The Weekly Leaf
This week, the Munich Security Conference kicked off; the AI Action Summit was held in Paris; President Trump and Vice President Vance spoke to President Putin and President Zelenskyy, respectively, about ending the war in Ukraine; and President Trump held meetings with King of Jordan Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein and Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi.
Read more below.
Spotlight: Munich Security Conference
The Aspen Strategy Group's MSC Public Square Event:
"Great Power Competition: A Path Forward for the West and China"
Great power competition is shaping the strategic landscape between the West and China. The U.S., Europe, and other partners must develop shared approaches to address the complexities of this relationship. Understanding the dynamics of cooperation and competition is essential for maintaining stability and fostering mutual benefits in this evolving geopolitical environment.
The panel featured Carl Bildt, Jane Harman, Anja Manuel, and moderator Gideon Rachman. Watch the discussion here.
Content Highlights
Munich Security Report 2025: “Multipolarization”
J.D. Vance delivered a main stage speech: “The U.S. in the World”
Ivo Daalder, Camille Grand, Daniela Schwarzer, Stephen Biegun, and others contributed to Belfer Center Task Force Report: “A New Transatlantic Bargain: The Case for Building a Strong European Pillar”
Mario Draghi for the Financial Times: “Forget the U.S. — Europe Has Successfully Put Tariffs on Itself”
Henry Foy, Felicia Schwartz, and Max Seddon for the Financial Times: “U.S. Demands Europe Sets Out Arms and Troops Support for Postwar Ukraine”
Michael Froman for the Council on Foreign Relations: “The Mood in Munich”
Ali Yousif Ahmed Alsharif, Mirjana Spoljaric, Ted Chaiban, and moderator Kholood Khair participated in an MSC Townhall discussion: “A Living Nightmare: The Political and Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan”
Shane Harris for The Atlantic: “Elon Musk Is Breaking the National-Security System”
Insikt Group’s intelligence reporting and analysis on China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea released at the Munich Security Conference for Recorded Future
Anja Manuel moderated a discussion with Ekaterina Zaharieva, Mark R. Warner, Frank McCourt, and Mike Gallagher: “All Bits Are Off: The Risks of Racing for Tech Dominance”
Ng Eng Hen's remarks at the Aspen Strategy Group and Amazon Web Services Roundtable: “Allied Artificial Intelligence: Strengthening The Technological Edge”
Dan Sullivan, John Cornyn, Chris Coons, Chris Van Hollen, and more formed a bipartisan delegation of the U.S. Senate that met with President Zelenskyy
Alice Tidey for Euronews: “EU Commission to Activate Fiscal Escape Clause to Boost Defence Spending”
Amber Wangin and Alyssa Chen for South China Morning Post: “Wang Yi Tells Security Forum China Will Respond ‘Resolutely’ to Any ‘Bullying’ by U.S.”
Patrick Wintour for The Guardian: "Zelenskyy Tells Vance Ukraine Needs ‘Security Guarantees’ Before Any Putin Talks"
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Lindsey Graham, Jeanne Shaheen, Sheldon Whitehouse, John Cornyn, and moderator Francine Lacqua participated in an MSC Townhall discussion: “Strategic Investment: The Future of U.S.-Ukraine Security”
This Week's Content Highlights
Features from Aspen Strategy Group Members
Nicholas Burns for The Economist: “America’s Rivalry With China Will Intensify, but Must Not Escalate Into War, Writes Nicholas Burns”
Condoleezza Rice and Amy Zegart for Fox News: “China’s DeepSeek AI Escalates Fight to Innovate. 4 Trends We Don’t Dare Miss”
Anja Manuel and Carl Bildt for the Center for European Policy Analysis: “U.S. and European Economic Prosperity Starts With Tech”
Elizabeth Economy interviewed Adam Segal for the China Considered podcast: “Cyber Wars: Confronting China’s Digital Threat”
Peter Feaver moderated a discussion with Mike Pompeo for the Duke Program in American Grand Strategy
Jendayi Frazer interviewed by Jonathan Tepperman for the George W. Bush Institute: “Helping Africa Boom”
Michael Froman interviewed by Andrew Ross Sorkin, Becky Quick, and Joe Kernen for CNBC: “Trump’s ‘Madman Theory’ to Foreign Policy Could Undermine U.S. Credibility"
Michael J. Green for Korea JoongAng Daily: "What Is the World Thinking About Korea's Political Crisis?"
