Johnson Resigns

Boris Johnson said he would step down as British prime minister after a wide-scale rebellion in his party, as the WSJ reports.

Full Scale Assault

Even as Russian forces pummel towns and villages in Donetsk Province with deadly rocket attacks and airstrikes, military experts say the strikes are most likely only the prelude to a full-scale assault, as the NYT reports.

Griner Pleads Guilty

American WNBA star Brittney Griner pleaded guilty to carrying cannabis oil on the second day of her closely watched trial in Russia, where she faces up to 10 years in prison. The question now is whether Washington and Moscow will be able to reach a deal on her release, and that of other American detainees in the country, as the Washington Post reports.

Executive Education

The CSIS Accelerator Series is a comprehensive training program for rising professionals who wish to develop their leadership, management, communication, and other professional skills to help advance their career.

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

350,000

Donetsk's 350,000 residents have been urged to evacuate as Russian forces continue to gain ground in the region.

Source: W ashington Post

Critical Quote

“The process of choosing that new leader should begin now.”

— British Prime Minister Boris Johnson

iDeas Lab

In late June, NATO leaders convened in Madrid amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. Leaders agreed to bolster NATO's defenses in the east of the alliance and issued a new Strategic Concept, which outlines NATO's vision for the years ahead. Sean Monaghan and Pierre Morcos, visiting fellows with the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program, unpack the key outcomes of the Summit.

Optics

(Photo credit: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images.) UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson addresses the nation as he announces his resignation outside 10 Downing street, on July 7, 2022.

This Town Tomorrow

Tomorrow, at 12:30 p.m., the Atlantic Council discusses the extent to which China has emerged as an enthusiastic buyer of Russian crude oil and natural gas.

Monday, at 1:00 p.m., the CSIS Energy Security & Climate Change Program hosts a conversation with Judy Chang, Massachusetts Undersecretary of Energy and Climate Solutions, to discuss her roll setting policies across the energy sector in the state.

Then, at 3:00 p.m., the CSIS Australia Chair hosts Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles for a discussion on the evolving security landscape in the Indo-Pacific, the U.S.-Australia alliance, and the new Australian government’s approach to defense and national security.

Video

Earlier this week, the CSIS Smart Women, Smart Power Initiative hosted Ali Wyne to discuss how the United States can articulate a forward-looking conception of its role in the world in his new book, America’s Great-Power Opportunity. Watch the event here.

Podcasts

CSIS’s Dr. Eliot Cohen joins the podcast to discuss why he thinks the U.S. and the West need a tougher, Al Capone-style “Chicago Rules” approach to the war in Ukraine.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

“Man, there's an opera out on the Turnpike
There's a ballet being fought out in the alley”

There are Bruce Springsteen fans and fanatics spanning the globe. One of my close friends in Germany, quite a successful guy with a legendary family history, cites The Boss as one of his vital influences.

So what I’m about to say next isn’t to take anything away from anyone, because Springsteen is so meaningful to so many and I believe his music is universal. Nevertheless, I trust that if you grew up spending substantial time loitering in the sandy beach parking lots lining the Jersey shore and or Delaware/Maryland shore, you feel Springsteen’s words and music in a dissimilar manner. Bruce’s music doesn’t transport us anywhere because we are already there.

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, Claire Dannenbaum, and Claire Smrt.