The Weekly Leaf
This week, German parliament passed a historic defense and infrastructure spending package, the U.S. Department of Defense shuttered its Office of Net Assessment, Israel broke the Gaza ceasefire and Hamas responded with rocket launches at Tel Aviv, and Türkiye arrested Mayor of Istanbul Ekrem Imamoglu.
Read more below.
Remembering Lieutenant General Brent Scowcroft
This week, we commemorate what would have been the 100th birthday of Aspen Strategy Group Co-Founder and Chair Emeritus, Lt. General Brent Scowcroft. His visionary leadership reshaped national security and fostered bipartisan dialogue. As a founding co-chair, he played a pivotal role in ASG’s history—steering critical national security conversations and cultivating a unique culture of camaraderie. We invite you to watch the Aspen Institute’s 2011 Summer Celebration honoring General Scowcroft and read tributes by ASG members at the time of his passing.
This Week's Content Highlights
Features from Aspen Strategy Group Members
Condoleezza Rice interviewed by author and educator Sharon McMahon
Chris Brose quoted by Lauren C. Williams for Defense One: “SecDef’s Software Memo Causing ‘Angst,’ Defense Official Says”
Michael Froman interviewed by Edward Felsenthal for TIME: “CFR President Michael Froman on Trump, Global ‘Polyamory,’ and AI”
Susan B. Glasser, Jane Mayer, Evan Osnos, and Gil Duran for The Political Scene podcast: “The ‘Cognitive Élite’ Seize Washington”
Michael J. Green, Christopher J. Watterson, Peter Dean, Nobukatsu Kanehara, Katsuya Yamamoto, and Takuma Matsu for the United States Studies Centre: “U.S.-Australia-Japan Strategic Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific: Testing Trilateralism Through Crisis Simulation”
Kay Bailey Hutchison for The Dallas Morning News: “NATO Remains Our Best Defense”
David Ignatius for The Washington Post: “Trump’s Destabilizing ‘Liberation Day’”
Nicholas Kristof for The New York Times: “Our Silence in the Face of Genocide”
Dina Powell McCormick appointed to the U.S. Air Force Academy Board of Visitors
Meghan L. O'Sullivan interviewed by Joe Kernen for CNBC: “Putin and Trump Do Not Have the Same Objectives in Today’s Phone Call”
Jack Reed interviewed by Bill Bartholomew for the Bartholomewtown podcast
David M. Rubenstein interviewed Steven Mnuchin for Bloomberg: “The David Rubenstein Show: Steven Mnuchin”
David E. Sanger and Paul Sonne for The New York Times: “Putin Agrees to Limits on Energy Targets but Not Full Ukraine Cease-Fire”
Tweet of the Week
Rising Leaders Program Highlights
Features from ASG Rising Leaders
Felicia Schwartz (‘24) and Demetri Sevastopulo for the Financial Times: “Donald Trump Imposes Sanctions on Chinese Companies Over Iranian Oil Shipments”
Things to Know
Content Relevant to Aspen Security Forum Discussions
Aaron Boxerman, Adam Rasgon, and Patrick Kingsley for The New York Times: “Israel Expands Gaza Ground Offensive as Hamas Fires Rockets at Tel Aviv”
Freddie Clayton and Ammar Cheikh Omar for NBC News: “Houthi Militia Unsuccessfully Retaliates After It Said U.S. Strikes On Yemen Killed 53”
Liz Cookman for The Times: “Istanbul Mayor Urges Judges to Stand Up to Tyrant Erdogan After Arrest”
Arne Delfs, Kamil Kowalcze, and Christoph Rauwald for Bloomberg: “Germany’s Landmark Spending Bill Wins Final Lawmaker Approval”
The Editorial Board for The Wall Street Journal: “The Office That Won the Cold War, RIP”
Henry Foy and Ben Hall for the Financial Times: “European Military Powers Work on 5-10 Year Plan to Replace U.S. in NATO”
James Griffiths for The Globe and Mail: “Chinese Executions of Four Canadians Raise Concerns for Robert Schellenberg”
Karishma Mehrotra for The Washington Post: “X Sues Indian Government Over Censorship, Upping U.S. Pressure on Modi”
John Moolenaar for National Review: “To Save TikTok, ByteDance Must Go”
Kelly Ng for BBC News: “‘Discarded Like a Dirty Rag’: Chinese State Media Hails Trump’s Cuts to Voice of America”
Elian Peltier and Ruth Maclean for The New York Times: “Congo and Rwanda Called for a Cease-Fire in Their Deadly Conflict. What Now?”
Leo Shane III for Defense News: “GOP Leaders Warn Trump Not to Abandon NATO Post, Pacific Buildup Plans”
From the Archives
Revisit our conversation on European security from the 2024 Aspen Security Forum.
General Christopher Cavoli, Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Commander, United States European Command
Jens Plötner, Foreign and Security Policy Advisor to the Chancellor, Germany
Stefano Sannino, Secretary General, European External Action Service
Jonatan Vseviov, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Estonia
Moderator: Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor, The Economist
Book of the Week
By Joel Wuthnow and Phillip C. Saunders
“China’s military has entered a new era. It has acquired modern weapons to rival the world’s finest, undergone a massive restructuring under Xi Jinping, and been on the frontlines of territorial disputes with Japan, India, Vietnam, and the Philippines. It is readying forces to be able to seize Taiwan sometime in the next decade. It aims to be a ‘world-class’ military on par with the United States.
China’s Quest for Military Supremacy provides a broad and accessible exploration of Chinese military power, including relations between the Chinese Communist Party and its army, the strategic worldview of Chinese leaders, military strategy and resourcing, conventional and nuclear modernization, military diplomacy and coercion, preparations for war, and the People’s Liberation Army’s emerging global role. It also identifies the challenges facing China’s military and shows how its focus on supremacy in the region means that it is not yet prepared to fight with the same lethality beyond Asia. Different futures are possible, and the book concludes with a preview of what it might take for a truly ‘world-class’ Chinese military to take the global stage.”
Podcast of the Week
Xavier Delgado joins John Milewski on the Wilson Center’s Need to Know podcast: “Canada’s New Leader: Mark Carney Steps in Amid U.S. Tensions”
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As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Aspen Institute is nonpartisan and does not endorse, support, or oppose political candidates or parties. Further, the views and opinions of our guests and speakers do not necessarily reflect those of the Aspen Institute.
