…
As we speak, we are facing a confluence of crises. Iran’s attacks on Israel. The tragedy in Gaza following the terrible attack on October 7th. China is probing our defenses from Taiwan to Tiktok. All of this against the backdrop of an election super year where more than 64 democracies, representing half the world’s population, will go to the polls. This includes the EU and our own, where everything from climate change to household purchasing power to democracy itself seems on the ballot. It’s easy to get overwhelmed.
…
But make no mistake. Despite all of these efforts, the past months have been a tough time for Ukraine. Russia has reworked its supply chain and is attempting to reconstitute itself as a war economy helped by its allies in Iran, North Korea, and China. Since March 22nd, Russia has pummeled Ukraine’s great cities with waves of large-scale missile and drone attacks, meant to not only degrade Ukraine’s grid but also its energy generation capacity. Nowhere has suffered more than Ukraine’s beautiful “second city,” Kharkiv.
…
Some of the most dynamic innovation ecosystems have developed in small, open economies facing a persistent security threat from a geopolitical rival. That existential threat can create a sense of national mission that facilitates state-supported R&D and overcomes the challenges of a small domestic market. This is the case in Taiwan, Estonia, South Korea, and Israel, all of which have developed globally competitive technology innovation ecosystems, often closely linked to their defense sector.
###
Source: U.S. Department of State
Speaker: Penny Pritzer, Special Representative for Ukraine’s Economic Recovery
Format: Speech
China Policy Research 