Rebecca Skoryanc, Author at WestExec Advisors

John Conger quoted in Newsweek article, “U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin Calls Climate Change ‘an Existential Threat’”

"With the U.S. Department of Defense officially recognizing climate change as an 'existential threat,' adaptive changes to military bases with climate-related vulnerabilities will require location- and objective-based assessments, experts with The Center for Climate and Security (CCS), a nonpartisan institute, and the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), a nonprofit, told Newsweek. "'For them, it is a pragmatic, non-political issue,' CCS Director John Conger, a former comptroller and principal deputy under secretary of defense, told Newsweek. 'It is about protecting their ability [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-07-20T18:49:50-04:00May 7, 2021|Climate & Environment|

Andrea Kendall-Taylor quoted in The New York Times article, “For Biden, Ukraine Is a ‘Déjà Vu’ Problem That’s Hard to Fix”

"While Mr. Blinken’s trip was a demonstration of renewed American commitment to an independent, democratic and Western-leaning Ukraine, for many longtime watchers of U.S.-Ukraine policy, it was a depressing reminder of how little has changed in a country that has become ground zero for a renewed power struggle between Washington and Moscow. "'It is very much déjà vu,' said Andrea Kendall-Taylor, a Russia expert with the Center for a New American Security who advised the Biden transition team. 'It all feels [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-07-20T18:50:46-04:00May 7, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Sergio Aguirre writes with William Wagner in Global Politics and Strategy: “What’s the UN Security Council For?”

"To be worthy of its name, the Security Council will need to engage more deliberately and resolutely on new threats involving cyber and emerging technology, climate and the environment, and global health…" Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-08-02T22:23:39-04:00March 30, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Meghan O’Sullivan quoted in The New York Times article, “How Biden’s Climate Ambitions Could Shift America’s Global Footprint”

"President Joseph R. Biden on Wednesday said climate change should be regarded as ‘an essential element of U.S. foreign policy and national security.’ That is likely to bring big changes for America’s role in the world. "'Addressing climate change can, and will be, a central pillar of the Biden administration’s foreign policy,' said Meghan O’Sullivan, who served as a deputy national security adviser under President George W. Bush and now leads the Geopolitics of Energy Project at the Harvard Kennedy School. 'It [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-03-29T00:49:27-04:00February 2, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Dennis Ross quoted in The Jerusalem Post article, “Netanyahu: Peace with UAE Won’t Be Harmed by F-35 Freeze”

"Ambassador Dennis Ross, William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute, told The Jerusalem Post that 'it is fairly typical of new administrations to review big arms sales that its predecessors have committed to doing.' "'Reagan, for example, reviewed the Carter administration decision to provide AWACS to Saudi Arabia, and then proceeded to make the sale. It looked at the need and the justification for the sale and then went ahead with the deal.' "'It allows the administration to make clear [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-03-29T01:05:23-04:00January 28, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Bridge Colby writes in The Wall Street Journal: “America Can Defend Taiwan”

"Defeating a PLA attack would be far from easy or cheap, and being ready to do so will involve wrenching changes in the U.S. and Taiwanese defense establishments. But it is doable. "To put it simply, defeating a Chinese invasion would require the U.S., Taiwan and any other engaged parties to cripple or destroy enough Chinese amphibious ships and transport aircraft to prevent the PLA from holding the island. For a country spending more than $700 billion a year on defense, [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-02-25T17:02:22-05:00January 26, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Dennis Ross interviewed on Fresh Air program, “New Documentary Offers an Inside Look at ‘90s Middle East Peace Negotiations”

"One of the most interesting things about Yitzhak Rabin is that he evolves as a person. He evolves as someone who sees what Israel needs. And one of the things that always characterized him was his complete commitment and devotion to the IDF. He built it, the Israeli Defense Forces. He built it as an institution. He kind of took an oath to himself after the war of independence in 1948 that he would never again let the army be as [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-03-29T00:58:54-04:00January 26, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Robert Work quoted in Reuters article, “U.S. Commission Cites ‘Moral Imperative’ to Explore AI Weapons”

"The United States should not agree to ban the use or development of autonomous weapons powered by artificial intelligence (AI) software, a government-appointed panel said in a draft report for Congress. "The panel, led by former Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt, on Tuesday concluded two days of public discussion about how the world’s biggest military power should consider AI for national security and technological advancement. "Its Vice Chairman Robert Work, a former deputy secretary of defense, said autonomous weapons are expected [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-03-29T00:52:16-04:00January 26, 2021|Cybersecurity & Defense|

Michèle Flournoy quoted in Military.com article, “Taiwan Now the ‘Flashpoint’ for Biden Administration’s China Policy, Flournoy Says”

"When the Navy carrier Roosevelt entered the South China Sea on the same day Chinese bombers and fighters flew into Taiwan's airspace, it signaled how difficult it will be for the Biden administration to craft a new China policy, former Pentagon policy chief Michèle Flournoy said Monday. "'Taiwan has really become the flashpoint’ of U.S. China relations following efforts in the waning days of the Trump administration to bolster military ties to Taiwan, said Flournoy..." Read the full article here: Full [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-03-29T00:54:24-04:00January 25, 2021|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Meghan O’Sullivan quoted in CNBC article, “Renewables Chief Hails ‘Crucial’ Biden Climate Agenda as Administration Plans Massive Energy Overhaul”

"'The Biden administration and Secretary Kerry are talking about infusing climate into every foreign-policy interaction,' Meghan O’Sullivan, Director of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Geopolitics of Energy project, told an Atlantic Council panel session. "'It means asking the different agencies that conduct foreign policy and national security, like the Pentagon, USAID, and the State Department, to make climate really central in their overall objective,' she said..." Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2021-03-29T01:02:52-04:00January 25, 2021|Economy & Trade|

About Rebecca Skoryanc