Simon Shuster
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Staff writer @TheAtlantic covering armed conflict and national security. Author of The Showman: bit.ly/TheShowmanBook
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Articles by Simon Shuster
The Cards Ukraine Has Left to Play
Ukrainians have gotten used to awful news. But even by their standards, the past several days have felt dismal. Russian missile strikes are pounding Ukrainian cities relentlessly. Donald Trump announced a deal last week to buy Russian diesel fuel. Then came reports about disruptions in U.S. support to Ukraine, including the Starlink communication system. Together, these developments have caused alarm in Kyiv on a scale rarely seen since the start of the war.
Trump’s October Surprise
Just ahead of the midterm elections, the president again helps Russia. It rained most of Sunday in Washington, as the remnants of Hurricane Isaias washed over the East Coast. Unable to golf, and stuck inside the White House, President Trump spent part of his morning on social media touting the size of his rallies and defending Christopher Columbus. He also declared that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to halt strikes against each other’s energy infrastructures.
Trump Finds a New Scapegoat
It rained most of Sunday in Washington, as the remnants of Hurricane Isaias washed over the East Coast. Unable to golf, and stuck inside the White House, President Trump spent part of his morning on social media touting the size of his rallies and defending Christopher Columbus. He also declared that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to halt strikes against each other’s energy infrastructures.
A Most Trumpian Plan to Make Nice With Russia
A few months ago, Donald Trump’s envoy to Eastern Europe came to the president with a new idea for breaking the deadlock in U.S. relations with Moscow. The plan involved a quid pro quo reminiscent of the Cold War: The Kremlin would free some political prisoners, and the United States would reward their release by easing sanctions on the Russian economy. Trump signed on.
A Most Trumpian Plan to Make Nice With Russia
President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin walk together. (photo: Susan Walsh/AP) Trump’s envoy wants to trade Russian political prisoners for U.S. sanctions relief, creating a path to business deals before the war in Ukraine ends. A few months ago, Donald Trump’s envoy to Eastern Europe came to the president with a new idea for breaking the deadlock in U.S. relations with Moscow.
If tension between China and Taiwan erupts, will the U.S. step in?
Tensions between China and the U.S. are high over tariffs, artificial intelligence, the war in Iran — and China’s claims on Taiwan. China has not ruled out retaking the island democracy by force, and there are questions about whether or not the U.S. would go to war with China in defense of Taiwan. Simon Shuster, a staff writer with The Atlantic, joins host Indira Lakshmanan to discuss. This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Taiwan might as well give up now
Alex Lo If Washington can't or won't defend the island, Taipei has no choice but to settle with Beijing The United States does not care much about democracy in general or Taiwan's democracy in particular. Defending the island's political system is a fairy tale it and its allies tell others; their real intention has always been to prevent China's reunification and contain its rise.
Will Taiwan Just Give Up?
Listen1.0x 0:0039:52 Chinese President Xi Jinping does not often look like he’s having a good time. His resting face at public events exudes a mixture of boredom and annoyance, as though he has more interesting business elsewhere. His displays of good humor have qualified as news in Chinese state media. When a camera caught him laughing during a meeting last October with Donald Trump, the moment “stunned observers,” according to one news report.
Will Taiwan Just Give Up?
11 hours ago Canada has restarted military talks with China after a break of more than eight years that began with Beijing’s jailing of two Canadians in late 2018. The two countries held a “defence coordination dialogue” on Sept. 4, according to a statement issued the day after the meeting by China’s Ministry of …
La pesadilla de la OTAN
Xi Jinping y Vladimir Putin saludan durante la ceremonia de bienvenida en la plaza de Tiananmen Alexander Kazakov | EUROPAPRESS Los planificadores militares de Occidente no parecen muy dispuestos a hablar sobre su peor escenario, y mucho menos a prepararse para él. Pero sí parecen coincidir en cómo empezaría: un ataque coordinado, casi simultáneo, en Contenido exclusivo para suscriptores Suscríbete para seguir leyendo y acceder sin límites a todas las noticias Suscríbete
Ukraine Planned to Swarm Moscow Airports With AI-Guided Drones
Listen1.0x 0:0012:11 Sign up for our newsletter about national security here. Early this year, Ukrainian officials came to President Volodymyr Zelensky with a risky new plan to end the war with Russia. It would require expanding their bombing campaign to include a set of targets and a class of weapons they had long avoided.
