Poland Says it Will Be the First NATO Country to Give Fighter Jets to Ukraine

Poland will deliver an initial batch of four Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine, Polish President Andrzej Duda said Thursday, ramping up pressure on other NATO allies to make similar commitments, as The Washington Post reports.

Macron Pushes Pension Bill Through Without Parliament Full Vote

President Emmanuel Macron pushed through legislation to raise the retirement age for most workers to 64 from 62 without a vote of lawmakers in the National Assembly on Thursday, a decision that inflamed an already tense confrontation over the measure in France and set the stage for a no-confidence vote against his government, as the NYT reports.

NK Launches ICBM Before South Korea-Japan Summit

North Korea test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile Thursday just hours before the leaders of South Korea and Japan were to meet at a Tokyo summit expected to be overshadowed by North Korean nuclear threats, as the AP 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

2.5

Some 2.5 tons of natural uranium stored in a site in war-torn Libya have gone missing, the United Nations nuclear watchdog said Thursday, raising safety and proliferation concerns.

Source: AP

Critical Quote

“Divestment doesn’t solve the problem: a change in ownership would not impose any new restrictions on data flows or access.”

—Shou Zi Chew, TikTok CEO

iDeas Lab

Recent satellite imagery of ongoing development at North Korea's Sohae Satellite Launching Station show preparations to expand the facility’s capabilities to host larger rocket launches.

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: Sergey Shestak/AFP/Getty Images.) An elderly woman stands near a burning building following shelling in Kostyantynivka, Donetsk region, on March 15, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

This Town Tomorrow

At 11:00 a.m., the CSIS Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group hosts a conversation with Dr. Jason Rathje, director of the DoD's Office of Strategic Capital, on long term investments to safeguard America's supply chains.

And, at 9:00 a.m., the Stimson Center hosts a discussion on the development and role of the Arakan Army in the Rakhine State of Myanmar since the 2021 military coup.

Then, at 10:00 a.m., Brookings analyzes the war in Iraq and its legacy in Iraq, the Middle East, and U.S. policy.

Video

Today, CSIS held a public session of the CSIS-DAPA 2023 conference on the U.S. and the Republic of Korea's defense-industrial cooperation. Watch the video here.

Podcasts

CSIS’s Charles Edel joined the podcast to discuss AUKUS, the strategic agreement between Australia, the U.K., and the U.S. on nuclear-powered submarines, technology, and more.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

Another of my favorite “Finding Wildflowers (Alternate Versions)” tracks is “Cabin Down Below.” It’s a loose, live sounding version with some bluesy piano playing by Benmont Tench and blistering guitars by Mike Campbell. It’s another one to listen to with the volume cranked up.

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.