US Defense Spending, Russia-NATO Tensions, and China’s Military Expansion
Patrick M. Cronin, Asia-Pacific Security Chair, joins a discussion on the Defense and Aerospace Report podcast. The discussion covers United States defense spending, rising tensions between Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, US policy toward Iran, shifting dynamics in the Middle East, and China's growing military and economic influence in the Indo-Pacific. The episode was published on October 5, 2026.
Why it matters: The episode links China's military and economic influence in the Indo-Pacific to US defense spending and Russia-NATO tensions, placing it within the briefing's National Security and Defense theme.