Chinese military personnel take part in a rehearsal ahead of a parade commemorating the eightieth anniversary of victory in World War II in Beijing on August 20, 2025. (Pedro Pardo via Getty Images)
Senior lecturer in the Department of Security Studies and Criminology at Macquarie University, Council of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute
US Commerce Secretary Howard William Lutnick and Japanese Minister for Economic Revitalization Ryosei Akazawa shake hands on on September 4, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Getty Images)
Arleigh Burke–class guided-missile destroyer USS Chafee (DDG 90) sails in formation during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise on July 28, 2022. (DVIDS)
A formation of Dongfeng-41 nuclear missiles takes part in a military parade celebrating the seventieth anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing on October 1, 2019. (Xia Yifang via Getty Images)
Senior lecturer in the Department of Security Studies and Criminology at Macquarie University, Council of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute
A microchip and Taiwanese flag displayed on a phone screen are seen in this multiple exposure illustration photo on April 10, 2023. (Jakub Porzycki via Getty Images)
President Donald Trump leads President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and other European leaders in the Cross Hall of the White House on August 18, 2025. (Aaron Schwartz via Getty Images)
Vladimir Putin and President Donald Trump pose for a photo during the welcoming ceremony prior to their summit on August 15, 2025, in Anchorage, Alaska. (Getty Images)
President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pose for a picture with European leaders following a meeting at the White House on August 18, 2025. (Win McNamee via Getty Images)
An F/A-18E Super Hornet takes off from the flight deck the USS George Washington while underway in the Timor Sea on July 15, 2025, during Talisman Sabre, the largest bilateral military exercise between Australia and the United States. (US Navy photo)
A Task Force 99 team member conducts pre-flight checks on an unmanned aerial vehicle in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Mar. 18, 2025. Task Force 99 is a nimble, mission-driven unit built to drive innovation and strengthen U.S. Air Forces Central capabilities across all domains. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Ricky Arnold)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump shake hands during a meeting in the Oval Office on August 18, 2025. (Mandel Ngan via Getty Images)
A US Marine Corps VXE30 Stalker unmanned aerial system is staged during a maritime domain awareness training exercise in southern Finland on July 31, 2025. (DVIDS)