In this episode, Tom and Sherif cover a few housekeeping items, offer a quick update about Ukraine that will soon be supplemented by the tardy publication of a previously recorded episode, and discuss the deterrent impact of the Biden White House's new export controls on cutting edge semiconductors. We also stumble upon a joke of opportunity related to fine Champagne.

Ukraine Lightning Round:

• Reuters: Crimean bridge destruction
• Business Insider: Russia grabbing men off the streets to serve in Ukraine
• AP: Russian suicide drone attack on Kyiv

Taiwan:

• Risky Business: Episode #682
• Planet Money: Forging Taiwan's Silicon Shield
• Wapo: U.S. imposes tough rules to limit China's access to high-tech chips
• The Guardian: What do US curbs on selling microchips to China mean for the global economy?
• Foreign Policy's Ones & Tooze: Is China's Economy in Trouble?
• Book: Taiwan's Former Nuclear Weapons Program: Nuclear Weapons On-Demand

In the third episode of our Special Relationship series, Tom asks Jim, the University of Aberdeen's emeritus professor of Strategic Studies, about the new NATO's strategic concept, NATO 2022. What does it signal to NATO members, and to the rest of the world? What's the historical context, and what does it bode for the future? We discuss these topics and more.

In the second episode of our Special Relationship series, Tom and Jim, the University of Aberdeen's emeritus professor of Strategic Studies, talk about the strategic legacy of Queen Elizabeth II, and prospects for British foreign policy and force strength under the new leadership of King Charles III and Prime Minister Liz Truss. They close with a few minutes of discussion about NATO's new strategic concept, which will be a recurring topic in future episodes.

After a lengthy hiatus, Tom and Sherif are back! After a brief catch-up, they discuss the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, before moving on to a discussion of the flare-up between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces over Nagorno-Karabakh.

In the inaugural episode of our Special Relationship series, Tom speaks with the University of Aberdeen's emeritus professor of Strategic Studies, James H. Wyllie, about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. During the last few minutes, Tom and Jim reminisce on the pending fortieth anniversary of the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands. A few additional resources on the latter are included below. This episode was recorded on March 31st, 2022.

• John J. Weltman, World Politics and the Evolution of War
• Ian Gardiner, The Yompers: With 45 Commando in the Falklands War (Hardback / eBook)

Interstitial Music: Sarie Marais, 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines Quick March

A great deal has happened since we released our initial discussion about Ukraine. Not quite a week later. Tom and Sherif update their prior discussion on Ukraine, featuring a five minute summary at the beginning, followed by a more detailed discussion of the troubled Russian campaign, the Ukrainian resistance, and the two-sided contest to influence public perception. For this exchange, Tom was fueled by Rakkasan Tea's Himalayan Black Dragon, while Sherif enjoyed some unholy concoction of bourbon aged in Mountain Dew barrels.

In our inaugural episode, which is kicking off the SWISS Intel project well before we're really ready for it, Tom and Sherif discuss the situation in Ukraine. (Forgive us, we're new at this.)