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The withdrawal of US forces from Syria would risk reversing hard-earned gains against the Islamic State of Iraq and al Sham (ISIS). ISIS is not destroyed. It is kept in check by the combined pressure of US forces in Iraq and Syria and their Kurdish allies. The withdrawal of US forces will remove that pressure and allow ISIS to reconstitute, likely rapidly, to dangerous levels.
The British ambassador to Israel stated on February 25 that the E3 (the United Kingdom, France, and Germany) has given Iran until the end of June 2025 to conclude a new nuclear deal and prevent the imposition of snapback sanctions. It is very unlikely that Iran will conclude a deal with the E3 and the United States by June 2025, given that such a deal would require Iran to completely change its current policy on negotiations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin implicitly acknowledged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as the legitimate president of Ukraine and Russia's future negotiating partner while promoting a new information operation that aims to destabilize Ukrainian society and the Ukrainian military from within.
This page collects our Ukraine-related fact sheets. It is arranged in reverse chronological order.
David Osborne brings over 20 years of senior fundraising expertise across diverse sectors, including public policy and advocacy, social services and community impact, education, and faith-based organizations.
A Sarasota, Florida native, he earned both a BA and MA from Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio and an MBA from Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Maryland.
Benjamin Cordola is an ArcGIS Geospatial Researcher at ISW and holds a B.A. in Russian and Geography from Middlebury College, where his thesis studied the design and ideology of Soviet cartography. Benjamin successfully completed the Summer 2024 Internship Program at ISW and was previously a summer fellow at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. He has also worked as an intern for EducationUSA Russia and at an immigration law firm in Madrid, Spain.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago on February 24, 2022. Ukraine has not been defeated or destroyed but remains resilient and innovative in the face of this unjustified Russian aggression. Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine in a failed attempt to seize Kyiv City, overthrow Ukraine's democratically elected government, and forcibly install a pro-Russian proxy government in three days. Ukrainian forces, supported by a coalition of allies including the United States and European partners, have since successfully pushed Russian forces out of northern Ukraine and liberated significant territory in southern and northeastern Ukraine.
The Syrian interim government began a two-day National Dialogue Conference on February 24 on 24-hour notice. The Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS)-affiliated Preparatory Committee started sending invitations to over one thousand Syrians nationwide and internationally on February 23 calling for attendees to report the next day to Damascus. The Preparatory Committee spokesperson Hassan al Daghim said that over 600 invitees arrived in Damascus on February 24. The short notice prevented the attendance of invitees from outside of Syria and likely decreased participation from remote provinces like Hasakah and Raqqa, given the travel and planning requirements inherent for international travel and travel through lines of control within Syria.
Donggyu (Alfred) Han is a China Researcher at ISW, specializing in the Korean Peninsula and its relations with China. Originally from South Korea, he studied in China and the United States, where he acquired Chinese language skills. He is a veteran of the Republic of Korea Army, discharged with the rank of sergeant, and served as an interpreter for US-ROK military exercises in the intelligence department.
Addie Maguire is the Special Assistant to the President at the Institute for the Study of War. In this role, she coordinates with and assists the Executive Officer to ensure alignment of all aspects of the organization's operations. Prior to joining ISW, she worked at the Defense Intelligence Agency and deployed as a civilian for the Department of the Army. Ms. Maguire was awarded the National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citation and the Joint Civilian Service Commendation Award.