Jane Harman and Nina M. Armagno co-chaired the Council on Foreign Relations’ Task Force Report: “Securing Space: A Plan for U.S. Action”
David Ignatius for The Washington Post: “The Trump Administration’s Most Dangerous Misstep”
Nicholas Kristof for The New York Times: “The U.S.A.I.D Chaos Already Has Dire Effects”
David E. Sanger for The New York Times: “Vance, in First Foreign Speech, Tells Europe That U.S. Will Dominate A.I.”
Lawrence Summers, Robert Rubin, Timothy Geithner, Jacob Lew, and Janet Yellen for The New York Times: “Five Former Treasury Secretaries: Our Democracy Is Under Siege”
Tweet of the Week
Rising Leaders Program Highlights
Features from ASG Rising Leaders
Eliza Mace (‘24) interviewed by Karina Wright for MITRE: “Love of Science and Problem-Solving Fuels Career in AI and Machine Learning”
Dale Swartz (‘21) and Ryan Brukardt with Karl Hujsak for McKinsey & Company: “Creating a Modernized Defense Technology Frontier”
Things to Know
Content Relevant to Aspen Security Forum Discussions
Graham Allison for The Washington Post: “Is Trump a China Hawk?”
Farah Bdour for the United States Institute of Peace: “Jordan’s King Walks a Diplomatic Tightrope in Washington”
Soutik Biswas and Nikhil Inamdar for BBC News: "Five Key Takeaways From Modi-Trump Talks"
Charles Clover, William Wallis, and Chris Cook for the Financial Times: “Sudan Says It Has Agreed Deal for Russian Naval Base”
Wesley Dockery for DW: “Trump Says Putin Agreed to Ukraine War Talks ‘Immediately’”
The Economist: “Ecuador Chooses a Leader Amid Murder, Blackouts, and Stagnation”
Alice Hancock and Richard Milne for the Financial Times: “Baltic States Sever Last Power Links to Russia”
Dan Milmo and Eleni Courea for The Guardian: “U.S. and U.K. Refuse to Sign Paris Summit Declaration on ‘Inclusive’ AI”
Anat Peled, Feliz Solomon, and Summer Said for The Wall Street Journal: “Hamas Takes a Swipe at Trump’s Gaza Plan During Hostage Release”
Louise Radnofsky, Alex Leary, and Georgi Kantchev for The Wall Street Journal: “Russian Bitcoin Exchange Co-Founder to Be Freed in Deal for American’s Release”
The Washington Post Editorial Board: “Myanmar’s Scam Centers Require a Global Response”
Podcast of the Week
Anja Manuel interviewed by Reid Hoffman and Aria Finger for Possible:
“Anja Manuel on AI, China, and National Security”
Book of the Week
By Saad Mohseni and Jenna Krajeski
“Saad Mohseni, chairman and CEO of Moby Group, Afghanistan’s largest media company, charts a twenty-year effort to bring a free press to his country after years of Taliban rule, and how that effort persists even after the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
In the heady early days of the American occupation, Mohseni returns to Kabul which he had last seen as a child before the Soviet invasion. Casting about for ways to be involved in the dawn of a new Afghanistan, Mohseni makes what seems like a quixotic decision to leave the comforts of a career in international banking to start a Kabul radio station with his three siblings. This unlikely venture quickly blossoms into a burgeoning television empire, bringing Mohseni and his family and employees into sometimes uncomfortable contact with everyone who has a stake in the country—from the government of Hamid Karzai to White House officials. Moreover, their radio and television networks soon become a necessary beacon for millions of Afghans, who rely on them not just for independent news but for joyful pleasures like soap operas and Afghan Star, a beloved national singing competition in a country whose previous rulers had banned (and would again ban) music.”
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