
Russia is intensifying its Fall-Winter 2026-2027 strike campaign against Ukrainian critical infrastructure, using false pretenses to justify attacks aimed at compelling Ukraine's surrender. Ukraine is...
U.S. Aircraft Combat Losses in Operation Epic Fury: Considerations for Congress
The U.S. military reportedly lost or damaged 81 aircraft, including 45 MQ-9 Reapers, during Operation Epic Fury against Iran between February and September 2026. The Congressional Budget Office estima...
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October 3, 2026
Russian drones violated Moldovan airspace, with five crashing on October 3, indicating an escalation in incursions. Russian forces also struck Kyiv's Northern Bridge, aiming to disrupt traffic and civ...
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October 2, 2026
Russia continues its cognitive warfare, with Putin falsely claiming Russia is not a threat while issuing nuclear warnings and fabricating battlefield gains. Meanwhile, Russia is training Chinese force...
Iran Update, October 2, 2026
Saudi Arabia is reportedly preparing a limited offensive to recapture Houthi-held territory on Yemen's southern Red Sea coast, supported by Pakistani and Turkish military aid under the 'Mecca Pact'. M...
Regulation of U.S. Outbound Investment to China
The U.S. has enacted the Comprehensive Outbound Investment National Security Act of 2025, codifying and expanding the Treasury's Outbound Investment Security (OIS) Program. This legislation regulates ...
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, September 29, 2026
Russia plans a significant increase in defense spending for 2027, reaching 17.1 trillion rubles, despite failing to offset rising debt and deficits through public revenues. This increased military exp...
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, September 30, 2026
Russia launched a massive combined drone and missile strike against Ukraine's energy infrastructure, signaling the start of its winter campaign to force capitulation. A Russian drone also violated Mol...
Iran Update, September 30, 2026
Defectors from the Iranian-backed Asaib Ahl al Haq militia have formed a new armed group with significant Iranian support, complicating Iraqi government efforts to disarm militias. Meanwhile, Iran is ...