“For much of the Afghanistan war, the only thing harder for the United States than winning was quitting,” the New York Times reports.

“The country’s longest war ended in chaos and defeat five years ago Sunday. Hundreds of thousands of Afghans, desperate to escape Taliban insurgents, swarmed the Kabul airport. Thirteen U.S. troops died there in a suicide bombing.”

“But since then, the fears that prevented three presidents from quitting the war have proven to be unfounded. Afghanistan has not become a terror haven or launchpad for attacks in the United States.”

“Today, the U.S. military is mired in a new war in Iran. Once again, the prospects for a military victory look bleak. Even President Trump has hinted that he would like to quit the war, only to reverse course and make a case for staying.”

“Russia has turned up the heat on Kyiv’s allies in Europe, with a string of so-called gray zone activities aimed at sowing fear, as it struggles to advance on the ground in Ukraine and faces increasingly damaging Ukrainian drone and missile attacks at home,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Ukraine has received intelligence that Russia is preparing for a possible new ground offensive toward Kyiv as well as Chernihiv in the nation’s far north, a top official said,” Bloomberg reports.

“There are no concrete dates or signs that Russian striking units are gathering near Ukraine’s northern borders. However, certain assessments are being made by Moscow’s military leadership.”

“The U.S. has rushed so many munitions to the Middle East to fight Iran that military planners are concerned the loss of firepower is diminishing America’s ability to defend against potential threats from China and Russia,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“The cuts have been so deep that the U.S. inventories in Europe of PAC-3 Patriot air defense interceptors and Atacms surface-to-surface missiles are deemed to be ‘beyond critical.'”

“The U.S. government said this week it seized digital infrastructure behind a Chinese hacking operation that targeted NASA, the Federal Reserve, and the Senate beginning in 2018, evidence, experts say, that illustrates the growing scale and persistence of Beijing’s cyber operations,” Semafor reports.

“The Iran war is undermining the Pentagon’s ability to project power in other regions of the world — and leaving allies and former defense officials questioning whether Washington can effectively deter its adversaries,” Politico reports.

“To focus resources in the Middle East, the Pentagon has pulled key air defenses and its last remaining aircraft carrier out of the Pacific. It has largely stopped maritime missions in the South China Sea aimed at curbing China’s territorial ambitions. And it has limited fighter jet rotations around Europe that defend NATO’s borders with Russia.”

“The notably reduced U.S. military presence in the Pacific and in Europe — and President Donald Trump’s conciliatory approach to traditional foes such as Russia and North Korea — has threatened the Pentagon’s influence around the world.”