Benjamin Friedman - Defense Priorities

Grand strategy, Afghanistan, Asia, Burden sharing, China, Counterterrorism, Defense budgeting, Europe and Eurasia, Foreign and defense policy, International relations, International security, Iran, Israel-Hamas, Middle East, Military analysis, NATO, North Korea, Ukraine, and Ukraine-Russia

Benjamin Friedman

Policy Director

Benjamin Friedman is policy director at Defense Priorities.

Friedman previously worked as a defense analyst at the Cato Institute and a researcher at the Center for Defense Information. Friedman is a graduate of Dartmouth College and studied for a PhD in political science at MIT. He has taught graduate courses at the University of Maryland and George Washington. He has edited three books on defense policy and strategy and has published academic essays in International Security, Political Science Quarterly, Orbis, Foreign Affairs, and World Affairs. He has written op-eds for many outlets, including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today, Politico, The Atlantic, TIME, The Boston Globe, and the Boston Review.

In the mediaRussia, Europe and Eurasia

What to know about Elon Musk’s reported phone calls with Putin and why it matters

Featuring Benjamin Friedman

October 25, 2024

The head of any large defense contractor would face similar questions if they held private talks with Putin, said Ben […]

In the mediaAlliances, NATO, Ukraine

NATO’s new chief is inheriting messy wars and a possible second Trump presidency. It’s not going to be easy, security analysts say.

Featuring Benjamin Friedman

October 1, 2024

op-edUkraine‑Russia, Russia, Ukraine

Will the Kursk raid backfire on Ukraine?

By Benjamin Friedman and Christopher McCallion

August 19, 2024

Benjamin Friedman Past Virtual Events

virtualGrand strategy, Basing and force posture, Burden sharing, Global posture, Military analysis

What to know about Elon Musk’s reported phone calls with Putin and why it matters

NATO’s new chief is inheriting messy wars and a possible second Trump presidency. It’s not going to be easy, security analysts say.

Will the Kursk raid backfire on Ukraine?

What to know about Elon Musk’s reported phone calls with Putin and why it matters

NATO’s new chief is inheriting messy wars and a possible second Trump presidency. It’s not going to be easy, security analysts say.

Will the Kursk raid backfire on Ukraine?

Ukraine pushed Russia’s Black Sea Fleet out of Crimea but retaking the peninsula will be incredibly hard

NATO’s false promises are encouraging misplaced Ukrainian hopes

NATO summit: Poor focus, procrastination, and false hope

Benjamin Friedman Past Virtual Events

Past Virtual Event: National Defense Strategy: Underfunded or overstretched?

Past Virtual Event: New York for Paris? NATO and extended deterrence in a new nuclear age

Past Virtual Event: Can Ukraine still win? Evaluating U.S. interests and policy options

Past Virtual Event: Keeping the U.S. out of war in the Middle East

Past Virtual Event: Rocks, reefs, and resolve? Examining the purpose of U.S. policy in the South China Sea

Past Virtual Event: NATO or neutrality: assessing security guarantees for Ukraine

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Benjamin Friedman Past Virtual Events

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