Skip to main content
The Interpreter

Interpreter - Menu Links

  • Articles
  • Debates
  • Contributors
  • About

Published daily by the Lowy Institute

  • 3 hours ago
    • China
    • Defence & Security
    • Diplomacy
    • United States

    US-China: Rather than mutual understanding, strive for competition without conflict

    Sophie Wushuang Yi
    Military hotlines and exercise notifications could reduce escalation risks while acknowledging persistent misreading of intent.
  • 3 hours ago
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • United States

    Albanese must learn that smiles and handshakes with Trump won’t save Australia’s AUKUS ambitions

    John Lee
    Dealing with Trump 2.0 demands concrete defence spending increases, not diplomatic charm, as Pentagon reviews submarine deal.
  • 16 Jun 2025
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • Public Opinion

    Australia’s military benefits beyond war – the career challenge

    David Vallance
    How to sell young people on defence force service when shared values under the US alliance appear increasingly questionable.
  • 16 Jun 2025
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Maldives
    • Sri Lanka
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security

    Putting the “Indo” in Indo-Pacific, Australia’s westward pivot

    Rushali Saha
    Embassy openings and patrol boat gifts signal Canberra's recognition that Indian Ocean influence requires active engagement.
  • 10 Jun 2025
    • Asia
    • Defence & Security

    The logic of neutrality in the Indo-Pacific

    Vincent So
    Regional governments use deliberate ambiguity to extract benefits from both United States and China while avoiding costly commitments to either.
  • 5 Jun 2025
    • Defence & Security
    • Russia
    • Ukraine
    • Technology

    Ukraine’s cheap robot drones extract a heavy price from Russia

    David Kirichenko
    By pioneering tomorrow’s battlefield tactics, Kyiv is rewriting military doctrine and setting the template for future wars.
  • 4 Jun 2025
    • India
    • Pakistan
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • Terrorism

    India’s concern could reshape Australia's Pakistan defence ties

    Kim Heriot-Darragh
    It’s a good time for Canberra to reassess military cooperation with Islamabad given limited influence and competing Indo-Pacific priorities.
  • 3 Jun 2025
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security

    The case against ramping up Australia’s defence spending

    Sam Roggeveen
    It’s not about the money, it’s about strategy.
  • 2 Jun 2025
    • Defence & Security
    • Russia
    • Ukraine

    The three punch combo behind Ukraine’s spectacular drone strike on Russia

    Mick Ryan
    Drones make for a cheap threat to Russia’s war machine and a much-needed morale boost at home – but this attack won’t break Putin’s resolve.
  • 29 May 2025
    • Asia
    • Defence & Security

    The wrong time for a collective defence pact in Asia

    Bec Strating
    Trump’s unpredictability is already an obstacle. And diverse interests make bilateral flexibility better than rigid military blocs.
  • 29 May 2025
    • South Korea
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • Maritime Security

    Australia-South Korea: The case for a new maritime focus

    Jennifer Parker
    The naval relationship between the two nations has plateaued, but there's a way to regain momentum.
  • 29 May 2025
    • Asia
    • Defence & Security
    • United States

    Pete Hegseth’s impossible mission to reassure Asian allies at Shangri-La

    William Choong
    Whatever the Defence Secretary might say, it’s the actions of his boss that catch most attention.
  • 28 May 2025
    • Asia
    • Defence & Security
    • Diplomacy

    Why Northeast Asia risks repeating Europe’s 19th-century mistakes

    Ju Hyung Kim
    Compelling strategic lessons lie in institutional decay, alliance uncertainty, and deterrence gaps that mirror historical dangers.
  • 20 May 2025
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • Russia
    • Ukraine
    • Technology

    Ukraine and Australia: A contrast in military learning

    Mick Ryan
    Lessons from the Ukraine war appear to have had minimal impact on the Australian Defence Force.
  • 13 May 2025
    • China
    • Defence & Security

    Security with Chinese characteristics: How the Global Security Initiative reflects Beijing’s priorities at home

    William Matthews
    Three years after its proposal, a vision is emerging where some countries’ security interests are more legitimate than others.
  • 6 May 2025
    • India
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security

    The Australia-India defence relationship is not all about the numbers

    Kim Heriot-Darragh , Gaurav Saini
    Moving from agreement to trust will bring maturity to the partnership and build something more self-sustaining.
  • 2 May 2025
    • Asean
    • Japan
    • Philippines
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • South China Sea
    • United States

