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US sailors conduct routine maintenance on a jet blast deflector on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Nimitz on July 9, 2025. (US Navy)
Russia
Russia
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Vessels are seen anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off the port city of Khasab, Oman, on May 17, 2026. (Getty Images)
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A large Ukrainian flag waves in the wind as smoke rises on the horizon along the front line following a bombardment by Russian forces on May 25, 2026, in Kramatorsk, Ukraine. (Getty Images)
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(What Really Matters Logo)
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President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping stand during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on May 14, 2026. (Getty Images)
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Flags of Russia and Belarus fly in the wind during joint Russian-Belarusian military drills in Minsk, on September 15, 2025. (Getty Images)
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A US Army air defense artilleryman works to place a Patriot missile system into operation on March 13, 2026. (US Army)
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A major fire burns in eastern Moscow on May 17, 2026, hours after a heavy Ukrainian drone attack. (Getty Images)
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(Screenshot via NewsMax)
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Volunteers weaving camouflage nets at a community center in Odesa, Ukraine, on May 11, 2026. (Andrew Wilson)
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An interceptor drone is launched as Ukrainian forces counter incoming aerial threats near the Donetsk front line on May 12, 2026, at an undisclosed location in Ukraine. (Getty Images)
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Incoming Prime Minister Peter Magyar greets supporters outside the Hungarian Parliament on May 9, 2026, in Budapest, Hungary. (Getty Images)
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A Belarusian soldier takes part in the Zapad-2025 joint Russian-Belarusian military drills at a training ground near the town of Borisov, Belarus, on September 15, 2025. (Getty Images)
Experts
Luke Coffey
Senior Fellow, Center on Europe and Eurasia
Can Kasapoğlu
Senior Fellow (Nonresident)
Richard Weitz
Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Political-Military Analysis
