NATO's internal frictions and the political overuse of one wartime label framed the day, alongside a fresh warning over China's eastern approach to Taiwan.

Asia-Pacific

  • The chair of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission called Chinese military patrols east of Taiwan 'destabilizing,' flagging activity on the side of the island closest to the open Pacific routes allies would use to reinforce it in a crisis — more.

Transatlantic Alliance

  • US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's criticism of NATO's handling of its Afghanistan mission drew open, public rebukes from the UK and Poland rather than private diplomacy — more.

Analysis: the 'hybrid war' label

  • Italy's government and Albania's prime minister both blamed this week's street protests on foreign-orchestrated 'hybrid warfare' without public evidence beyond their own statements, while Ukraine's president used the same phrase to resist a US request to scale back strikes on Russia — more.
  • Separately, reporting described an actual, documented Russian hybrid campaign against NATO using holiday homes near alliance sites — a contrast the piece says makes it harder for the public to tell real warnings from convenient ones — more.