    How the Squad risks upending ASEAN norms

    Vincent Kyle Parada
    Is minilateralism really the way forward for the Indo-Pacific?
  • 30 Apr 2025
    • China
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • Antarctica

    Australia-China: Port visits can manage tensions

    James Laurenceson , Xi Chen
    The Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia all have acute maritime disputes with China, but they continue to welcome naval visits. So why can't Australia?
  • 29 Apr 2025
    • India
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • Maritime Security
    • Terrorism
    • United States

    Kashmir and what’s next after the Pahalgam attack: How India’s partners could help in this crisis

    Arzan Tarapore
    Stepping up overflight surveillance in the Indian Ocean would be a good start.
  • 28 Apr 2025
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security

    A distinctly Australian approach to civil-military relations

    Mick Ryan
    Examining a neglected but crucial aspect of Australia’s national security debate.
  • 22 Apr 2025
    • Indonesia
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • Russia

    Facts gone missing in Australia’s debate about Indonesia-Russia basing deal

    Susannah Patton
    A partisan contest about military ties between Russia and Indonesia leaves Australians none the wiser.
  • 17 Apr 2025
    • China
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • Intelligence and security
    • Maritime Security

    China’s “spy ship” that wasn’t off the coast of Australia

    Jennifer Parker
    Caught in a political storm, most claims about the mission of the Tan Suo Yi Hao don’t hold water.
  • 15 Apr 2025
    • Japan
    • Defence & Security
    • Europe

    Xi and Putin drive Japan and NATO closer together

    Stuart Lau
    Tokyo wants to learn more about Russia’s tactics in preparation of potential conflicts with China, while NATO eyes Japan’s defence industry.
  • 15 Apr 2025
    • Asia
    • Malaysia
    • Singapore
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • United Kingdom
    • New Zealand

    Asia without America? History shows Australia can be confident shaping regional security

    Rahman Yaacob
    The Five Power Defence Arrangements makes for a case in point.
  • 10 Apr 2025
    • Indonesia
    • Defence & Security

    Big changes off a low base: Indonesia’s military modernisation

    Monty Pounder
    As president after five years as defence minister, Prabowo may prove to offer an unusually long period of continuity in Indonesia’s defence policy.
  • 1 Apr 2025
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security

    Yes, Australia can defend itself independently

    Sam Roggeveen
    Australia fears abandonment, but when it happens, Australia copes remarkably well. It can do so again in an era of fading American influence in Asia.
  • 31 Mar 2025
    • Asia
    • China
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • Technology

    Yes, some of China’s educated youth just asserted sovereignty over Australia

    Shijie Wang
    Online platforms reveal a fervent nationalism that has repercussions for the future of the region.
  • 28 Mar 2025
    • Singapore
    • Defence & Security
    • Trade
    • Technology

    Chipping away at controls: Singapore’s challenge with China-linked companies

    Alvin Camba
    A tech fraud case has again put the Southeast Asian nation in the spotlight.
  • 28 Mar 2025
    • South Korea
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security

    How far can Canberra and Seoul’s partnership stretch?

    Gabriela Bernal
    For all the talk of alignment, Australia has no influence with North Korea, and South Korea has different interests with China.
  • 25 Mar 2025
    • China
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • AUKUS
    • Maritime Security

    Awful but lawful: China's Australia flotilla

    Thomas Shugart
    China wasn't making a legal point. This was a show of force.
  • 24 Mar 2025
    • Defence & Security
    • United States

    There is method in the Trump madness

    Victor Abramowicz
    The president’s foreign policy represents a rational change in calculus, with far-reaching implications.
  • 24 Mar 2025
    • Indonesia
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • Maritime Security

    Indonesia and Australia: Defence cooperation under Prabowo

    Edna C. Pattisina
    For Australia, walking the talk will be critical to a sustainable strategic relationship that benefits both nations.
  • 19 Mar 2025
    • South Korea
    • Defence & Security
    • United States

    Command and sovereignty: Who controls South Korea’s military in wartime?

