Vandenberg Flash Focus

The United Nations General Assembly High Level Week came and went, leaving in its wake no shortage of fiery speeches, secretive bilateral meetings, and clogged New York streets. But did the scores of diplomats and officials who descended on New York City achieve any substantive outcomes? Most importantly, how should the United States be engaging with the UN moving forward in order to safeguard American interests? Vandenberg Advisory Board member Morgan Viña joins Senior Policy Director Corban Teague to help decipher the assembly’s proceedings and discuss the future of American engagement at the UN.

(0:56) Overview

(1:42) Behind the Scenes at UNGA Week: Attendees’ Experience

(5:37) United Nations’ Failure to Stop War

(9:03) Trump’s Speech and Focus on Iran

(12:00) Trump-Xi Meeting

(15:15) United States should play Robust Role in United Nations

(16:36) China’s Success Within the United Nations

(18:04) Adversary Influence Within the United Nations

(20:26) Trump’s Future Foreign Policy Concerns

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America is not confronting its adversaries one at a time: the United States faces a group of nations working collectively to weaken American power at home and abroad. In their new book Axis of Aggressors: Countering the Cooperation of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, authors Bradley Bowman, Elaine Dezenski, and Mark Montgomery outline exactly how America’s foremost adversaries cooperate across military, economic, and technological domains to advance their malign interests and anti-American agenda. Bradley Bowman and Mark Montgomery, both members of The Vandenberg Coalition Advisory Board, join Flash Focus to discuss their new book and offer recommendations for confronting the Axis.

(1:03) Overview

(6:20) The Axis in Ukraine vs. Iran

(13:14) The Axis in Cyber & Technology

(21:05) What Does Success Mean?

(24:53) China’s Centrality in the Axis

(28:28) An Appropriate U.S. Military Posture

(31:58) Addressing Resource Constraints

(38:41) Educating the American People

Order the Book: https://www.amazon.com/Axis-Aggressors-Countering-Cooperation-Russia/dp/1968919554/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/08/18/china-russia-are-fueling-irans-war-machine/

You can watch this episode as a video on YouTube.

Last week, President Trump welcomed Chairman Xi Jinping to Washington for their second of four meetings this calendar year. It was heavy on pageantry but low on substance, leaving significant questions about the future of the U.S.-China rivalry, especially regarding technological competition, China’s malign influence operations, and Americans currently being detained by the Chinese Communist Party. Sunny Cheung, Fellow for China Studies at The Jamestown Foundation, joins Vandenberg Executive Director Carrie Filipetti to recap the summit and its implications.

(1:09) Summit Takeaways

(4:08) Who Looks Stronger, America or China?

(6:24) America vs. China on AI

(9:28) Tech CEOs at the Summit

(12:54) The Trump Administration’s Taiwan Approach

(16:52) Pro-Democracy Movement in China

(20:47) China’s Arbitrary Detention of U.S. Citizens

(23:32) Xi’s Offer To Take American Students

(27:09) Championing Western Principles Against China

You can watch this episode as a video on YouTube.

China’s activities in Latin America have evolved from just economic engagements dating back to the late 2000s to encompass larger strategic goals across various sectors today. In a new book, Dragon in the Americas: China’s Power, Presence, and Regional Influence, Leland Lazarus provides a comprehensive overview on how exactly China is deploying economic coercion against the region, why Beijing is pursuing these policies, and how China’s efforts to deepen its presence in Latin America and the Caribbean threatens U.S. national security. Leland Lazarus, Founder and CEO of Lazarus Consulting and Research Fellow at the Wilson Center, joins Vandenberg Executive Director Carrie Filipetti to outline China’s activities in Latin America.

https://www.routledge.com/Dragon-in-the-Americas-Chinas-Power-Presence-and-Regional-Influence/Lazarus/p/book/9781041347293

(1:01) Overview of the Book

(2:20) Correcting Narratives of China’s Western Hemisphere Presence

(4:28) China’s Relationships in the Region

(7:30) China’s Current Activity

(11:27) Why Is China Involved in the Western Hemisphere?

(13:28) Does Taiwan Factor Into China’s Strategy?

(16:38) Latin America’s Perception of China

(19:27) China’s Role in Illicit Networks

(21:37) Other Sectors of Interest

(24:28) National Security Implications

(29:24) Latin American Reactions to Donroe

(32:36) Addressing Hedging in the Region

(35:54) Lessons From the Book

You can watch this episode as a video on YouTube.

The U.S. alliance system has been a frequent topic of debate over the years- who our allies should be, what they should bring to the table, and whether they are actually helping advance American security, economic, and ideological interests. But in recent years, the intensity of this debate has ratcheted up significantly, as has the consequences of what happens if we get it wrong. To help us analyze how we got here and where we should go, Vandenberg Advisory Board Member Colin Dueck, a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a professor at George Mason University, joins us to discuss his new report, “Reassessing the U.S. Alliance System.”

1:07: The Inspiration Behind the Report

2:51: “The Three Waves of U.S. Liberal Internationalism”

6:37: Is the Pursuit of Stability the Right Approach?

12:40: The Contours of the Next Global Order

16:04: How President Trump’s Approach is Different

22:34: The Path Forward on Countering China

26:25: How to Work with Our Allies on China

32:07: Countries to Watch Over the Next 30 Years

Watch on YouTube.

