Beyond the political and moral stakes, the war in Ukraine will also decide who controls the $26 trillion in strategic natural resources that make Ukraine one of the world’s mineral superpowers. AEI Senior Fellow Marc A. Thiessen explains why President-elect Donald Trump cannot allow Vladimir Putin to claim this bounty.

Trump and his allies have voiced concern about the cost of aid to Ukraine as they weigh their policy toward the war. In new analysis for Foreign Affairs, former senior Defense Department official and AEI Senior Fellow Elaine McCusker demonstrates why a Russian victory would cost the US far more in the long run than would its current commitments to Ukraine.

In an essay assessing the state of democratic capitalism, AEI Economic Policy Studies Director Michael R. Strain warns that while the economy is healthy, ill-conceived industrial policy and fiscal irresponsibility are the two biggest threats to American prosperity.

As Trump staffs his administration, his nominees have more congressional experience than any other post–World War II administration. AEI congressional expert Philip Wallach and Jaehun Lee break down the data on these picks and explain Trump’s rationale.

The most important domestic legislative priority for 2025 will be the renewal of many of the provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. In the first of a two-part series previewing this legislation, AEI President Robert Doar speaks with tax expert and AEI Senior Fellow Kyle Pomerleau about the policies at stake.

AEI This Week will be off for the holidays but will resume on January 11.