Geopolitical Perspectives - WestExec Advisors

Rachel Ellehuus quoted in Breaking Defense article, “Norway Expands Key Arctic Port for More US Nuke Sub Visits”

"'The Seawolf deployment, the joint B-52 flights over Norway last month, and our carrier going north of Arctic Circle for Trident Juncture all speak to a greater show of US presence in the Arctic/High North,' said Rachel Ellehuus, deputy director of the Europe Program at the Washington-based CSIS. 'Interestingly, they all had an element of strategic surprise,' she added, 'which I’m sure makes our Norwegian allies nervous as they prefer predictability in the region. I’d also note that the US is [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-09-30T22:10:23-04:00September 3, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Danny Russel quoted in Reuters article, “U.S. Increases Support for Taiwan, Says to Counter Rising China Pressure”

"Daniel Russel, a predecessor of Stilwell until early in the Trump administration, said the 'Six Assurances' made to Taipei by the administration of former President Ronald Reagan had been a 'loosely-kept secret' at best. "He said the decision to publish them looked like a compromise response to pressure from administration hawks to abandon 'strategic ambiguity' — a long-standing policy of withholding a clear-cut U.S. commitment to defend Taiwan while still showing sufficient support to deter any Chinese military adventurism..." Read the [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-09-30T21:27:14-04:00August 31, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Danny Russel quoted in the Financial Times article, “Shinzo Abe to Step Down as Japan’s Prime Minister”

"Daniel Russel, a former Asia adviser to Barack Obama, said the US-Japan relationship was on a sound footing regardless of who succeeded Mr. Abe. But he said there was a danger that his successor would be a placeholder who would be more focused on his 'own survival and fending off rivals' meaning there would be more preoccupation on domestic politics..." Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-09-30T21:35:54-04:00August 28, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Danny Russel quoted in the Japan Times article, “In A Second Trump Term, Tokyo Would Need to Bolster Ties Elsewhere”

"Daniel Russel, a former assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific who’s now vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said that a continuation of the Trump White House 'means that Japan is going to be put through the wringer to extract as much money as possible' in exchange for continuing to host U.S. forces. “'That is a potentially damaging, if not brutal fight, that lies ahead,' he said. 'Trump has made clear again and again that [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-09-01T21:38:09-04:00August 26, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Danny Russel quoted in the Japan Times article, “Trump Re-Election Could Calm China Ties — Or Burn Them Down”

"Daniel Russel, a former assistant secretary of state for East Asia and the Pacific who’s now vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute, said the 'series of very aggressive, very confrontational actions and … hostile rhetoric' on China may be aimed at the November election, 'but it’s going to have an effect that lasts long beyond that...'" Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-09-01T21:42:45-04:00August 25, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Rachel Ellehuus quoted in the Washington Times article, “U.S. Troop Drawdown in Germany Faces Hurdles, Delays”

"'The problem is, where do they return to? Is there housing? Are there schools? Is there health care?' Ms. Ellehuus said at a webinar Tuesday organized by the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies. 'Particularly in a time of COVID, there could be real concerns...'" Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-09-01T21:36:07-04:00August 25, 2020|Cybersecurity & Defense, Geopolitical Perspectives|

Michael Camilleri quoted in The New York Times article, “Trump Ally Wants to Be First American to Head Latin American Aid Bank”

"'In the best case, it leads to paralysis and marginalization, and that’s already sidelining the most important institution at the most critical moment,' Michael Camilleri, an analyst at the Inter-American Dialogue policy center, said of Mr. Claver-Carone’s candidacy. 'In the worst case, the bank becomes a vehicle for a fairly radical right-wing agenda that further divides the hemisphere...'" Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-09-01T21:36:46-04:00August 25, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Danny Russel quoted in the Los Angeles Times article, “North Korea Was Trump’s Chief Foreign Policy Boast, But Things Got Worse on His Watch”

"'The approach that Biden supported was more along the lines of a war of attrition with North Korea,' Russel said. 'If giving up its nuclear program is the last thing on earth that North Korea wants to do, we need to make it the last thing on earth that North Korea can do in order to survive...'" Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-09-01T21:45:38-04:00August 24, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Danny Russel quoted in the Japan Times article, “Would Joe Biden Be ‘Obama 2.0’ When It Comes to Northeast Asia?”

"'Biden’s top priority is going to be trying to resuscitate the U.S. economy, trying to restore as much American leadership, American primacy as he possibly can,' said Russel. 'Those are tall orders and to try to address the havoc wreaked by the uncontrolled outbreak of COVID-19, you’ve got a lot more to worry about than just China...'" Read the full article here: Full Article

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-09-01T21:44:21-04:00August 21, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|

Michael Camilleri writes in World Politics Review: “Trump’s Pick for IDB Chief Could Hamstring Latin America’s Top Lender”

"President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, Robert O’Brien, traveled to Bogota this week, ostensibly to announce up to $5 billion in financing under the White House’s new United States-Colombia Growth Initiative. The money had been pledged months ago by the U.S. Development Finance Corporation, and it is contingent on investment-worthy projects, in any case. But the timing of the visit was hardly a coincidence. One of the officials traveling with O’Brien was Mauricio Claver-Carone, the White House’s point man on Latin [...]

Rebecca Skoryanc2020-09-01T21:25:16-04:00August 21, 2020|Geopolitical Perspectives|