Defense Strategy and Capabilities

U.S. defense policy builds from the study of long-term strategic competition, technological advancement and the changing character of war, and twenty-first-century challenges to liberal democracy and national security. By assessing these issues areas alongside aspects such as global military balance, asymmetric warfare, and regional conflicts, CSIS’s defense strategy portfolio offers unparalleled insight into security challenges facing the United States.

Photo: Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images

Photo: Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty Images

Russia’s Grinding War in Ukraine

Despite claims of success in Ukraine, new CSIS data shows that Russia is paying an extraordinary price for minimal gains, with over 1.2 million casualties. Russia is also in decline as a major economic power with slow growth, weak productivity, and declining manufacturing.

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Brief by Seth G. Jones and Riley McCabe — January 27, 2026

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Seth G. Jones

Seth G. Jones

President, Defense and Security Department; Harold Brown Chair
Tom Karako

Tom Karako

Director, Missile Defense Project and Senior Fellow, Defense and Security Department
Jerry McGinn

Jerry McGinn

Director, Center for the Industrial Base and Senior Fellow, Defense and Security Department
Max Bergmann

Max Bergmann

Director, Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program and Stuart Center
Benjamin Jensen

Benjamin Jensen

Director, Futures Lab and Senior Fellow, Defense and Security Department
Brian Hart

Brian Hart

Deputy Director and Fellow, China Power Project

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New START Expiration

Please join the CSIS Defense and Security Department for a conversation on the expiration of the New START Treaty.

Event — February 3, 2026

Russia’s Grinding War in Ukraine

Despite claims of success in Ukraine, new CSIS data shows that Russia is paying an extraordinary price for minimal gains, with over 1.2 million casualties. Russia is also in decline as a major economic power with slow growth, weak productivity, and declining manufacturing.

Brief by Seth G. Jones and Riley McCabe — January 27, 2026

The Arsenal of Freedom Tour

Please join the CSIS Defense and Security Department for a conversation on the Secretary of War’s Arsenal of Freedom tour.

Event — January 22, 2026

On the Horizon, Vol. 8

The 2025 PONI Nuclear Scholars explore the future of nuclear strategy, offering perspectives from emerging experts on disruptive technology, intensifying geopolitical rivalries, and strategic stability.

Report by Doreen Horschig — December 18, 2025