After suffering a series of setbacks, the Russian military began concentrating its efforts on eastern and southern Ukraine. Today, the distinctive feature of the war is a roughly 600-mile front that extends just west of Kherson along the Black Sea; moves east through Melitopol, Mariupol, and other southern cities; cuts northeast through the Donbas in eastern Ukraine; continues northwest near Izyum; and then intersects the Russian border north of Kharkiv.

SOURCE: "Russia’s Ill-Fated Invasion of Ukraine: Lessons in Modern Warfare" by CSIS's Seth Jones.

With Europe looking to cut its dependence on Russia and import up to 50 billion cubic meters per year in liquefied natural gas (LNG) from alternative sources, the global gas market is increasingly tight. While U.S. LNG exporters stand to benefit, elevated prices are creating a heavy burden for price-sensitive buyers in countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, and Thailand.

SOURCE: "Downside of High Prices: Five Trends in Global Gas" by CSIS's Ben Cahill.

China's ties with Russia generate notable benefits on the economic front. Between 2000 and 2021, China’s annual trade with Russia grew more than 18-fold, from just $8 billion to more than $147 billion. While this only represents a small percentage of China's total trade with the world, it is comprised of major energy products such as oil, coal, and gas.

SOURCE: "What Are the Key Strengths of the China-Russia Relationship?" by CSIS's China Power Project.

Research shows that U.S. veterans and military families experience food insecurity at higher rates than the general population, and Covid-19 has only amplified the problem. In one of the first nationally representative studies of food insecurity among veterans, the USDA-ERS found that veterans have a 7.4 percent greater risk for food insecurity than non-veterans.

SOURCE: "Solving Food Insecurity among U.S. Veterans and Military Families" by CSIS's Jamie Lutz and Caitlin Welsh.