Before launching Operation Epic Fury against Iran, the focus of many within the national security world was whether President Trump would take action against the regime in Cuba. Months later, Cuba remains a dictatorship 90 miles from our shores that partners with our adversaries to harm Americans. John Suarez, Executive Director of the Center for a Free Cuba, joins Vandenberg Executive Director Carrie Filipetti to unpack the long-standing threat Cuba poses to Americans and policy options for confronting it.

(1:15) A Career Surrounding Cuba

(4:25) Cuba’s Recent Economic Reforms

(6:25) Ramiro Valdés Menéndez

(8:22) Other Notorious Regime Players

(12:10) No Meaningful Progress on Political Freedoms

(13:33) Conditions for Political Prisoners

(14:45) Humanitarian Conditions in Cuba

(18:12) How the Cuba Regime Amplifies Adversarial Influence

(27:06) Absolute Resolve’s Impact on Cuba

(28:46) Why Is Cuba Politicized in America?

(30:37) Why Does Cuban Freedom Matter for America?

(34:16) Assuaging American Skepticism

(38:34) Will the Regime Fall?

You can watch this episode as a video on YouTube.

While it is critical that the United States maintains our advantage over China in the development and deployment of critical technologies—including and especially artificial intelligence—there are fears that many in the national security establishment have not yet grappled with the risks and consequences of going full speed ahead. Hamza Chaudhry, AI and National Security Lead at the Future of Life Institute, joins Vandenberg Executive Director Carrie Filipetti to discuss balancing AI innovation with mitigating the risks involved.

(1:11) AI State of Play

(4:02) Stakeholders and Their AI Goals

(8:12) Four Layers of AI Defense Integration

(10:30) Obstacles for Integrating AI

(13:30) Benefits of Integration

(15:09) Mitigating Convergence Risks

(18:40) Export Controls on AI Models

(22:52) Are We Taking Risks Seriously Enough?

(26:00) Consequences for Human Flourishing

(28:32) Is China Having These Conversations?

(33:43) Safety Mechanisms

(39:08) Who Is Responsible for Establishing Guardrails?

(42:39) Should We Be Optimistic or Pessimistic About Guardrails?

You can watch this episode as a video on YouTube.

Lately, most conversations within the conservative national security circles regarding Europe have focused on whether our European allies and partners are adequately fulfilling their defense obligations. However, we cannot forget that Ukraine is still fighting desperately for its own survival against Russia, which remains the most significant direct threat to Europe. Meaghan Mobbs, President of the R. T. Weatherman Foundation and Director of the Center for American Safety and Security at Independent Women, joins Vandenberg Executive Director Carrie Filipetti to provide an update on the Ukraine War and discuss how Ukraine fits into an America first foreign policy framework.

(1:48) R. T. Weatherman Foundation

(7:44) Russia-Ukraine Status Update

(10:44) Ukraine As A Model Partner

(12:26) Russian Attacks Against Civilian Infrastructure and the West

(16:35) Peace Negotiations

(19:50) How Operation Epic Fury Impacts Russia Policy

(22:04) Directly Supporting Ukraine

(25:22) Realistic End Game

(31:11) The Ukrainian Spirit

You can watch this episode as a video on YouTube.

Last week, the whole world watched President Donald Trump travel to Beijing to meet with Chairman Xi Jinping for a high stakes summit. With conflict in the Middle East and simmering trade tensions, the backdrop for the meeting was intense. Underscoring those stressors is China’s increasing hostility toward religious leaders and advocates for free societies, support for America’s adversaries, and malign influence in the American homeland. Joining us to unpack President Trump’s most important trip yet is Vandenberg Coalition Advisory Board member and Senior Fellow at Hudson Institute Michael Sobolik. We discuss the goals for the meeting, the outcomes for everything from trade to Taiwan, and the work that remains.

(1:31) The Lead Up

(5:16) The Pursuit of the Deal and Outcomes

(10:03) The Taiwan Factor

(18:22) Is There a China Strategy Behind the Iran War?

(25:52) The Line Between Competition and Cooperation

(30:19) The Next Steps

Mentioned Resources:

• Vandenberg Flash Focus Episode 61 | “Seeing My Father Again:” The Story of Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri
• The Dispatch | “Is There a China Strategy Behind the Iran War?” (Michael Sobolik and Grant Rumley)

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/49PrYMU41So

Many Americans are thinking about U.S. action against Iran at least in part based on how it is affecting prices at the gas pump, especially after threats by the Islamic Republic have effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz. Our campaign against Iran has revealed a critical lesson for U.S. grand strategy: that the United States must achieve energy dominance to ensure affordable, reliable energy at home while also leveraging energy as a strategic asset during geopolitical crises like this one. Richard Goldberg, Senior Advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, former member of the White House National Energy Dominance Council, and Vandenberg Coalition Advisory Board member, joins Flash Focus to discuss energy as it relates to Iran and U.S. grand strategy more broadly.

(1:24) Assessing Epic Fury

(7:37) Understanding Energy Prices

(17:46) Alternatives to the Strait of Hormuz

(22:56) Energy and National Security

(30:05) Energy Dominance

(32:05) The National Energy Dominance Council

(34:21) Adversaries and Partners

(40:45) Looking Ahead

You can watch this episode as a video on YouTube.