The Insider

Ireland’s Growing Defense Needs

Ireland has long avoided making significant investments in defense, but the global security environment — and how it affects Ireland — is changing. Kerry talks with Patrick Bury and David Murphy, who wrote "No Time to Spare: Irish Defense and Security in 2025" for War on the Rocks and who offer recommendations for Irish defense policy going forward.

Pakistan’s Strategy Toward Tehrik-e-Taliban and the Afghan Taliban

The Pakistani government faces multiple challenges, including how to respond to threats posed by Tehrik-e-Taliban while also managing a complicated relationship with the Afghan government. Kerry discusses how Pakistan is approaching these issues with Amira Jadoon, who wrote “Decoding Pakistan’s 2024 Airstrikes in Afghanistan” for War on the Rocks.

Why Civilian Harm Mitigation Efforts Matter

Claire Finkelstein wrote “The Pentagon is About to Make a Big Mistake on Civilian Harm Mitigation” for War on the Rocks. Rick sat down with Claire to discuss the value of efforts by the Department of Defense to simultaneously reduce civilian casualties and enable precision lethality in combat in recent years. With resources to assist such efforts now in jeopardy of being cut, Claire explains their benefits and makes the case to keep them around. They also discuss the role of advanced technologies in civilian harm mitigation efforts in combat.

Why Didn’t the United States Annex Canada in the Past?

Since starting his second presidential term, President Donald Trump has repeatedly said that Canada should be the 51st U.S. state. How new is the idea, and why hasn't the United States annexed Canada in the past? Richard Maass addressed these questions in his article "The 51st State that Never Was: Why the United States Didn't Annex Canada." Kerry sits down with Richard to discuss the history of U.S. northern territorial expansion and what Trump's statements on Canada mean for today's norms about sovereign states and territorial integrity.

What a European Force in Ukraine Could Look Like

As European leaders consider how to strengthen European security and provide more direct support to Ukraine, the idea that Europe might send a force to help support Ukraine's military is gaining traction. Jack Watling and Michael Kofman provide detailed ideas on what an effective force might look like in their article, "Willpower, Not Manpower, in Europe's Main Limitation for a Force in Ukraine." Kerry sits down with the authors to discuss their ideas.