US and Russia Ratchet up Rhetoric over Downing of Drone

Russia and the United States ratcheted up their confrontational rhetoric Wednesday over a U.S. surveillance drone that encountered Russian warplanes and crashed near Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, which the Kremlin has illegally annexed. At the same time, the two countries’ defense chiefs opened a dialogue about the incident, as the AP reports.

Market Stress Snarls Trading in U.S. Treasurys

The markets for the world’s safest and most liquid assets, the government bonds issued by the U.S. and other rich countries, came under immense stress on Wednesday following a week of worries about the health of global banks, as the WSJ reports.

Russia’s Spring Offensive in Ukraine Could Include Cyberattacks

A hacking group with ties to the Russian government appears to be preparing new cyberattacks on Ukraine’s infrastructure and government offices, Microsoft said in a report on Wednesday, suggesting that Russia’s long-anticipated spring offensive could include action in cyberspace, as well as on the ground, as the NYT reports.

Executive Education

The Economics in National Security course examines the range of economic policy tools available to U.S. policymakers, how these tools are used, and their implications. It features interactive seminars with CSIS scholars and guests, including former senior trade officials, policy thinkers, and experts on economic sanctions.

Video Shorts

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

In That Number

13

Honduras President Xiomara Castro announced Tuesday that her government will seek to establish diplomatic relations with China, which would imply severing relations with Taiwan. The switch would leave Taiwan recognized by only 13 countries as China spends billions to win recognition for its “One China” policy.

Source: AP

Critical Quote

“It’s important that great powers be models of transparency and communication, and the United States will continue to fly and to operate wherever international law allows.”

—Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin

iDeas Lab

U.S. President Joe Biden, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recently convened to announce the path forward for AUKUS, a trilateral security partnership established in September 2021. CSIS's Charles Edel explains what's happening with AUKUS.

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: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Pool/Getty Images.) Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, and Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander attend a virtual meeting of Ukraine Defense Contact Group at the Pentagon on March 15, 2023, in Arlington, Virginia.

This Town Tomorrow

At 9:30 a.m., the CSIS International Security Program holds a public session of the CSIS-DAPA 2023 conference on the U.S. and the Republic of Korea's defense-industrial cooperation.

And, at 11:00 a.m., the Atlantic Council launches a new report on the vulnerabilities and opportunities for NATO C4ISR architecture.

Later, at 12:00 p.m., Carnegie explores how to make AUKUS work for the U.S.-Australia alliance.

Video

North Korea’s Sohae Satellite Launch Facility has seen significant development over the last year. CSIS’s Victor Cha and Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. use satellite imagery to provide close-up analysis of the changes. Watch the full video here.

Podcasts

CSIS's Kathleen McInnis sat down with Christina Markus Lassen, the ambassador of Denmark to the United States, to discuss her extensive career in the Danish Foreign Service and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

I really enjoy listening to outtakes and alternate versions of songs when artists are good enough to release them. Since Tom Petty released “Finding Wildflowers: Alternate Versions” in the spring of 2021, I haven’t stopped listening to these alternate versions of what many consider to be Petty’s best record.

If you listen to the “Finding Wildflowers” opening track, “A Higher Place (Alternate Version),” you’ll hear a more urgent, brighter song structure with Tom Petty’s vocals at the front of the track accompanied by Mike Campbell’s guitar. I listened to it at full blast today and continue to be surprised at the subtle, yet important differences from the original track which while great, sounds a bit overproduced in comparison.

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: Paige Montfort, Claire Dannenbaum, and Claire Smrt.