Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent announcement that Moscow would “suspend” its participation in the New START treaty, a nuclear nonproliferation agreement entered into in 2011 that puts limits on the number of intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear warheads deployed by the U.S. and Russia.

Is Putin playing nuclear games? Will Russia still abide by the the treaty’s limitations? Does the Fault Lines crew think the U.S. is headed towards another nuclear arms race?

Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!

Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/joe-biden/biden-says-putin-made-big-mistake-new-start-treaty-rcna71764 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/21/politics/nuclear-weapons-new-start-treaty-what-matters/index.html 

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@jamil_n_jaffer

@NotTVJessJones

@lestermunson

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Today, Les, Jess, and special guest host Morgan Viña, NSI Fellow and JINSA’s Vice President of Government Affairs, discuss the initiation of a $10 billion oil project in Uganda to build 10 well pads inside Uganda’s largest national park, which has become yet another flashpoint in the global battle against climate change. 

What does the Fault Lines team think of Uganda being pressured to forgo its natural resources? How does the World Bank balance promoting economic growth and security in poor nations with environmental concerns? Should wealthy nations be paying developing countries for their ambitious climate goals?

Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!

Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/uganda-other-african-nations-push-for-fossil-fuel-projects-7dbcd006 

https://apnews.com/article/politics-uganda-europe-climate-and-environment-business-cfc29315710d7aec764ede097ec6f0bf 

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@jamil_n_jaffer

@NotTVJessJones

@lestermunson

@morganlroach 

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Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss President Biden's surprise visit to Kyiv and the impending one-year anniversary of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

What is Fault Lines’ assessment of the war in Ukraine after a year? Is the Biden Administration doing all that it can do to support Ukraine? Will the current on-the-ground stalemate result in an ultimate Russian loss?

Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!

Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:

https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/20/politics/biden-ukraine-zelensky-visit-one-year-war-anniversary-intl-hnk/index.html 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-in-ukraine-russia-war-news-today-china-putin-lethal-aid-concern/ 

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@jamil_n_jaffer

@NotTVJessJones

@lestermunson

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And don’t forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!

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Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss the recent devastating earthquakes in southern Turkey and northwestern Syria. The death toll continues to mount, with estimates now exceeding 44,000, along with hundreds of thousands facing displacement.

What should the United States, our allies, and the international community be doing to better address the growing crisis in the region? Are sanctions halting any progress in humanitarian aide? Will the Turkish and Syrian regimes be able to step in and provide aide for their people? 

Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!

Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:

https://apnews.com/article/politics-turkey-government-business-earthquakes-0f7d4fb77ea45c94b7b5ecd637a930c7 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/earthquake-fallout-raises-political-stakes-in-turkeys-election-year-f921ae11 

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@jamil_n_jaffer

@NotTVJessJones

@lestermunson

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Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss Moldovan President Maia Sandu’s recent accusations of Russia plotting to overthrow her country’s pro-Western government. Ms. Sandu’s remarks follow Ukrainian President Zelensky’s warnings last week that Ukrainian intelligence had intercepted “a detailed Russian plan” to destabilize Moldova.

How serious are Russian destabilization efforts in former Soviet governments? What – if any – impact does this development have on the Russia-Ukraine conflict? Does the Fault Lines crew think Moldova is the new “Ukraine” in terms of Western and NATO expansion?

Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!

Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:

https://www.economist.com/europe/2023/02/13/moldova-fears-it-might-fall-victim-to-a-russian-coup-plot 

https://time.com/6255048/russia-moldova-plot/ 

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@jamil_n_jaffer

@NotTVJessJones

@lestermunson

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And don’t forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!

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Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss the recent collaboration of U.S. and Canadian military aircraft to shoot down four separate unidentified objects flying over North America over the past several days.

How aggressive should we be with unknown aircraft? When will the U.S. government identify where these aircraft are coming from and what their mission capabilities are? Do these shootdowns mean we are closer to war than we realize?

Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!

Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/02/12/spy-balloon-alaska-canada/ 

https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/12/politics/lake-huron-high-altitude-object/index.html 

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@jamil_n_jaffer

@NotTVJessJones

@lestermunson

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Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss SpaceX’s recent announcement that it will limit Ukraine's use of its Starlink satellite systems for "offensive" military operations. Starlink has provided critical communication capabilities to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began last February.

How will SpaceX’s decision affect the war on the ground? Will depriving Ukrainians of this capability be a massive set back? How involved should the private sector be in military efforts?

Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!

Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:

https://foreignpolicy.com/2023/02/09/ukraine-russia-war-starlink-drones-musk-spacex/ 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/02/09/starlink-restricts-internet-drones-ukraine/ 

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@jamil_n_jaffer

@NotTVJessJones

@lestermunson

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And don’t forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!

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Today, Jess, Jamil, and special guest host Morgan Viña, NSI Senior Fellow and JINSA’s Vice President of Government Affairs, discuss the recent development that Moscow and Tehran are moving ahead with plans to build a new factory in Russia that could make at least 6,000 Iranian-designed drones for the war in Ukraine, the latest sign of deepening cooperation between the two nations.

How will the growing Iran-Russia relationship impact the current conflict in Ukraine and in future conflicts? Is this merely a relationship of convenience or a new “permanent” partnership? What influence will this relationship have on Middle East relations?

Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!

Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/iranian-drones-in-ukraine-project-tehrans-power-beyond-mideast-testing-u-s-europe-11666880851?mod=article_inline 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-30/russia-rejected-iran-s-400-missiles-request-amid-gulf-tension 

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@jamil_n_jaffer

@NotTVJessJones

@lestermunson

@morganlroach 

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil discuss the famous Chinese spy balloon that entered the U.S. airspace over Idaho from Canada last week and was ultimately shot down by the U.S. Air Force over the Atlantic Ocean off the Carolina Coast this weekend.

Should the balloon have been shot down much earlier? Does the handling of the balloon reflect a credibility issue for this Administration? What does the Fault Lines crew think of the partisan squabbling over the balloon?

Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!

Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64530102 

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/05/world/asia/china-balloon-united-states.html 

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@jamil_n_jaffer

@NotTVJessJones

@lestermunson

Like what we're doing here? 

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And don’t forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Les, Jess, and Jamil discussed the recent increase in violent clashes and attacks across the Middle East, which included an Israeli counterterrorism operation in the West Bank, an attack on a synagogue in East Jerusalem, and a drone strike on an Iranian Defense Ministry factory in Isfahan.

What should the U.S. be doing in these instances of increased violence in the region? Is the U.S. being aggressive enough in its own counterterrorism operations? How should the U.S. prioritize its global security commitments? 

Hear our experts debate these issues and more in less than 10 minutes on our latest episode of Fault Lines!

Want to learn more about this topic? Check out these articles that our experts used to frame our discussion:

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/29/world/middleeast/iran-drone-strike-israel.html 

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/doj-charges-3-men-murder-hire-plot-journalist-critical-iran-rcna67863 

Follow our experts on Twitter:

@jamil_n_jaffer

@NotTVJessJones

@lestermunson

Like what we're doing here? 

Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe.

And don’t forget to follow @masonnatsec on Twitter!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.