The 2023 Knight Forum on Geopolitics

As the world rapidly evolves, so does the nature of threats facing the United States. While the immediate challenge posed by Russia in Ukraine, the mounting tension fueled by China’s disruptive actions in the Indo-Pacific, and the ongoing threats from other actors — such as North Korea, Iran, and violent extremist groups — underscore traditional security issues, the United States also faces serious nontraditional security challenges. Climate change, infectious diseases, and food insecurity, for example, have become permanent features of the global security environment and exert significant influence on American defense priorities. 

The current moment — nearly three years into the Biden administration and one year after the release of its National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy — presents an opportunity to assess U.S. grand strategy and place the Ukraine conflict, the challenges from China’s rise, and the ramifications of nontraditional security threats in broader historical and geostrategic context. On September 26, Brookings hosted a series of conversations that explored forward-leaning strategies to address the wide-ranging challenges shaping the geopolitics of our age. 

Online viewers submitted questions via e-mail to [email protected] or via Twitter @BrookingsFP using #KnightForum. 

Registration is required to attend an event in person and guests at Brookings are required to attest to their state of health before attending. Visitors may not enter the building if they are feeling ill for any reason, have any symptoms commonly associated with COVID-19, or have tested positive for COVID-19 at any time in the preceding 5 days or longer in accordance with current CDC guidance, or have been advised by their healthcare professional or otherwise to not enter any space where some persons may not be vaccinated.