Newsletter — September 19, 2023
Zelensky’s Warning
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday delivered an impassioned speech to world leaders at the United Nations telling the General Assembly, “Mass destruction is gaining momentum,” as the Washington Post reports.
Biden at UN
President Biden sought to rally the world on Tuesday to stick with Ukraine and warned against appeasing Moscow in a way that would reward its aggression and encourage the further use of force to redraw the global map, as the NYT reports.
U.S. issues more sanctions over Iran drone program
The U.S. on Tuesday imposed sanctions on seven people and four companies in China, Russia, and Turkey who officials allege are connected with the development of Iran’s drone program, as the AP reports.
Audio Briefs
CSIS experts give short, spoken-word summaries on the biggest takeaways from their latest reports, white papers, and commentaries—in their own words.
Listen here: "Whose Water Is It Anyway" with CSIS's Natasha Hall.
In That Number
$76 billion
U.S. defense secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said on Tuesday that allies had so far sent Ukraine about $76 billion in weapons and other security assistance since the start of Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
Source: NYT
Critical Quote
“If we allow Ukraine to be carved up, is the independence of any nation secure?”
iDeas Lab
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CSIS expert Victor Cha explains what's happening with Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin's September 13th meeting and explains what this meeting means for international security and the future of Russia-North Korea relations.
The Andreas C. Dracopoulos iDeas Lab at CSIS enhances our research with the latest in cutting-edge web technologies, design, and multimedia.
Optics
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Photo: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images.
President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks during the United Nations General Assembly in New York, on September 19, 2023.
This Town Tomorrow
At 2:00 p.m., the CSIS Project on Trade and Technology and the CSIS Economics Program discuss New Zealand's CPTPP host year and the future of Indo-Pacific trade.
Later, at 5:00 p.m., the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program explores the future trajectory of British foreign policy with Member of Parliament David Lammy.
And, at 10:30 a.m., the Atlantic Council addresses the security imperative of meeting global demand for low-emissions production and manufacturing.
Video
Today, CSIS welcomed Secretary of the U.S. Army Christine Wormuth and Vice Chief of Staff of the Army General Randy George for the inaugural Strategic Landpower Dialogue. Watch the full video here.
Podcasts
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The Asia Chessboard
Michael Green, Jude Blanchette, and Erin Murphy examine Myanmar's state of affairs and explore the country's relationship with China.
Listen on Spotify & Apple Podcasts.
Smiles
I smile a lot when I think about and listen to Fleetwood Mac. They were my parents' music and became mine too. That’s why I’m so excited about the release of “Rumours Live.” Last week I wrote about The Band having three magnificent singers. So did the Big Mac. Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham usually receive most of the attention, but the late Christine McVie was a superstar too. She wrote songs like “Don’t Stop,” “You Make Loving Fun,” and “Say You Love Me.” But I think my favorite Christine McVie tune is “Over My Head”.