This week, President Trump stated he would decide whether to directly involve the U.S. military in the Israel-Iran conflict within two weeks, the G7 met in Canada, Russia launched the year’s deadliest missile attack on Kyiv, and Rwanda and the DR Congo drafted a peace deal.
Read more below.
This Week’s Content Highlights
Features from Aspen Strategy Group Members
Nicholas Burns interviewed by Jon Fortt for CNBC: “Fmr. U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Burns on the Role China Is Playing in Conflict Between Israel and Iran”
Anja Manuel interviewed by Amanda Walker for TRT World: “Trump’s Trade War: Can Tariffs Save American Jobs?”
Kurt Campbell interviewed by Jay Sapsford for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce: “The Future of Submarine Warfare: Is AUKUS at Risk?”
Chris Coons interviewed by Alicia Menendez, Symone Sanders Townsend, and Michael Steele for MSNBC: “Trump Sees ‘America First’ as ‘America Alone’: Sen. Chris Coons on Trump Leaving G7 Summit Early”
Mark Esper interviewed by Sara Eisen and Carl Quintanilla for CNBC: “Fmr. Defense Sec. Mark Esper: Trump Was Smart to ‘Pause the Clock’ on Iran Response”
Michael Froman quoted by Erica L. Green and Zolan Kanno-Youngs for The New York Times: “As Trump Returns to G7, Rift With Allies Is Even Deeper”
Robert M. Gates for The Wall Street Journal: “The U.S. Can Rise to the Chinese Challenge”
Susan Glasser interviewed by Bianna Golodryga for CNN: “‘This Is a Hateful Era of Public Speech,’ Writer Reacts to Minnesota Assassination”
Michael J. Green interviewed Richard M. Rossow for The Asia Chessboard podcast: “An Indispensable Partner: U.S.-India Relations in the Indo-Pacific”
David Ignatius for The Washington Post: “Israel’s Iran Mission Creeps Into Regime Change”
Meghan O’Sullivan interviewed by Becky Quick for CNBC: “Harvard’s Meghan O’Sullivan on What the Israel-Iran Conflict Means for the U.S.”
David Petraeus quoted in the Financial Times: “Europe Set for Iran Talks as Trump Signals Two-Week Window to Decide on Attack”
Dan Sullivan and moderator John Hamre, Kurt Campbell and moderator Mark Lippert, and more at the Center for Strategic & International Studies: “Looking Forward: The Future of United States-Japan-Korea Trilateral Relations”
Lawrence Summers quoted by Chris Anstey for Bloomberg: “Summers Sees Trump Naming ‘Respected’ Replacement for Powell”
Post of the Week
Things to Know
Content Relevant to Aspen Security Forum Discussions
Margaret Brennan and Jennifer Jacobs for CBS News: “Diplomacy’s ‘Last-Shot’ to De-Escalate Israel-Iran Conflict”
Kateryna Chursina for Bloomberg: “Russian Air Strikes Pound Kyiv as Trump Goes Slow on Sanctions”
Colin Demarest for Axios: “Defense Firms Flex New Weapons and Contracts at Paris Air Show”
France24: “Gulf States Begin Diplomatic Scramble to End Israel-Iran Conflict”
Mark J. Gerencser and Ethan Ingram for The National Interest: “Re-Imagining America’s Defense Industrial Base”
Kim Ghattas for the Financial Times: “Netanyahu Is Good at Starting Wars, But It’s Ending Them That Matters”
Catherine Osborn for Foreign Policy: “Sheinbaum Makes Her G7 Debut”
Megha Rajagoplan for The New York Times: “China Unleashes Hackers Against Its Friend Russia, Seeking War Secrets”
Basillioh Rukanga for BBC News: “Rwanda and DR Congo Agree Draft Peace Deal to End Conflict”
Mark Rutte for Foreign Affairs: “The World Needs a Stronger NATO”
Jeanne Shaheen for The Wall Street Journal: “Trump’s Tariffs Weaken America’s Military”
Sebastian Strangio for The Diplomat: “Cambodia Officially Requests ICJ Intervention in Thai Border Dispute”
Francis Tang for The Japan Times: “Nippon Steel Completes U.S. Steel Acquisition After 18-Month Slog”
Cat Zakrzewski, Amanda Coletta, and Cleve R. Wootson Jr. for The Washington Post: “Trump Leaves G-7 Meeting Early to Deal With Mideast; Signs Group Statement”
Caroline Zier for the Atlantic Council: “How the U.S. Can Reduce the Risk of Wider War in the Middle East”
From the Archives
Revisit our conversation with Defence Minister of Ukraine Rustem Umerov from the 2024 Aspen Security Forum.
Fireside Chat with Rustem Umerov
Rustem Umerov, Defence Minister, Ukraine (VIRTUAL)
Moderator: David Sanger, White House and National Security Correspondent, The New York Times
Book of the Week
Inflation: A Guide for Users and Losers
By Mark Blyth and Nicolò Fraccaroli
“Leading political economists Mark Blyth and Nicolò Fraccaroli reveal why inflation really happens, challenge how we think about it, and argue for fresh approaches to combat it. With accessible and engaging commentary, and a good dose of humor, Blyth and Fraccaroli bring the complexities of economic policy and inflation indices down to earth.
Policymakers around the world may have pulled off a so-called ‘soft landing,’ but Inflation warns they must update their thinking. Now tariffs, climate shocks, demographic change, geopolitical tensions, and politicians promising to upend the global order are all combining to create a more inflationary future, making a new paradigm for understanding inflation urgently necessary. Astute, timely, and engaging, Inflation is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the forces shaping our economy and politics.”
Call for Applications: Solidarity in Action
A joint initiative of Aspen Institute Germany, Aspen Institute Italia, Aspen Institute Romania, and the Aspen Strategy Group.
The Solidarity in Action project brings together the next generation of leaders from the Western Balkans, Germany, Italy, Romania, and the United States in support of transatlantic cooperation on the Western Balkans. Participants will engage in a series of moderated discussions and develop policy recommendations for a region that offers a case study on the consequences of sudden shifts in United States policy and ruptures in the transatlantic relationship.
Application Process: Please apply at the link below by June 22, 2025 at 11:59 PM EST. Five U.S. participants will be selected to join the 20-person cohort.
Preferred qualifications:
• Current affiliation with a civil society organization, think tank, or academic institution is preferred but not required. (Please note that those with U.S. government affiliations are ineligible for this program.)
• Between the ages of 25 and 35
• Demonstrated interest in transatlantic cooperation and the Western Balkans
• Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
Program Requirements: Successful applicants must be able to attend all five two-hour virtual workshops running from 11 AM – 1 PM EST on September 2, September 16, October 14, November 4, and November 20, and travel to the Western Balkans September 30 – October 3, 2025.
All costs for participation and travel will be covered by the project.
Featured Partner Content
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Featured Opportunity
The Aspen Institute’s Global Opportunity Youth Network (GOYN) is seeking a Program Associate to support communications and grant management.
The Global Opportunity Youth Network is a pioneering, collaborative effort to support “Opportunity Youth”–young people aged 15-29 who are out of school, unemployed, or working in informal jobs–in communities around the world. GOYN engages multiple partners and stakeholders across ecosystems, from young people and local NGOs to employers, funders, and consultants.
Podcast of the Week
Ivy Yin, Eric Yep, and Henry Gao join Eklavya Gupte on S&P Global’s Energy Evolution podcast: “How Tariff Tensions Are Reshaping China’s Energy Landscape”
