Russian Large-Scale Military Exercises

Thousands of Russian troops began 10 days of military exercises in Belarus on Thursday, and Ukraine warned of upcoming Russian naval drills so extensive they would block shipping lanes, as the Kremlin continued to position forces in a way that left Ukraine vulnerable to a multipronged invasion, as the NYT reports.

Third Border Crossing Shut Down

Police in Ottawa are warning that any protesters blocking streets for the self-described “Freedom Convoy” may be “arrested without a warrant,” as raucous protests against vaccine mandates and coronavirus restrictions blocked a third border crossing with the United States early Thursday, as the Washington Post reports.

Gunmen Attack Libyan PM’s Car

Gunmen fired at the Libyan prime minister’s car early Thursday, raising tensions in the war-torn country as rival political factions wrangle for control over its interim government in a standoff that could unravel a United Nations-backed peace process, as the WSJ reports.

Executive Education

Drawing on insights from leading experts and the CSIS Reconnecting Asia Project, CSIS's “Belt, Road, and Beyond” executive education course explains what China's Belt and Road Initiative is, what it is not, and how it is impacting commercial and strategic realities on the ground.

Call for Applications: Strategy and Statecraft Fellowship

CSIS is launching the inaugural year of its Strategy and Statecraft Fellowship, an exclusive, world-class program of approximately 15 leaders. Fellows will grapple with the challenges of developing strategy and conducting effective statecraft, focusing on one of the most pressing challenges facing the United States: how to best compete with China.

Video Shorts

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

In That Number

30,000

Western officials believe Moscow has sent up to 30,000 troops to Belarus in what they fear could be a key element of any invasion.

Source: WSJ

Critical Quote

“This is a dangerous moment for European security. The warning time for a possible attack is going down.”

— NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

iDeas Lab

The CSIS Trustee Chair's first Big Data China feature analyzes data that sheds new light on the views of Chinese citizens, challenging some mainstream scholarship on the topic. For example, most respondents to surveys conducted in 2018 and 2019 would prefer the government use diplomatic and economic means to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity as much as possible to avoid military conflicts.

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: Daniel Leal/Pool/Getty Images.) British prime minister Boris Johnson (L) and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (R) hold a joint press conference following a meeting at the NATO headquarters on February 10, 2022, in Brussels, Belgium.

This Town Tomorrow

At 9:00 a.m., join the CSIS Korea Chair for a discussion with Dr. Kim Sung-han, former South Korean Vice Foreign Minister and foreign policy advisor to South Korean presidential candidate Yoon Seok-youl.

And, at noon, the CSIS Trustee Chair launches a new collaboration, Big Data China, which identifies, analyzes, and introduces top academic research on China and then teases out the most relevant findings for today’s policy issues.

Also, at 10:00 a.m., the Hudson Institute holds a discussion on Turkey’s role in the ongoing Ukraine crisis.

Video

Today, the CSIS International Security Program, Korea Chair, and Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group held a conference on the need to explore opportunities for stronger partnerships in the U.S.-ROK alliance.

Podcasts

In today's episode, Suzanne Spaulding was joined by Bonny Lin, director of the China Power Project and senior fellow for Asian security at CSIS, to discuss the start of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China-Russia relations, the humanitarian crisis in Xinjiang, and the future of Taiwan.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

I’ve been listening to the softer, country-tinged side of the Grateful Dead a lot lately. I was telling my friend last night that I’m currently exploring 1970-71, but am still dipping into other years that feature the Dead at their finest.

In late October of 1980, the Dead played a run of 7 consecutive shows at Radio City Music Hall. This clip from October 30, 1980, showcases the Dead performing “Bird Song” with acoustic instruments. It’s a very special performance.

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: Kendal Gee, Paige Montfort, and Christopher Healey.