Both the 2018 and 2022 US National Defense Strategies identify resurgent major power competition as a defining feature of the contemporary international security environment. Colin Kahl, who oversaw the drafting of the 2022 National Defense Strategy as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, discusses the military and security implications of China’s growing assertiveness, Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, and changing patterns of global alignment.

This James N. Mattis Distinguished Visitor program and lecture are made possible with generous support from General Dynamics, RTX, and Eric & Wendy Schmidt.