HomeFrom the Desk of George Friedman

From the Desk of George Friedman

How the Ukraine War Will Likely End

As we consider how the war in Ukraine will end, we must first understand how it began. Russia invaded for geostrategic reasons – having...

A Visit to Dubai

On the last day of our trip to Dubai, my wife and I are struggling to understand the precise meaning of “one day.” In...

The Emerging Order

I am writing this from Dubai, on a trip I will describe on my return to the United States. A summit was held in...

How the Ukrainian Battlefield Redefines the World

The war in Ukraine is a humanitarian tragedy to be sure, but that’s not why it has commanded the world’s attention. After all, there...

Will Russia Return to Its Old Strategy?

After Russia invaded Ukraine, I explained why I didn’t think it would and laid out my reasoning in a subsequent column. I have been...

Learning Lessons From the War in Ukraine

After a war, all parties turn to “lessons learned,” a phrase that has become commonplace. A war is, in a hideous way, a learning...

The Tank and I

In 1972, I was wandering aimlessly around a U.S. Army facility in Pennsylvania called Fort Indiantown Gap. Eventually, I passed two M-60 armored fighting...

Evaluating Russia’s Performance in Ukraine

The Russian invasion of Ukraine had two goals. The first was to take control of Ukraine, intending to complete the task begun in Belarus...

How the Ukraine War Might Shift the Global System

War is agony for everyone involved. Wars are bloody affairs that have consequences not just for the soldiers who fight them but also for...

My Mistake on Ukraine

Since the beginning of the Russian armored buildup, and even after the entry into Donbas, I argued that the Russians would not invade Ukraine...

The Fog of War and the Grammar of War

The fog of war is an ancient concept, worn but true. Advancing on what he thinks is an enemy position, sitting in an armored...

Europe and the Ukraine Crisis

Last week, the European Union’s highest court ruled that Brussels can withhold funding from member states that violate the rule of law, slapping down...

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