    Gabriela Bernal
    Known as “OPCON”, the transfer of operational leadership has long posed a dilemma that has only deepened with Donald Trump’s presidency.
  • 19 Mar 2025
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • United States

    The new transactional era: Australia’s US alliance needs review

    Hugh Piper
    Political inertia threatens Australia’s ability to adapt to a changing relationship.
  • 19 Mar 2025
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • Maritime Security

    Australian defence and the nebulous “archipelago”

    Richard Dunley
    In the region to our north, the risks of playing out operational concepts on a map devoid of politics are manifold.
  • 17 Mar 2025
    • Defence & Security
    • Europe

    A pivotal moment for European strategic autonomy, courtesy of Trump

    Eglantine Staunton
    The United States could have a lot to lose in addition to the diplomatic fallout.
  • 17 Mar 2025
    • Defence & Security
    • Russia
    • Ukraine

    Dispatch from Ukraine: The adaptation battle intensifies

    Mick Ryan
    Drone warfare over Ukraine offers a powerful demonstration of the need for modern militaries to adapt quickly.
  • 13 Mar 2025
    • Singapore
    • Defence & Security
    • Maritime Security

    Singapore’s navy modernisation: Big on size but small on personnel

    Rahman Yaacob
    Grappling with the need to overcome constraints on the number of personnel available to crew warships and submarines.
  • 13 Mar 2025
    • Defence & Security
    • AUKUS

    AUKUS: Two pillars, three fallacies

    Peter Tesch
    “Gotcha” politics is undermining the unity ticket needed to tackle the challenges facing Australia.
  • 12 Mar 2025
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • Pacific Islands
    • Papua New Guinea

    Papua New Guinea: Shhhhh … don’t use the word “Alliance”

    Oliver Nobetau
    PNG’s sovereignty need not come at the cost of the safety and well-being of its own people.
  • 11 Mar 2025
    • India
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • Maritime Security
    • Quad

    Why Australia–India maritime ties matter

    Nidhi Priya
    Strengthening cooperation in the Indo-Pacific will be good not just for the region but for global security and trade.
  • 6 Mar 2025
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • Maritime Security

    Should Australia rekindle its Merchant Navy?

    Victor Abramowicz
    From defended assets to arsenal ships, armed merchant vessels offer opportunities for Canberra.
  • 4 Mar 2025
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • Russia
    • Ukraine

    Australian peacekeepers in Ukraine?

    Mick Ryan
    Australian soldiers are tough, well equipped, well trained and well led. But this would be a mission like no other.
  • 4 Mar 2025
    • China
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • International law

    China’ Australia flotilla: The live-fire loophole in the law of the sea

    Donald R Rothwell
    With countries each following their own procedures, a diplomatic initiative would be to work towards international agreement on the minimum notice required for live-fire exercises.
  • 3 Mar 2025
    • China
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security

    China's naval growth goes vertical

    David Vallance
    Australia needs to be prepared not just for the missile power of China's fleet today, but how it will look in a decade.
  • 27 Feb 2025
    • Australia's Army
    • Defence & Security

    To “protect-and-project” – A call for Australian land power in the Indo-Pacific

    Iain MacGillivray
    The changing character of war may mean fighting more than just one type of war against one type of adversary.
  • 26 Feb 2025
    • Defence & Security
    • Europe
    • European Union
    • Multilateral Institutions

    Two cheers for the European Union

    Mark Beeson
    Democracy, peace and cooperation don’t happen by accident. Will the EU continue to defy Europe’s violent history?
  • 26 Feb 2025
    • Australia in the World
    • Australia and Asia
    • Australia's Defence Challenges
    • Australian Defence Force
    • Defence & Security

    The building blocks for security partnership in the Indo-Pacific

    Michael MacArthur Bosack
    There are five basic requirements for successful military-to-military cooperation. Australia is already ahead of the game.
  • 25 Feb 2025
    • Australia
    • Defence & Security
    • Canada
    • United States

    For Trump, Australia is nothing like Canada

    George Boone
    Neighbours often have more complications than distant friends.
  • 21 Feb 2025
    • Defence & Security
    • United States

    America agrees on “peace through strength”, just not what it costs

    Tom Corben
    A budget battle is shaping, and perhaps not in the direction expected.
Pagination
  • Previous page ‹ Previous
  • Current page 1
  • Page 2
  • Page 3
  • Page 4
  • Page 5
  • Page 6
  • Page 7
  • Page 8
  • Page 9
  • …
  • Next page ››

Stay informed with the latest commentary and analysis on international events from experts at the Lowy Institute and around the world.

Register

The Interpreter features in-depth analysis & expert commentary on the latest international events, published daily by the Lowy Institute.

© Copyright 2025 Lowy Institute

  • Debates
  • Contributors
  • Articles
  • About
  • Terms of Use
  • Log In
  • My bookmarks