NATO Chief Says Ukraine’s ‘Rightful Place’ is in the Alliance

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg defiantly declared Thursday that Ukraine’s “rightful place” is in the military alliance and pledged more support for the country on his first visit to Kyiv since Russia’s invasion just over a year ago, as the AP reports.

U.S. Positioning Troops for Evacuation of American Embassy in Sudan

The Pentagon is moving more troops to the African nation of Djibouti to prepare for a possible evacuation of U.S. Embassy staff in Sudan, where fierce fighting between two warring generals has led to the swift deterioration of conditions in the capital, as the NYT reports.

Janet Yellen Says Security Comes Before Economy in U.S.-China Relationship

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said protecting national security would be the U.S. priority in its relationship with China even if it slows economic growth, taking a hawkish stance as she pushed for more collaboration with Beijing, as the WSJ reports.

Executive Education

In Red Teaming: Alternative Analysis and Risk Assessments for a Changing World, participants will work with CSIS scholars and learn how to apply time-tested techniques like argument mapping, assumption checks, pre-mortem analysis, and other methods to update baseline forecasts. Registration closes on Friday, April 21.

Video Shorts

Check out CSIS’s new series of video shorts: “The Recap,” “Data Unpacked,” “Testify,” “What's Happening,” “Preview,” and “High Resolution.” And don’t forget to subscribe to the CSIS YouTube Channel!

In That Number

330

The death toll from the fighting in Sudan has risen to 330, with nearly 3,200 others wounded, according to the World Health Organization. The WHO officials noted that the figures were an underestimate.

Source: NYT

Critical Quote

“Ukraine’s rightful place is in NATO.”

—Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary General

iDeas Lab

A new CSIS report identifies the seven technologies that are likely to define the success of the United States across the spectrum of conflict over the next decade. Watch the PreView video here.

The Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS enhances our research with the latest in cutting-edge web technologies, design, and multimedia.

Optics

(Photo credit: Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP/Getty Images.) NATO head Jens Stoltenberg shakes hands with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the end of a joint press conference in Kyiv on April 20, 2023.

This Town Tomorrow

At 9:00 a.m., the CSIS Korea Chair holds a conference on North Korea's human rights issues, with opening remarks by Shin-wha Lee, Ambassador-at-Large for International Cooperation on North Korean Human Rights.

And, at 10:30 a.m., the CSIS Chair in U.S.-India Policy Studies hosts a discussion on the status and future of cooperative and competitive federalism in India.

Earlier, at 9:30 a.m., the Atlantic Council holds a conversation on fostering Africa's role in leveraging carbon markets to support economic development and global climate action.

Video

The CSIS China Power Project hosted a discussion on China’s recent military exercises near Taiwan and how they compare to the exercises launched after then-Speaker Pelosi’s visit in August 2022. Watch the full event here .

Podcasts

CSIS's Mvemba Phezo Dizolele is joined by Cameron Hudson to unpack the factors that have triggered the current deadly unrest in Sudan and its devastating impact on civilians.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

Mudcrutch was Tom Petty’s first band. Formed in Gainesville in 1970, the band became popular in Florida and eventually Petty and Mudcrutch moved to LA in ’74. They broke up a year later, which led to Petty and Mudcrutch bandmates Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench starting a new band: The Heartbreakers.

In 2008, Petty, Campbell, and Tench took a break from The Heartbreakers to re-engineer Mudcrutch with original members Tom Leadon and Randall Marsh. The result was stunning.

I invite you to email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter @handrewschwartz

The Evening is my daily guide to key insights CSIS brings to the events of the day. It is composed with the External Relations team: Paige Montfort, Claire Dannenbaum, and Claire Smrt.