Defense Priorities
@defpriorities
The hub of realism and restraint in Washington.
"It is natural to feel sympathy for Ukraine's plight, but our leaders must put aside emotion, recognize hard realities and prioritize the safety of Americans above all else." – @dandcaldwell in @PostOpinions wsj.com/opinion/the-ca…
"Whether Trump stands up for his own policy or defers to Netanyahu's supposed judgment will determine if he’s the visionary he frequently wants to be or is merely a supplicant." – @DanDePetris
Daniel DePetris: Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu don’t have the same goals trib.al/zw5qkM6
AUKUS is no silver bullet against China or in favor of Taiwan and shouldn't be treated as such. Moreover, improvements in allied submarine fleets in the 2030s shouldn't come at a cost to U.S. Navy capabilities, @lylegoldstein concludes in @starsandstripes. stripes.com/opinion/2025-0…
Airstrikes didn’t destroy Iran’s nuclear program because there is no viable military solution to preventing Iranian weaponization. This was a regime change attempt by Israel under thin nuclear disguise — and the U.S. must not get pulled in.
Iran's nuclear program has survived "obliteration" by the Trump administration, says @RKelanic in a sobering interview with Diwan. "The Iranian nuclear complex is sprawling and includes many additional sites beyond Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan that were not hit by airstrikes," she…
U.S. military action in Mexico would likely make cartel violence worse, but there are some approaches to mitigate the devastating flow of fentanyl into the United States. Recommendations and alternatives by @DanDePetris & @chrisjmccallion: defensepriorities.org/explainers/no-…
![defpriorities's tweet card. Key points The violence perpetrated by Mexico’s drug cartels, their persistent export of drugs into the United States, and the […]](https://pbs.twimg.com/card_img/1948101802202963968/AZWQpTmN?format=jpg&name=orig)
"Focusing too much on the big three sites misses the larger point that even if those three sites and their contents—centrifuges, stockpiles—were destroyed, Iran could likely still rebuild quickly," @RKelanic comments in @nytimes. nytimes.com/2025/07/17/us/…
There is less to Trump's 50-day ultimatum than meets the eye, I argue for @RStatecraft. The economic threats aren't credible & the military commitments are more show than substance. The deadline may hurt Trump most of all, limiting his political options. responsiblestatecraft.org/trump-50-day-d…
Military force against cartels in Mexico isn't the curative that many assume. @DanDePetris and @chrisjmccallion at @defpriorities dive into why: defensepriorities.org/explainers/no-…
We shouldn't think about leaving our endless wars in the Middle East as opening the door for China to control oil reserves. @defpriorities' @RKelanic explores why: defensepriorities.org/explainers/chi…
"Trump believed Ukraine ultimately mattered more to Russia than it did to the United States. That was a correct assessment, and it's unlikely additional U.S. military assistance to Kyiv will change it in any way."
New @Newsweek debate with @perry_dan is out. Will Vladimir Putin back down? What should Trump's next move be? And what does the future hold for Ukraine? newsweek.com/how-will-putin…
.@defpriorities A new war next door? The case against U.S. military strikes in #Mexico - Thanks @AileenTTeague @DanDePetris @ColinPClarke @jekavanagh , thoughtful discussion, great insights. defensepriorities.org/events/a-new-w…
Is military force an effective tool to use against Mexican drug cartels? Why or why not or to what degree? @jekavanagh asks. @DanDePetris, @ColinPClarke, and @AileenTTeague respond: defensepriorities.org/events/a-new-w…
![defpriorities's tweet card. As fentanyl overdoses and violence linked to Mexican cartels exact a deadly toll on Americans, some U.S. policymakers have proposed […]](https://pbs.twimg.com/card_img/1943359404721463296/gUG2M5uS?format=png&name=orig)
Please tune in and check out the discussion!
TODAY @ 3 PM ET: DEFP's @jekavanagh will guide a discussion weighing U.S. military strikes in Mexico featuring @AileenTTeague, @DanDePetris, and @ColinPClarke. RSVP here: defensepriorities.org/events/a-new-w…