Defense of Bakhmut

President Volodymyr Zelensky visited Ukrainian troops in the Bakhmut area, as Ukraine continues to put up a fierce fight for the ravaged eastern city that has become a focal point of the war, as the NYT reports.

Fed Raises Rates But Nods to Greater Uncertainty

The Federal Reserve approved another quarter-percentage-point interest rate increase but signaled that banking-system turmoil might end its rate-rise campaign sooner than seemed likely two weeks ago, as the WSJ reports.

Xi Leaves Russia

Chinese leader Xi Jinping departed Russia on Wednesday, wrapping up a three-day trip that underscored Beijing and Moscow’s desire to reshape the global order against Western power but that offered little concrete progress on China’s pledge to promote peace in the Ukraine conflict. Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a series of agreements to expand trade and deepen strategic ties. Xi reiterated that China has an “impartial position” on the war in Ukraine, as The Washington Post 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

26%

A report issued on the eve of the first major UN conference on water in over 45 years says 26% of the world’s population doesn’t have access to safe drinking water and 46% lacks access to basic sanitation.

Source: Associated Press

Critical Quote

“What China has done boils down to one word, that is, to promote peace talks.”

— Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin

iDeas Lab

As concerns grow about China's rapid military modernization, a new CSIS brief finds that China relies on foreign expertise to advance their domestic jet engine production. Watch the PreView here.

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: Ayelet Spertus/CSIS.) Senator Todd Young and CSIS's Matthew P. Goodman discuss how the United States and its partners should respond to China's economic coercion at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C. on March 22, 2023.

This Town Tomorrow

At 1:30 p.m., the CSIS Project on Prosperity and Development holds a conversation with World Bank President David Malpass on the role of the private sector in the future of global development.

Then, at 2:00 p.m., the CSIS Diversity and Leadership in International Affairs Project and the Women’s Foreign Policy Group host a discussion on how gender diversity in defense and security leads to greater innovation.

Later, at 4:00 p.m., the CSIS Japan Chair analyzes Japan’s defense priorities with scholars from Japan and the United States.

Video

CSIS's Kari Bingen testified before the House on countering CCP threats to the homeland. Bingen discusses what she told Congress—in about 2 minutes.

Podcasts

In a special episode to mark 20 years since the beginning of the Iraq war, CSIS's Jon Alterman sits down with Dr. Marsin Alshamary and Hamzeh Hadad to talk about the aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion.

Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.

Smiles

“Rubin walked the streets of New Orleans 'til dawn
Cherise so lightly in his arms
And her hair hung gently down”

My favorite next generation Grateful Dead acolytes are the high-octane Joe Russo’s Almost Dead. This rendition of “Rubin and Cherise” from late January underscores why.

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.