ASF: DC Edition

This week, incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won the Brazilian presidential election as opponent Flávio Bolsonaro fled to the U.S., Israeli elections resulted in political gridlock, President Aleksandar Vučić conceded defeat in Serbian election to a student-led opposition movement, and Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado returned to…

This week, riots spun out of peaceful demonstrations in France and across Europe, U.S. Special Envoy Witkoff met with President Zelenskyy in Oslo and President Putin in St. Petersburg, U.S. Secretary of War Hegseth traveled to Israel after President Trump endorsed Prime Minister Netanyahu in upcoming elections, and the UK…

This week, President Trump made a deal with President Putin to lift U.S. sanctions on Russian diesel exports; Ukraine resumed attacks on Russian energy infrastructure and reported Starlink disruptions; the Houthis escalated attacks across the region, targeting Saudi airports and striking Yemen's presidential palace; and Pope Leo was diagnosed with…

This week, Saudi-backed Yemeni forces announced a major offensive operation against Houthi rebels; the U.S. pressured Russia to release more details surrounding a plague researcher’s death in Siberia; French students led massive protests against education policies; and the U.S. removed bombers from RAF Fairford due to Iranian drone threats.

This week, U.S. forces withdrew from Iraq after a two-decade military presence in the country, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there were “strong indications” that Iran was involved in a suspected terrorism plot at a UK airbase, a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv was diverted to Saudi Arabia following…

This week, President Trump hosted President Xi Jinping for his first state visit to Washington in 11 years as the U.S. and China extended their trade truce; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and other world leaders addressed the 81st U.N. General Assembly;…

This week, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time since 2023, the European Union invited Canada to work toward being its first “associate member,” tens of thousands of refugees fled Yemen as Iran-backed Houthi rebels stormed the Red Sea coast, and Sweden’s center-left opposition won in the…

This week, oil prices surged amid an escalation in conflict in the Middle East, the U.K. and eleven other countries announced a ban on trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank, President Trump imposed new trade restrictions on Canada after Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods took effect, and…

This week, the U.S. and Iran renewed air strikes, Russia barraged Ukraine with missiles, a 7.1 magnitude earthquake killed at least 34 people in Japan, and President Trump met with President Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Netanyahu at the White House.

Last week, the 2026 Aspen Security Forum brought together top national security voices, experts, business leaders, and innovators from across the political spectrum and around the globe. We were proud to host over 600 in-person attendees, including many from our Rising Leaders Program, which fosters the next generation of national…