The Secret History and Unlearned Lessons of the Cuban Missile Crisis There aren’t enough palm trees, the Soviet general thought to himself. It was July 1962, and Igor Statsenko, the 43-year-old Ukrainian-born commander of the Red Army’s missile division, found himself inside a helicopter, flying over central and western Cuba. …

The Survival of the West and the Demands of the Rest “Ukraine has united the world,” declared Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a speech on the first anniversary of the start of the war with Russia. If only that were true. The war has certainly united the West, but it …

Recent developments in the Middle East have cast China as a reliable intermediary and proponent of multilateral dialogue, signalling a departure from Beijing’s typical reluctance to participate meaningfully in conflict negotiations. Saudi Arabia and Iran’s decision to restore diplomatic relations has raised Beijing’s diplomatic profile and political influence. The agreement …