NATO’s Nightmare
Western military planners do not seem eager to talk about their nightmare scenario, much less prepare for it. But they tend to agree on how it would begin: a coordinated, near-simultaneous attack on opposite sides of the planet, in which Russia targets a NATO member in Eastern Europe while China makes its move against Taiwan. The U.S. military would need to react on two fronts at once—three if it remains at war in the Middle East.
NATO-Nightmare-Joint-Attack - The Atlantic
Western military planners do not seem eager to talk about their nightmare scenario, much less prepare for it. But they tend to agree on how it would begin: a coordinated, near-simultaneous attack on opposite sides of the planet, in which Russia targets a NATO member in Eastern Europe while China makes its move against Taiwan. The U.S. military would need to react on two fronts at once—three if it remains at war in the Middle East.
NATO’s Nightmare
World News 8 hours ago Stop gaslighting, USS Lincoln families didn't sign up for this Responsible Statecraft - Brandi Jones • 8h The United States has always asked extraordinary things of its service members. But this week, a series of remarkable news stories came out … Technology Now What are the two types of Bluetooth and what are they used for? Engadget - Alec Hively • 55m The technology you use every day has surprising origins.
Ukraine’s Fleeting Turnaround
Earlier this summer, Ukraine had finally seized the initiative in its punishing four-year war. President Volodymyr Zelensky had plenty of dramatic victories and technological advances to tout to his Western backers as he made the case that Russia can be defeated. His clash with Donald Trump in the Oval Office last year had been eclipsed by more recent encounters in which the U.S. president seemed open to helping Ukraine prevail.
Ukraine’s Fleeting Turnaround
World News 3 hours ago A Russian retail giant’s warehouse burns after Ukraine's latest long-range drone attack Associated Press - By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS • 3h Ukrainian long-range drones hit a warehouse in the Ural Mountains belonging to Russia’s biggest online retailer, more than 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) from the two countries’ border, local officials and the company said Friday.
Zelensky Asked Trump for a Favor From Elon Musk
During closed-door talks at the White House on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky laid out a plan for his country to survive another winter of war with Russia. For it to work, President Trump would need to call in a big favor from his ally Elon Musk. But according to two officials familiar with the conversation, Trump was noncommittal, leaving the future of the plan in doubt.
Zelensky Asked Trump for a Favor From Elon Musk
Russian teen, 13, found with 22-year-old man she met online, sent home only a week later — Meduza A 13-year-old schoolgirl who disappeared near Serpukhov — and whom investigators would not allow to see her mother — has been allowed to go home, her …
Ukraine: Interner Machtkampf gefährdet die Drohnenrevolution
Es dauerte eine Weile, bis sich die Drohnenkriegsführung in der Ukraine durchsetzte. Wie jede Revolution verlief auch diese nicht ohne Widerstände. Gegenwehr leisteten vor allem ältere Generäle, die für den Kampf mit Artillerie und Panzern ausgebildet wurden. Zu Beginn des Krieges mit Russland hielten viele von ihnen Drohnen für Spielzeuge, die sich eher dafür eigneten, Hochzeitspartys aus der Luft zu filmen, als für den Einsatz auf dem Schlachtfeld.
No War for Old Men
Drone warfare took a while to catch on in Ukraine. Like any revolution, it required a struggle. The opposition came mostly from the older generals trained to fight using artillery and tanks. Early in the war with Russia, many of them saw drones as toys, better suited to taking aerial photos of wedding parties than flying missions over the battlefield. But a coalition of junior officers and tech enthusiasts saw early on that drones could hold the key to Ukraine’s defense, even its victory.
Ukraine’s Dr. Strangelove
Nations don’t always get to pick their heroes, especially not in a time of war. Most Ukrainians, given the choice, would probably not want a character like Denys Shtilerman to be the architect of their revenge against Russia. He studied in Russia, became wealthy in Russia, worked for a Russian military institute, and served two stints in Russian jails. Some of his close associates are wanted in Ukraine for corruption.
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