24 July 2025

Associated Press | State Department OKs $322 million in proposed weapons sales to Ukraine

The State Department said Wednesday that it has approved $322 million in proposed weapons sales to Ukraine to enhance its air defense capabilities and provide armored combat vehicles, coming as the country works to fend off escalating Russian attacks.

Newsweek | Iran Spells Out Conditions for Nuclear Talks

Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister and lead nuclear negotiator laid out preconditions to engaging in negotiations with the United States in a post on X on Thursday.

BBC | Russia and Ukraine trade drone attacks after latest ceasefire talks

Drone strikes by both Moscow and Kyiv killed two in Russia and three in Ukraine, hours after a brief third round of ceasefire talks concluded in Istanbul. Three people were found dead in the rubble of a house after a strike in Ukraine's eastern Kharkiv region and several people were wounded in the cities of Cherkasy and Zaporizhzhia.

Military.com | Proposal to Expand Private Health Care for Veterans Advanced by House Panel

A bill aimed at giving veterans easier access to private doctors using Department of Veterans Affairs funding has advanced out of a key House panel after stark partisan debate.

CNN | Ukraine sees first major anti-government protests since start of war, as Zelensky moves to weaken anti-corruption agencies

Ukraine has seen the first major anti-government protests since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion over three years ago, as a move by President Volodymyr Zelensky to curb anti-corruption agencies sparked fury across the nation.

Military Times | Trump pick to lead VA health care reopens fight over ‘choice’ for vets

President Donald Trump’s pick to oversee veterans’ health care operations wants to see more “balance” in options for medical care, with an eye toward making private-sector appointments more easily available.

The American Conservative | How Close Was Iran to a Nuclear Deal Before They Were Bombed? | Ted Snider

Top officials from the U.S. and Iran had completed a full five rounds of talks on Iran’s civilian nuclear program. Both sides evaluated the talks as “constructive.” A sixth round was on the immediate horizon. Then the bombing of Iran began.

Responsible Statecraft | Trump is blasting away at Somalia with zero effect | Dan M. Ford & Zakariya Rahimi

Despite a number of foreign actors, including the United States, using kinetic military strikes and contributing military resources to Somalia for the past many years in an ostensible effort to improve the Somali security situation, both ISIS and al-Shabaab are expanding their territory and continuing to threaten the country’s peace and security.

War on the Rocks | Strategy in Contention: Debating America’s Global Priorities | Justin Logan, A. Wess Mitchell, Stacie Pettyjohn, and Ryan Evans

Does the United States need a new playbook — or just fewer plays? In this charged episode, big ideas collide over how to sequence American power across the Middle East, Europe, and the Indo-Pacific. Ryan is joined by A. Wess Mitchell (Marathon Initiative), Stacie Pettyjohn (Center for a New American Security), and Justin Logan (Cato Institute) for a scintillating debate over the future of U.S. strategy.

CVA has been out in the media discussing the current foreign policy landscape:

Last week, John Byrnes joined CBS News to talk about the recent mutual defense pact between the U.K. and Germany. Watch the media clip to better understand how we got here and what it means for American foreign policy.

Last night John joined NEWSMAX2’s Newswire to discuss the recent escalation between Israel and Syria. John weighs in on how it could stand in the way of drawing down America’s footprint in the Middle East. Watch his interview here.

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